Day of Surgery

On the day of your procedure at St. Bernards Medical Center:

• Dress comfortably and wear clothing that allows you to change into a gown easily. Some of our patients have described the center as being cold. We encourage everyone to bring a jacket.
• Bring your insurance card and driver’s license or photo ID. LEAVE ALL OTHER VALUABLES, INCLUDING JEWELRY, WALLET AND ADDITIONAL CASH AT HOME. We are not responsible for damaged or lost property.
• Dental appliances can be left in place. These items will be removed and placed in a protective storage container before your procedure.
• Contact lenses may not be worn. Please bring a lens case.
• Children may bring their favorite toy or blanket.
• Remove all makeup, false eyelashes and fingernail polish.
• Make a list of your current medications and bring it with you. The list should include the medication’s name, dosage, frequency and the last dose taken. Multivitamins, herbal products and other over-the-counter medications should be included on the list.

Consent Form

Be prepared to sign a form giving your consent for the procedure. If the patient is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must accompany the patient and sign the consent form. If the patient is not able to sign legal documents, then someone with a durable power of attorney should be present. Please bring it with you if you have one. For additional information regarding a power of attorney, advance directives or guardianship, contact St. Bernards Medical Center before your procedure.

Before Surgery

Upon arrival at the surgical tower, patients will register at Admissions on the entry level. (View a map of St. Bernards Medical Center.) Your chart is already prepared using the information provided by your physician. We will ask you to review the information for accuracy. You will be asked to provide your insurance card, driver’s license or photo ID, and list of medications.

Then, patients and guests will report to the first-floor reception desk to wait to be called back to the preoperative holding area. St. Bernards Medical Center is committed to the care and compassion of our patients and their need for visitors during this time to aid in the healing process. Please select one support person to accompany you to the holding area. If you have multiple guests, they are welcome to stay in the lobby during your procedure.

Once in the holding area, you will be interviewed by several staff members on our surgical specialty team, including a pre-op nurse, the operating room nurse, anesthesiologist and registered nurse anesthetist. Please stay in your curtained area to respect the privacy of others in the pre-op area.

When it is time for you to go to surgery, the operating room team will take you there on a stretcher. Your support person will then go back to the waiting room. They will be notified of your progress via phone calls hourly from the surgical team.

Your physician will speak with your family or the person accompanying you following your procedure. Your family may stay with you in your room until discharge.

After Surgery

You will be transferred to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) after surgery is over. Here, staff will monitor you closely while you wake up from your procedure. Your surgeon will call your support person during this transition to discuss how the procedure went. Guests are not allowed in the PACU due to privacy policies.

Pain and nausea are often a part of the postoperative experience. We constantly monitor both and try to make you as comfortable as possible.

Once the recovery period is complete, you will be transferred to the outpatient department for later discharge, or admitted to an inpatient room for further care. See hospital visitor guidelines.

Find out what to expect and how to take care of yourself as you leave the hospital and recover at home.