Make arrangements to have someone stay with you the first night after surgery. Make sure to shop for food and necessities before surgery and have things organized at home prior to surgery. Any special arrangements should have been discussed with you at the preoperative office visit.

Do not eat or drink after midnight prior to the day of your surgery. This includes gum, hard candy and breath mints. You will reduce the risk of serious complications by not eating or drinking prior to surgery. However, unless otherwise instructed by your physician, you should take your medications the morning of surgery with small sips of water.

Blood thinning medications such as Coumadin, aspirin products, or over the counter pain medications (other than Tylenol) should not be taken before surgery. These medications increase bleeding and your risk for postoperative complications. They must be stopped prior to surgery under the supervision of your doctor or surgeon. In some cases they must temporarily be replaced with another medication. If you take any of these medications and this has not been discussed with you in the office, please call us as soon as possible.

If you are a diabetic, do not take insulin or other anti-diabetic medications on the morning of surgery. It is safer for you to have a high blood sugar than a low one during surgery. We will make every effort to perform your surgery at 8 am. Please call the office to confirm this.

Do not smoke on the day of your surgery. Smoking is irritating to your lungs, makes it harder for you to recover from your operation, and increases the likelihood of pneumonia. Smoking is not permitted in the hospital or on hospital grounds.

Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing to the hospital. Do not bring any other articles of clothing or toiletries with you if you are not planning on staying overnight. Do not wear makeup or nail polish so your color can be monitored. Please, leave your valuables, such as jewelry, rings, watches and money, at home.

You may not drive yourself home after surgery. Please arrange for an escort to drive you home. A cab driver is not an appropriate escort. Your surgery will be cancelled if you have not made arrangements for transportation.

You should call the office and confirm the time and date of the surgery. Operating times are often altered after you have been given a time because of urgent cases. Expect delays in the start time of your surgery once you arrive since scheduling of procedures is based on the average time for a procedure. Similarly, do not be surprised by a start time earlier than anticipated. If possible bring something to read and arrive early.