Day of Your Surgery

Bathe or shower the morning of surgery. Do not use hair spray or body lotion. Do not apply makeup, especially mascara or lipstick. Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing and shoes. The goal is to be comfortable, and have nonbinding clothes to wear home after surgery. Leave valuables — such as jewelry, earrings, expensive watches or large amounts of money — at home. You won’t need these for your procedure.

If you wear glasses, contact lenses and/or a hearing aide, please bring a storage case. Bring your insurance forms, cards and/or payment, and any pertinent test results.

Arrive at least one hour before your surgery. Contact your surgeon if you are unsure of the time. After you arrive, we will escort you to the “pre-op” area where you will put on a patient gown. At this time, we will complete any remaining tests or procedures that may be necessary prior to your surgery. After surgery, you will be taken to the recovery area where you will be closely monitored by our nursing staff. They will manage any pain that you have after surgery. The length of time in the recovery room will vary depending on the type of surgery you have undergone, the type of anesthesia you received, and your overall physical condition.

Waiting Times Before Surgery

Our staff at the South Bend Specialty Surgery Center, recognize that your time is important. Prolonged waiting before a procedure is both unnerving and inconvenient to you and the people who have accompanied you to our center.

We utilize our computer data and requests of your surgeons/physicians to construct a schedule that attempts to be as efficient as possible. However there are many factors outside of our control that can alter the progression of starting times, resulting in delay or change (even forward) in the time of your procedure.

Example of these factors are:

• Prolongation of a surgery before your procedure, whether at our center or another facility where your surgeon might be working.
• Prolongation of office duties, delaying your surgeon’s arrival.
• Emergency procedures that your attending surgeon must address.
• Late arrivals of patients who were scheduled before you.
• Unanticipated events.

Whenever there is a change in your anticipated procedure starting time, our staff will keep you informed and provide updates. Please be sure to ask our staff if you have any questions regarding your surgical time.

Why do we ask you to come in prior to your surgery time?

We ask that you come in early before surgery to ensure enough time to complete the admission process, admit you to our preoperative area, institute monitoring and intravenous preparation, antibiotic administration (if applicable), and interview by your anesthesiologist and surgeon. We will minimize your waiting time and strive to maintain an efficient surgical schedule. If you do encounter a delay, please let us know what we can do to make your wait more comfortable.

After Your Surgery

When surgery is completed you will be taken to the recovery room. The length of time you will need to rest before leaving will depend on the nature of your surgery and your recovery from anesthesia.

We permit a family member or friend to join you in our recovery room when possible. In order to prevent overcrowding we must limit visitors to one person at peak times. Therefore we ask that you not bring children or others who cannot remain unattended in the waiting room.

We want to be particularly responsive to the needs of children and want you to understand that they will be cared for by our recovery room nurses until they have awakened. At that time, parents will be encouraged to come into the recovery room to be with the child.

Before You Leave

Please be certain you understand your physician’s instructions. You will receive instruction from our nurses regarding medication, diet, and rest requirements. The day of surgery and perhaps at the time of discharge, you may feel sleepy, tired and dizzy. Our advice is to go home and rest for the remainder of the day. For your own safety, it is important that you do not drive, operate machinery, drink alcohol or make any important decisions for at least 24 hours after leaving the surgery center.

At Home

You should plan to have a responsible adult stay with you the night after surgery. If you experience difficulties or complications once you return home, please contact your surgeon immediately. If you cannot reach your surgeon and your condition requires immediate attention, you must call 911 or be driven to the nearest emergency department. You may also call the staff at South Bend Specialty Surgery Center any time between 7.00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Overnight Stays

Sometimes you may need extra time in recovery. South Bend Specialty Surgery Center routinely has patients stay overnight for observation and extended recovery before heading home the next morning. For the best possible patient care, we have a two-to-one nurse to patient ratio for overnight patients. If you are in the extended recovery unit, no more than two visitors can be allowed at one time. Children must be supervised by an adult. Visiting hours end at 8 p.m. You are welcome to have a family member stay overnight with you. After surgery, you will not be allowed to drive yourself home, so you must arrange for a family member or friend to drive you home. Your surgeon will give you post-operative instructions regarding your diet, activity restrictions and medication.