The Day of Your Surgery
Follow the instructions you have been given for the date and time of your surgery. It is very important to arrive at the hospital on time.
What TO bring to the Hospital
- If you have sleep apnea and use a machine at night, bring it to the hospital.
- If your surgeon has ordered crutches, canes, splints or any other devices, have them available to be bought to the hospital following your surgery
- You may wear your Medic Alert bracelet, dentures, glasses, hearing aids and other such aids to the hospital. Bring labeled containers for these items because you will need to remove them for surgery.
- Label all your belongings and bring a bag or backpack for them. Your family or escort person will be asked to take your belongings and hold them until you arrive on your post operative patient care unit.
- Bring a copy of your personal Directive and or green sleeve with current goals of care order if you have one.
What NOT to bring to the Hospital
- Do NOT wear perfume, lotions, aftershave, or use hair products.
- Do NOT bring money, valuables (including phones, iPods, laptops, etc.),watches, jewellery (including wedding bands) or keys to the hospital.
- Do NOT bring contact lenses to the hospital.
The University of Alberta Hospital will not be responsible for lost or stolen articles or belongings brought to the hospital. Patients who bring any valuables do so at their own risk.
Eating and Drinking Before Surgery
Follow instructions carefully or your surgery may be delayed or even cancelled. This is for your safety, to prevent aspiration (food in your lungs). Aspiration is life-threatening.
When you arrive, you'll be welcomed by a member of staff, who will explain the processes to you and give you an identity bracelet to wear during your stay in hospital.
During your time in hospital, you may be asked the same questions by several people. This is routine, and ensures that correct information about you is checked and available at each stage of treatment.
Medication
Take any medicines your doctor asked you to take before surgery. This is especially important if you normally take tablets or insulin for diabetes.
You'll be asked whether you're allergic to any medication or whether any relatives have ever had any problems with an anesthetic, so suitable precautions can be taken.
Company and Visitors
Family or friends can usually stay with you until you leave for the operating theatre, at which point they can wait for you in the cafeteria/food court or the waiting area outside the unit. Due to limited space, we ask that only two visitors are at the bedside.
Before the Operation
In order to allow plenty of time for your preparation for surgery you may wait 2 to 3 hours after arriving at the hospital before your surgery will start. You may want to bring something to read.
You'll be asked to change into a hospital gown, and the staff will prepare you for surgery
For some surgeries, a needle connected to an intravenous infusion will be injected into your hand, allowing fluids and medicine to be given while you're under anesthetic.
Anesthesia
You will be given an anesthetic so you won't feel any pain during the operation.
A general anesthetic will be needed for a major operation, which means you'll be asleep throughout the whole operation. It will be given to you via an injection or gas, which you breathe through a mask.
There's no need to be anxious about having a general anesthetic: the anesthetist will be by your side the whole time you are asleep, carefully monitoring you, and will be there when you wake up.
If you don't need to be put to sleep, you'll be given a regional anesthetic. This means you'll be conscious throughout, but you won't feel any pain. It may be a local anesthetic, where a small area is numbed, an epidural or spinal anesthesia which reduces sensation in the upper or lower areas of your body.
After Surgery
After surgery you will usually recover in the Post-Anesthetic Recovery Room (PARR) before you go back to Adult Day Surgery Unit (ADS) if you are having day surgery or to your inpatient (ward) bed.
No visitors are allowed in the PARR.
A nurse will frequently check your pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level, breathing, site of your operation and provide pain control. It is important to tell your nurse if you have pain, nausea and/or vomiting, itchiness or difficulty urinating.Practice your deep breathing by taking a deep breath in through your nose and blow out through your mouth.
Depending on your condition, you may be given something light to eat or drink.
Each person recovers from surgery and anesthetic differently. Your doctor and nurse will decide when you are ready and able to go home.
Patients having Day Surgery must have a responsible adult collect them from the hospital and stay overnight with them.
My Care at Home
Your surgeon and health-care team will decide when you are ready to go home.
Before leaving the hospital, please ensure you have received the following instructions from your doctor or nurse before you to home.
- What medication to take after your surgery (how often, when and why)
- How to care for your incision and any tubes or dressings.
- What activities or exercises you can do and when you can do them (i.e. drive the car).
- What, if any, diet restrictions you need to follow.
- The date and time of your next appointment with the surgeon.
- When to call your surgeon or your family doctor.
- Please make preparations to leave the hospital by 10 am on the day of discharge home.
Follow ALL instructions given to you from your doctor and nurse.