Preparing for Surgery is a very important step to help both you and your family before surgery.If you are scheduled for surgery at Columbus Regional Hospital, below is important information about what you can expect during your visit and will help you prepare for your surgery. If we can provide additional information, please call 812-376-5209 or toll free at 1-800-841-4938 ext. 5209.
Important Information on how to prepare for surgery
- Your surgery time could vary. You will be notified of the final time the day before your surgery. Please check in at the Surgery Waiting Area the day of your procedure.
- Please bring a complete list of all medications you are taking with you to your surgery visit (prescription and non-prescription) including vitamins, supplements, herbs, eye drops and inhalers. If you are not able to provide a listing, please bring the actual medications with you. If you take medication, take them with a sip of water unless otherwise instructed by your doctor. If you take insulin, aspirin, blood thinners, or arthritis medicines, be sure to get specific instructions from your doctor.
- Bathe or shower the night before or the morning of surgery. You may brush your teeth as normal.
- Do not wear makeup or jewelry or bring large amounts of cash. If you wear dentures, bridges or partial plates they will be placed in a container for safe keeping while you are in surgery. If you wear contact lenses, please bring your solution and case for them. If you wear glasses, please bring a case for protection.
- Please arrange for a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you the afternoon or evening after your surgery. After receiving sedation or general anesthesia you will not be allowed to drive yourself home. If you have not arranged for transportation home, we will need to cancel your surgery.
- Contact your surgeon if you develop a cold or sore throat, cough, fever or other illness near the date of your surgery.
- Please wear loose, comfortable clothing and stable, comfortable walking shoes.
- Limit the number of people who come with you to one or two.
Preparing for Surgery - Family and Visitor Information
- Outpatient surgery opens at 6:00 am.
- Families and/or significant others may stay with you before surgery in your outpatient surgery room after the nursing assessment has been completed.
- During surgery, families will be asked to remain in the Surgery Waiting Room, which is located on the second floor above the main gallery.
- Upon arrival to the outpatient waiting area, family members will receive instructions and can provide a cell phone number for contact purposes. If the family does not have a cell phone or does not wish to provide a cell phone number, a pager will be given to the family. This helps the family feel more comfortable when leaving the waiting area. (Pagers only work in the hospital and in the parking lots around the hospital.) Your family will be called or paged back to the waiting room when you are ready for visitors or to talk with the surgeon or nursing staff.
- Your surgeon will talk with your family in the consultation room by the waiting room after the surgery is complete.
- The nursing staff will call the Surgery Waiting Room to inform your family after you arrive in the Recovery Room and when you are released from the Recovery Room.
- If there is no Columbus Regional Hospital representative available, family member(s) should answer the phone located on the waiting room desk.
- If you are going to remain in the hospital after surgery, your family or significant other will be directed to your assigned hospital room.