Preparing for Surgery
Overview
This section provides a general overview of "what to expect" when having surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. This overview is for most surgical procedures. However, patients undergoing Heart Surgery should refer to the "Preparing for Surgery" guides specifically for Heart Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and Heart Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. Please keep in mind that all of these guides provide an overview of what generally happens. Details may vary some depending on a patient's particular case. If you have any questions about your particular case, please ask your physician's office.
Before Surgery
The admission procedure at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell is slightly different than the procedure at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Pavilion.
If you are having surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, you will need to call between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. the evening before the scheduled surgery (your physician's office will provide the number). If you are having surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia or NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Pavilion, a nurse will call you.
(Please remember that if your surgery is scheduled for Monday, this call will take place on Friday. If your surgery is scheduled after a holiday, this call will take place on the evening before the holiday.)
During the call, a nurse will tell you where and at what time you should arrive for surgery. He or she will also tell you when you can no longer have food or drink, what items to bring to the Hospital with you, and ask you some general health questions.
If you have developed any symptoms – particularly respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, sneezing, runny nose) please notify the nurse during this call. Tell your physician's office as well. If necessary, your surgery may have to be postponed.
Day of Surgery
Please be sure to arrive at the Hospital on-time. NewYork-Presbyterian offers parking services (valet and garages) at all of its location where surgery is performed. Please be mindful that parking requires some time as does driving in Manhattan where traffic can be heavy.
Upon arrival at the Hospital, you will check in and be directed to an exam room, where you will change into a hospital gown and receive an identification bracelet, which will be worn until you are discharged from the hospital. If you have brought an overnight bag, it will be taken to the recovery area (for Ambulatory Surgery patients) or to the floor you will be staying on (for patients staying in the Hospital following surgery).
In the exam room, the nurse will ask you some general health questions and conduct a brief examination, including taking your temperature and blood pressure, measuring height and weight, and listening to your heart through a stethoscope. If you are not feeling well, or have any concerns, it is important to tell the nurse. Afterwards, you will be taken to a pre-op or waiting area while the staff finishes preparing the operating room for your surgery.
Either during your intake exam or while in the pre-op or waiting area, your surgeon and the anesthesiologist will stop by to speak with you. They will review what will happen in the operating room. The anesthesiologist will discuss the way in which the anesthesia will be administered – either through mask or intravenously. It is important to tell him or her if you or anyone in your family has had reactions to anesthesia. You may also be asked to sign a consent form for the surgery if you have not done so already in your physician's office. Consent forms are mandatory and surgery cannot occur without one.
In most cases, your family members and friends can accompany you in the exam and pre-op/waiting area. When you are taken to the operating room, they will be asked to wait in an area designated for patient's family and friends where the surgeon can keep them informed about your condition.
The Surgery
At some point, a member(s) of the surgical team will come to the pre-op/waiting area and bring you into the operating room. Some patients go to the operating room on a gurney or in a wheelchair, while others simply walk in. It depends largely on the patient's health and the surgeon's wishes.
Once in the operating room, the surgeon, his or her team and the anesthesiologist will move you onto the operating table and begin preparing for the procedure. If this is your first time in an operating room, you will probably find that it looks much like operating rooms do on television – clean, bright, and with an abundance of high-tech equipment. The mood will generally be quiet and calm (unlike many medical dramas) with staff members busily preparing for the operation.
After Surgery
After surgery, you will be taken either to the recovery room or to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Your surgeon or a nurse will go to the waiting area to inform your family and friends about your condition and let them know when you can receive visitors.
If you are undergoing Ambulatory Surgery you will remain in the recovery room until you have sufficiently recovered from the anesthesia and are able to drink some liquids. At this point, your physician or a nurse will review with you any medications to be taken, diet restrictions, or limits on your physical activity you must follow. You may also be asked to call for a follow-up appointment, and generally a nurse will call you at home the following day to check on your condition.
If you are staying in the Hospital following surgery, you will remain in the recovery area (if not taken directly to the ICU following surgery) until you have sufficiently recovered from the anesthesia and are able to drink some liquids. From here, you will be taken to a patient room.
