Before Surgery
1. Do I need to visit the Center before my surgery date?
2. May I pre-register for my surgery?
3. What if I cannot make my appointment?
4. What should I wear?
5. Why must I refrain from eating and/or drinking prior to surgery?
6. Should I take my usual daily medications?
7. May I continue my herbal medications?
8. Who may accompany me?
9. Will I receive sedation before going into the operating room?
10. Will I be contacted before my surgery?
11. Should I bathe and wash my hair before leaving home?
12. What should I do if I am not feeling well?
13. What should I do if I started my menstrual cycle?
14. What should I do if I believe that I am pregnant?
15. May I drive home?
16. May I speak to my anesthesiologist before the surgery?
17. What if I have special needs?
18. Should I bring my special needs equipment?
19. What must I bring with me on the day of surgery?
20. How will my pain be managed?
1. Do I need to visit the Center before surgery date?
All patients will need an up-to-date medical history and physical. Some may need blood tests, EKG or X-rays. Your surgeon will advise you as to what you need and where you will have this done. Some families may elect to bring their children for a preoperative tour of the Ambulatory Surgery Center. Some patients may choose to come to the Center before their surgery date to complete paperwork or make payments. We strongly recommend that you complete all preoperative documentation before the day of surgery.
2. May I pre-register for my surgery?
You will receive a packet of information and forms from your surgeon when you and your surgeon decide that you will have surgery. These forms are also available to be downloaded on this website. It is recommended that the forms be completed prior to your arrival at the center for surgery; you may bring them with you on the day of surgery, or you may drop them off prior to your day of surgery. Please note that your consent for surgery may only be signed on the day of surgery and takes only a short time to do.
3. What if I cannot make my appointment?
Please notify the surgeon and the Surgery Center at 702-914-2028 as early as possible if you cannot make your scheduled appointment. Early notification can help us better accommodate you and other patients.
4. What should I wear?
Please wear comfortable clothing. Button-down shirts or blouses are the best. Wear comfortable shoes. Leave all jewelry at home; if you wear contact lenses, you will have to remove them for the surgery, so consider wearing your glasses. Please do not wear any make-up as this can hide certain clinical signs. Please remove all body piercing.
5. Why must I refrain from eating and/or drinking prior to surgery?
Patients are asked to refrain from eating and drinking prior to any type of sedation to eliminate the risk of aspiration and to eliminate post-operative nausea and vomiting. We will review the following information with you when one of our nurses calls you prior to surgery.
Pediatric Patients |
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0-6 Months |
6-36 Months |
3-12 Years |
- Clear fluids such as pedialyte, glucose water or clear pulpless juice should be encouraged up to 3 hours prior to the scheduled procedure.
- Breast milk and formula may be had up until 4 hours prior to the scheduled procedure.
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- Clear Jell-O may be added until 3 hours prior to the procedure.
- Breast milk may be had until 4 hours prior but no formula for 6 hours prior to the scheduled procedure.
- No solid food or juices with pulp after midnight prior to the procedure.
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- Clear liquids are allowed up until 3 hours before the procedure.
- No solid food, even milk, after midnight prior to the procedure.
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If your child has delayed gastric emptying please follow the instructions of your doctor’s office or contact Valley Anesthesiology Consultants. |
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Adult Patients |
No solid food should be taken after midnight prior to your surgery. Clear liquids may be taken up to 4 hours prior. These include water, apple juice, clear Jell-O, tea and coffee without milk. Patients who have a higher risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents are only allowed medications with a small sip of water. These patients include but are not limited to patients with: |
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) |
Diabetes |
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6. Should I take my usual daily medication?
This is very individualized per patient. You will be directed by your surgeon regarding what medications to take and what medications to hold the day of surgery. If this is not specified by your surgeon, the surgery center nurse will discuss this with you on the preoperative call. We will confirm this with your surgeon and the Anesthesiologist as well.
7. May I continue my herbal medications?
Herbal medications may have harmful effects on the surgery. Many of these remedies may affect your clotting mechanism and interfere with the anesthetic agents. (The list of drugs and their side effects are too great for this site.) We generally request that you stop these medications two weeks before surgery. Please remember to mention these remedies when being asked about medication.
