The Care You Need, the Convenience You Want
Southeastern Med provides the opportunity for our community to get the care they need close to home, and this includes our Surgical services. We strive to provide you with the best care and surgical outcomes possible.
Surgery Preparation:
Your doctor will provide you with the most detail about how you should prepare for your procedure. It is very important you ask the pre-admission testing nurses any questions that come to your mind. There are no dumb or bad questions!
The following are guidelines we provide for all patients. You will also receive these from the hospital as you prepare for your operation.
The Day Before Your Surgery:
- DO NOT eat anything or drink anything after midnight. That means no water, food, or even gum.
- DO NOT smoke, chew tobacco, or drink alcohol 24 hours before your surgery.
- Make sure you bathe or shower the night before your surgery and the morning of your surgery with Hibiclens or another non-scented anti-bacterial soap.
What To Bring:
- You may need to bring your health insurance card and payment with you depending on your situation. Contact our financial counselors to be sure of what you will need.
- Make sure you have your advance directive and power of attorney information.
- Bring a complete list of medications. We need to know the doses, the names, and how many times you take them each day.
- Bring your storage cases for items like eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aids, etc.
- Wear comfortable clothes and non-skid shoes.
- DO NOT bring valuables, and that includes wedding rings.
What To Expect:
- Be sure to arrive when our team tells you to, which usually is two hours in advance of your procedure.
- You will be asked many times to verify yourself and your medical information. We know this can seem annoying, but it is for your own protection and security.
- Before surgery, an anesthesia provider will come in and talk to you about your anesthesia plan. If you want, a chaplain will also come in to see you in the pre-op area.
- Your loved ones can keep track of how you’re doing via a confidential tracking number which is located on a large TV screen in the waiting room. They can even receive updates on their phone via text messages.
- There will be a nurse with you the entire time, and if you ever have any questions, PLEASE ask.
After Surgery:
- After your procedure is over we’ll take you to a recovery room. You might hear it called the PACU, which stands for the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit.
- Your surgeon will update your family on how everything went and our nurses will closely monitor how you are doing for a minimum of 1 hour.
- It is normal to feel dizzy or drowsy. We will do our best to make you as comfortable as we can.
- Once you are stable, you’ll be taken to your room, or if you had an outpatient procedure you’ll be taken up to the fourth floor until you’re ready to go home.
