Day of your Surgery at the Outpatient Surgery Center

Day of your Surgery

Diet Instructions

STOP DRINKING ANYTHING TWO HOURS BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE Outpatient Surgery Center (OSC).

For example, if you are told to arrive at the OSC at 7:45am, stop drinking at 5:45am.

If you are diabetic and feel symptoms of low blood sugar or your finger stick reading is low, please drink apple juice.

Approved list of clear liquids:

• Water
• Apple juice
• Black coffee
• Black tea

ABSOLUTELY NO ORANGE JUICE, NO CREAM, NO CREAMER, NO MILK AND NO HONEY! NO SUBSTITUTIONS!

Please follow your instructions about eating and drinking. Otherwise, your surgery may be cancelled.

Medication

• If you have been instructed to take any medication take it with a small sip of water
• If you were told to bring medication to the OSC, bring it with you

Getting dressed

• Wear loose comfortable clothing
• Do not wear any jewelry. This includes wedding rings, earrings and other body piercing. All jewelry must be removed prior to surgery
• Do not wear nail polish, hair spray, body lotion, perfume or make up

Getting ready

• Do not bring valuables to the OSC
• Bring your glasses and a case for storing them. You will not be able to wear contact lenses during surgery
• Bring your dentures or hearing aides and cases for storing them
• Plan to arrive at the OSC at the time your surgeon's office instructed you to

When you arrive at the OSC (52 Second Avenue, Suite 200, Green Building, Waltham)

• Go to the 2nd floor and turn right after getting off the elevator. This is the OSC. The phone number is 781-487-2905
• You will be registered as a patient and escorted to the preoperative teaching room or pre-operative prep area. If time allows, you will receive your post operative instructions prior to entering the preoperative area. If time does not allow, we will review instructions with your family member. A member of the perioperative nursing staff will admit you

During your surgery: Waiting area for your family member or friend

• There is a free wifi in our waiting area
• Once you have gone to the operating room, your escort, family member or friend may wait for you in our waiting room
• A cafeteria is located next door at Building 52
• Our staff will let your escort, family member or friend know how you are doing and when you will be ready to go home

At the perioperative area

• You will be asked to change into a gown or appropriate dress for your surgical procedure
• The nursing staff will start an intravenous (IV) line in a vein
• You will be asked several questions in preparation for your surgery. They will ask you:
  • when you last ate or drank
  • if you took any medications that day
  • if you have any allergies to medications, foods, or latex
  • what the proposed surgery is to be
  • the side it is on
  • along with other administrative questions

Your anesthesia care team

• You will meet with an Anesthesiologist, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and possibly a senior anesthesia resident from Mass General
• The Anesthesiologist and/or the resident will review your medical history, and discuss the available options for your proposed surgical procedure if they have not previously been discussed in a pre-op phone call
• You may also have already discussed these options with your surgeon during your pre-operative office visit. Together we will formulate an anesthetic plan
• We will also discuss the possible side effects, risks and benefits of each type of anesthesia. If you have any questions, they will be answered, and you will be asked sign an anesthesia consent form

Your surgical procedure

• Your surgeon or a representative for your surgeon will meet you in the prep area and review the planned surgical procedure
• The surgical site will be marked and any other questions you have will be answered
• If general or MAC anesthesia have been decided on, you will receive IV sedation and proceed directly to the operating room (OR) from this area
• However if it is decided that you will receive a regional anesthetic technique, also called a nerve block, you will be sedated in your pre-op slot, and the nerve block will be performed there. After the nerve block is complete and the OR team is ready, you will then proceed to the OR
• While in the OR, you will be under the care of the Anesthesia Care Team. You will be given medications to make sure that you are comfortable during your surgery. Your blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen level, breathing and temperature will be monitored throughout your surgery

Immediately after your surgery

• After your surgery, you will be transferred to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), also called the recovery room where you will be monitored by a team of PACU nurses under the supervision of the anesthesiologist. These nurses are specially trained in post-anesthetic and critical care
• They will monitor your vital signs, help resolve any side effects from the surgery or anesthesia (like nausea or vomiting) and assist in your pain management
• Once you are stable, comfortable and meet the discharge criteria, your IV will be removed and you can get dressed
• The PACU nurse will then review your post-operative instructions with you and your responsible adult companion, review the instructions for your pain medication prescriptions (which can be filled here at our on-site pharmacy or on your way home), and then escort you to your vehicle