8. Who may accompany me?
It is required that a responsible adult drive you to and from the center, and to take care of you following your surgery. Discharge instructions will be given to this person, as you may have difficulty remembering instructions just following your surgery. Children that have surgery must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian, and they must stay in the facility during the entire surgical procedure. (If you are a legal guardian, but not the biological parent, please bring the appropriate court documents with you on the day of surgery.)
9. Will I receive sedation before going into the operating room?
We will individualize each patient’s care in concert with the anesthesiologist and surgeon, if sedation in pre op is appropriate, it shall be administered.
10. Will I be contacted before my surgery?
Yes. We call each patient before surgery to gather information and to answer any of your questions. Preoperative instructions will be given by the nurse who calls you. You can also call the Center directly at 702-914-2028 with any questions.
11. Should I bathe and wash my hair before leaving home?
Yes. You may take a shower, bathe, brush your teeth, etc. Please do not use make up, hair spray, nail polish or toiletries.
12. What should I do if I am not feeling well?
If you are not feeling well, please contact your surgeon immediately. During normal business hours, you can call the Center for advice. There are some surgeries which are safer if delayed when you are sick. We need to know specific details to make the decision. Please do not delay in contacting your surgeon or the Center.
13. What should I do if I started my menstrual cycle?
This will not affect most surgical procedures. There are a few specific gynecological procedures which may be impacted by menstruation. Call your surgeon if you have any questions.
14. What should I do if I believe that I am pregnant?
It is very important for us to be aware of this possibility. Our preoperative nurses will ask you to take a urine pregnancy test when checking you in for surgery. We will verify that this test is negative prior to proceeding with your surgery.
15. May I drive home?
Patients receiving anesthesia may not drive until the next day. A patient receiving any type of sedation for a procedure needs a ride home. We require that all patients have a ride home and will be received by a responsible adult when they arrive home. Patients will not be allowed to drive or take public transportation after anesthesia. Please make the appropriate arrangements. If you need assistance, please call the center.
16. May I speak to my anesthesiologist before the surgery?
Depending on the type of surgery that you are having and your medical condition, you may receive a call prior to the day of surgery from your anesthesiologist. Your anesthesiologist will be at the surgery center when you arrive. He or she will meet with you in the preoperative area to discuss your surgery and to answer any questions that you may have. If you have specific concerns, please call us at the center or call Valley Anesthesiology Consultants at 702-487-6880. Or visit: www.valleyanesthesiology.com
17. What if I have special needs?
We will make every effort to accommodate any special need you may have. We strongly encourage you to call the Surgery Center in advance so that we can properly prepare to make you comfortable. Do not hesitate to call and suggest anything that may make your day easier.
18. Should I bring my special needs equipment?
Yes. Please bring any walkers, hearing aids or other such equipment. Call with any questions, more than likely our nurses will answer these questions in your pre-operative call.
19. What must I bring with me on the day of surgery?
Bring case for eyeglasses or contacts, Bring insurance identification cards, driver’s license, copayments or coinsurance. Make sure you have a ride home and someone to care for you at home, bring a favorite bottle or “sippy cup” for your child, Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing, and leave all jewelry and valuables at home.
20. How will my pain be managed? The management of your pain is of great importance to us. We will be assessing your level of pain from the time of admission until you receive our postoperative call at home. We need to inform and prepare you for each step of the process. This education will begin with our first contact. You will be repeatedly asked to rate your pain from a numerical scale called the Visual Analog Pain Scale, or for children, the Faces Pain Scale. Using the results of our communication we will alter the therapy as needed in order to assure your comfort. The management of your pain will be taken very seriously. We will often use a combination of different modalities to help make you comfortable, choosing from oral medications, intravenous medications, nerve blocks, injection of local anesthetic during the surgery.Prior to the surgery, the management of your pain should be discussed with both your anesthesiologist and surgeon. Please feel free to bring up any concerns or fears you may have. Remember that information on pain management gives you the appropriate expectations and hence a smoother, more comfortable recovery.
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