Before Your Surgery
Your doctor's office will schedule your pre-operative evaluation before your surgery. It's important that you arrive at your scheduled appointment time. If you need to change your pre-operative evaluation time, please call your physician's office or the facility at which you will be seen.
What you will need for your pre-op visit:
- Copies of insurance cards/claim forms
- Living will/advanced directive (if applicable or not already on file)
- All paperwork from your doctor
- The name and contact information for your emergency contact
- Current medications (please bring the bottles of all of your medicines, including over-the-counter and dietary supplements)
- A list of your previous surgeries, including the name of the procedure and the date and place
- Copies of lab reports, EKGs and chest X-rays, if completed in the past six months
During your pre-operative evaluation, you will:
- Register and get detailed instructions
- Have any diagnostic testing (labs, EKGs, X-rays) performed as ordered
- Have your complete medical history taken
- Be evaluated by an anesthesia provider
- Be given a chance to voice any of your questions
- You may eat and drink as you normally would prior to your pre-operative evaluation. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes for your appointment. Plan for your evaluation to take approximately two to three hours
Payment
At your pre-operative evaluation, the registrar will tell you the co-pay or co-insurance amount for your procedure. You can pay the balance at that time or later. Piedmont accepts cash, checks and credit on-site.
The day of surgery
On the day of your surgery, you should report to Pre-Op Short Stay (POSS) at the time you've been given. When it's time for you to get ready for your surgery, you will:
- Be asked to empty your bladder
- Have your vital signs checked
- Have an IV started and medication given
After all this is done, two family members can stay with you until surgery. When you enter the operating room, you will be placed on monitors so we can check your vital signs during surgery. You will then be given anesthesia, and the surgery will begin.