Same day surgery

1. When you arrive at the hospital, please leave your overnight bag in the trunk of your car or with your care partner if you are being admitted to the hospital. Once you are admitted to the floor, your care partner can bring your overnight bag to your room.  
2. Register in the Registration Dept. located on the main floor (level 2). When entering through the main entrance, turn right at the first hallway and registration is located on the left with a red star on the door. This department only opens at 6 am.  
3. Please wear loose comfortable clothing to accommodate your postop care. Please bring your OHIP card, denture cup, eyeglass case, hearing aids case, medications and up-to-date medication list if not provided earlier to the pre-admission clinic. As well, please bring all booklets and literature provided to you about your surgery. You may bring your cell phone but this must remain with your belongings when you go to the operating room.
4. Do not bring any Valuables, jewelry and large amounts of money.

After registering please go to the Day Surgery Unit as directed by the registration team.

1. You will be asked to change into a hospital gown or possibly a heat warming gown called a Bair Paw gown depending on your type of surgery. 
2. If you are a same-day admission patient, your clothes and belongings will be given to a family member or if you are alone, the nurse will store it in a safe area. If you are going home the day of your surgery, your clothes and belongings will be put in a locker in day surgery and will be returned to you in the second phase of recovery.
3. You will be asked:
   • If there are any changes to your health, medications and for the day surgery patient confirmation of whom your driver is and phone number. Baseline vital signs will be taken as well as height and weight. 
   • To confirm your surgical procedure.
   • Blood work and any other tests will be done if needed.
   • Preop medication such as Tylenol and medication for nausea prevention may be given according to our anesthetic protocol.
   • Your nurse will go over a general description of your post-op care. 
   • Further postop instructions will be provided to you and your family by the discharge nurse.
4. After your preop interview, you will be escorted to the operating waiting room. Washrooms are available.  
5. You will be taken to the operating room by an OR porter after providing you an OR cap and confirming your identification.

Once your surgery is completed, you will be transferred to the Recovery Room or Post Anesthetic Care Unit. Once stable, you will then be transferred to our day surgery unit where you will complete your stay until you are ready to go home. The goal of this unit is to provide patient comfort in terms of pain and nausea control. The patient will be given post-operative verbal and written discharge instructions as well as a prescription if needed. You will have the opportunity to ask questions.  

1. During your stay in day surgery, your blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, temperature and oxygen levels will be monitored. Pain control is a primary goal in this department. You will be asked to rate your pain on a pain scale of 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain imaginable. 
2. The nurse will ensure that you are given proper pain medication. The pamphlet Opioids for pain after Surgery: Answers to your questions will also be provided. 
3. The nurse will also be monitoring your surgical site for bleeding and any other symptoms such as nausea, you may experience. Attention to these matters will be addressed promptly.
4. You will have intravenous therapy until you can tolerate fluids. This will be removed before discharge.
5. You can expect to be in the day surgery recovery room for a minimum of 45 minutes with more extensive surgeries requiring a longer stay. Your nurse will assist you in transferring off the stretcher and ambulation to the bathroom.  
6. You will be encouraged to drink fluids. You may be expected to urinate before discharge depending on your type of surgery. Feel free to bring in fluids/ snacks with your belongings. 
7. Your belongings will be returned to you from your locker. Please ensure you have all the items you had before your surgery.  
8. Post-op instructions will be discussed with you and your caregiver if available. Feel free to ask questions regarding your postop care. You may also review the literature that you received in your preadmission interview. If your doctor orders
9. You should have an appropriate caregiver to stay with you for 24 hours following your discharge from the day surgery unit. Safe and acceptable transportation arrangements must be made before your surgery or your surgery will be cancelled.
10. If you are travelling from out of town, you may be asked by the surgeon to find accommodations in Sudbury for the first postoperative night.  
11. For any serious postop complications or concerns please go to the emergency department at HSN.

Your designated partner or family member or friend will be notified upon your arrival to the day surgery unit and be given a time for patient pickup. Please park the car in the patient loading area at the front of the hospital with your hazard lights on. The patient will be escorted out via wheelchair to the front doors of the hospital where the family is expected to take the patient to the car.