Preparing for Surgery
An excellent nursing and medical staff is just one of many reasons why patients express great satisfaction with their ambulatory surgery experience at St. John's Episcopal Hospital. Ambulatory Surgery at St. John's offers:
- Highly qualified physicians and anesthesiologists who perform more than 4,500 arthroscopic, gynecologic, ENT, pediatric and other procedures a year;
- Nursing and medical support staff with extensive experience in the operating room and the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU);
- Modern surgical, ENT and urology suites; and
- Support from a range of medical and surgical subspecialties and services available only in a hospital setting.
Pre-Surgical Testing
All patients must register in the hospital's Admitting Center and complete pre-surgical testing prior to surgery.
Pre-surgical testing – generally performed 3 to 7 days prior to surgery - takes place in the Ambulatory Surgery Unit (AMSU), located on the hospital's second floor. This service is available from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment to allow time for registration.
Your appointment will be made after your doctor contacts the hospital to schedule your procedure. The pre-surgical testing staff will notify you when the appointment has been scheduled. At the time of your appointment, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire and medical history. Depending on the procedure you are having, your health history, and the availability of recent test results, you may receive a number of tests such as blood tests, an EKG, or chest X-ray.
If you are taking anticoagulants such as aspirin, Heparin, Plavix or Coumadin, please be sure to have a discussion with your doctor about stopping these medications prior to surgery.
Please do not drink or eat anything after midnight the night before your blood tests.
Registration
The registrar in the Admitting Center will take your personal and insurance information including insurance cards with account numbers. Please bring the following information in order to expedite your registration:
- A government-issued Photo ID;
- Documents from any recent physicals given by your private doctor;
- Medical reports from recent outside testing you may have had;
- Complete list of prescription and non-prescription medications including dosages;
- Insurance cards with account numbers; and
- Additional documents that may be helpful including signed consent forms and a health care proxy, if available.
To learn more about preparing for surgery, watch this helpful video from The Joint Commission.
