After Surgery
1. Can my family be with me after surgery?
2. How long will I stay after my surgery?
3. What will happen if I am not well enough to go home?
4. May I drive home?
5. What if I am not feeling well at home?
6. What can I eat when I get home?
7. Should I continue my medication?
8. How will my pain be managed?
1. Can my family be with me after surgery?
After surgery you will be taken to the recovery room, once you are awake and dressed, you will be taken to our step down area. One of our nurses will get your family member(s) and bring them to the step down area to be with you; here we will discuss your discharge instructions with you and your family member(s).
2. How long will I stay after my surgery?
There is no prescribed time to stay with us after surgery. You will be permitted to go home as soon as we feel it is safe to discharge you. (This may be as short as 15 minutes or as long as several hours). Feel reassured that you will be permitted to stay as long as necessary.
3. What will happen if I am not well enough to go home?
Admissions to a hospital from Stonecreek Surgery Center are extremely rare. Most admissions are for very minor reasons such as nausea or pain control. If there is a medical reason to keep you overnight, you will be transported to the hospital that both you and your surgeon requests, if possible. On some occasions,
4. May I drive home?
Anyone receiving sedation/general anesthesia may not drive home. You will be reminded of this by our nurses during your pre-surgery phone call. You will need a responsible driver to drive you to and from surgery. If you do not have a driver to drive you home, your surgery may be canceled.
5. What if I am not feeling well at home?
If you feel that the issue is life threatening, please call 911 immediately or go to the nearest ER, otherwise call your surgeon. You may always call Stonecreek Surgery Center; we are open Monday through Friday 7:00am to 5:00pm.
6. What can I eat when I get home?
Your surgeon may have specific recommendations for your postoperative diet that you will receive written instructions on upon discharge from our facility. We generally suggest that you eat lightly after surgery. We strongly encourage you to drink plenty of fluids.
7. Should I continue my medication?
Most patients should continue their usual medications on arriving home. Patients who have diabetes and those patients on blood thinners may require fine-tuning of their medications. This should be clarified with you before you leave the Center. If you have any doubts please first call your surgeon.
8. How will my pain be managed?
The management of your pain is of great importance to us. We will be assessing your level of pain from the time of admission until you receive our postoperative call at home. We will inform and prepare you for each step of the process. This education will begin with our first contact. You will be repeatedly asked to rate your pain from a numerical scale called the Visual Analog Pain Scale, or for children, the Faces Pain Scale. Using the results of our communication we will alter the therapy as needed in order to assure your comfort. The management of your pain will be taken very seriously. We will often use a combination of different modalities to help make you comfortable, choosing from oral medications, intravenous medications, nerve blocks, and injection of local anesthetic during the surgery. Prior to the surgery, the management of your pain should be discussed with both your anesthesiologist and surgeon. Please feel free to bring up any concerns or fears you may have. Remember that information on pain management gives you the appropriate expectations and hence a smoother, more comfortable recovery.
