Surgery Checklist
Pre-Surgery Guidelines
Click here to download a printable Pre-Surgery Checklist.
- Drinking water (not coffee or soda) is very important before your surgery. Increasing your water intake 2-4 weeks prior to surgery will help with healthy kidney function, allow for healthy veins to assist with the administration of IVs on the day of surgery and offset some of the side effects of anesthesia, such as constipation.
- Make sure that you obtain all your preadmissions testing and labs from your physician prior to your surgery. You will need this information when you come to the Specialists Pre-Admissions/Laboratory or your private physician to conduct this testing. You will need to have this testing/lab work done within in (30) days of your surgery date. If you have questions about your paperwork, please contact your physician to obtain or have faxed to Specialists Pre-Admissions or your private physician. You will contact the appropriate clinic to obtain paperwork: Orthopedic Specialists of Louisiana or Spine Institute of Louisiana.
- Do not eat or drink anything after midnight on the evening of your surgery (includes gum, candy & tobacco).
- Avoid alcohol 24 hours prior to surgery.
- If you feel ill or have a fever prior to surgery, contact your surgeon or the on-call surgeon to evaluate your status. Please contact your surgeon at his clinic: Orthopedic Specialists of Louisiana at 318. 635. 3052 or Spine Institute of Louisiana at 318.629.5555.
- Bathe or shower before your surgery.
- The morning of surgery, take only the medications your physician or nurse has indicated appropriate. Take these medications with only a small sip of water.
- If you are undergoing an outpatient procedure, make sure that you have family or loved one that can transport you safely back home.
Not following these guidelines, could ultimately postpone your surgery.
Post-Surgery Guidelines
- Following surgery, you will go to our main recovery area, PACU (Post-Anesthesia Care Unit). You will be closely monitored in PACU, until ready to go home or transferred to an inpatient room.
- While in PACU, a nurse will be with you at all times monitoring your progress.
- Throughout your stay, you will be asked to rate your pain on a scale of zero to ten. Be sure and notify your nurse if you are in a state of discomfort; the nurse can administer medication to assist in relieving your pain.
- Recovery times vary from patient to patient. Once you have been stabilized, a nurse will notify your loved ones that they may see you.
- Following surgery, your surgeon will update your family or loved ones about your surgery in our Patient Consult Area.
- The morning of surgery, take only the medications your physician or nurse has indicated appropriate. Take these medications with only a small sip of water.
Surgery Check-List
Thirty Days Prior to Your Surgery
- Obtain Pre-Admissions paperwork & labs from your surgeon (includes pre-op labs & EKG orders).
- Complete pre-op labs & testing.
- Check insurance authorizations.
- See your internist or family doctor, if necessary.
- Drink plenty of water (not tea, coffee or sodas). This will keep your kidneys healthy and prepare you for before and after your surgery.
One Week Prior to Your Surgery
- Arrange for transportation to and from the hospital
- Make arrangements for pet care, if necessary.
- Make hotel reservations, if necessary.
Day Before Surgery
- Do not eat or drink after midnight.
- Pack comfortable, loose fitting clothes.
- Pack all medications in their original bottles.
- Make sure that the Specialists Pre-Admissions Department has the best contact information to confirm your surgery time. You will be contacted the afternoon before by 4 pm. If you are scheduled for a Monday surgery, you will be contacted the Friday afternoon prior to your surgery date.
Day of Surgery
- Do not eat or drink after midnight; if you have to take medications the morning of surgery, take with a small sip of water only.
- Bathe or shower before arriving at the hospital.
- Bring your photo ID and insurance cards.
- Bring any current medications in their original bottles or a complete list of medications, noting dosage and/or frequencies.
- Bring any personal items that you may need including glasses, hearing aids and CPAP machine.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
- Remove any make-up, jewelry or nail polish.
- We recommend you leave all valuables at home including cash and jewelry.
- If Applicable, please bring a protective case for your eyeglasses, hearing aides and dentures.
- Check-in a Specialists Surgery Registration located on the second floor of the main campus.
- Read Patient Rights & Responsibilities.
- Read Patient Financial Responsibilities.
Once you have registered at the second floor registration desk at Specialists Hospital Shreveport, you will be asked to fill out some additional consent forms. Please make sure to bring your photo ID and your insurance card, so that we may verify all information. At this time you and your loved one will be issued a beeper. When the beeper vibrates, a nurse will come in to the waiting area to escort you back to PACU/ Pre-Op. You may have one loved one join you in Pre-Op. Once you are brought back to your pre-op bay, you will be asked to change into a hospital gown. Once settled, a Specialists Nurse will prepare your IV’s and the anesthesiologist and your surgeon will visit with you prior to going back to the operating room. Once you are taken back to the OR, your loved one will hold onto the beeper and be asked to wait outside. This beeper works on all three floors of the building, so your loved one can visit the Specialists Deli or enjoy complimentary WIFI throughout the building. Following recovery, you will be brought back to PACU/ Post-OP. Once you have settled in Post-Op, your loved one’s beeper will vibrate and they will report to the second floor registration desk, where they will be escorted back to the Physician Consult Area. Your Specialists Surgeon will visit with your loved one and let them know about how your procedure went. If you’re undergoing an outpatient procedure, your loved one will be escorted to PACU/ Post OP once the team has you stabilized. If you are undergoing an inpatient procedure, you will be able to see your loved once they have been admitted to their private room on the third floor.
Quick Notes:
DO NOT eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery. YOU MAY take any heart, blood pressure, seizure, or lung medication the morning of your surgery with a small sip of water only. The pre-op nurse will review all of your medications with you and tell you exactly which medications to take before surgery. Failure to comply may cancel your surgery.
PLEASE take your lab slip and CURRENT LIST OF MEDICATIONS INCLUDING DOSAGES to Specialists Hospital Shreveport 5-7 days prior to your surgery to have your pre-op work-up done. You may do this Monday-Friday between the hours of 8-4pm on the 1st floor at 1534 Elizabeth. If you have any questions you may reach the pre-op nurse at 318-213-3760.
STOP taking any aspirin or blood thinners 7-10 days prior to your surgery if ok with your regular physician. If you have a pacemaker or any heart or cardiac problems then we will need a clearance letter and or pacemaker check from your cardiologist faxed to 318-213-3801 prior to your surgery.
AVOID any scratches, cuts or abrasions to operative arm/leg/back for 10 days prior to surgery, since this could cause the surgery to be cancelled due to increased risk of infection.
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