Surgery Day Outline or...
What to Expect on the Big Day!
This is a basic description of a typical surgery day. Every hospital, procedure, and doctor will vary, and this outline covers abdominal surgery only.
1. Surgery preparations at home depend on the type of procedure you're having and your surgeon's pre-operative instructions. Some doctors may have you take a laxative the day before to clean out your intestinal tract, or you may be asked to wash a part of your body with
antibacterial soap. Wear no make-up, gals; it's important that the anesthesiologist see your natural color during surgery. Have a simple hair style; you will probably be asked to wear a shower-cap type head covering during the operation.
2. When you get to the hospital, sign in where you've been instructed. You may be expected to pay for your surgery and anesthesia if you do not have insurance. It is prudent to bring a copy of your will, durable power of attorney, and living will if you have one. Include the names and addresses of family and friends who are helping you, and an organ donor card, if you want to donate organs, to go in your chart.
Eventually, you will be taken to the surgery area. Much of the time, this can involve a lot of waiting. If your surgeon has had an overnight emergency, if one of his hospital patients needs more surgery, or if you're not his first
surgery of the day, you might have to wait quite awhile. Be prepared for this so it does not add to your stress. Have a friend or spouse there to talk to, or bring something to read.
3. When you are taken to the surgical floor, you will be asked to change out of your clothes and into a hospital gown. A nurse may wash the area to be operated upon, if it wasn't done before. You'll cover your hair and be put on a rolling hospital table. At this point, you'll probably be asked to put on a pair of thigh-high tight elastic stockings; they help to prevent blood clots. Most likely, you'll will have had nothing to eat or drink since midnight, though your doctor may want you to take any meds you have now, with a sip of water.
If your mouth is unbearably dry, carry water with you along with paper cups. Rinse your mouth with water and spit it into a cup; make it clear to the nurse that you will not swallow any. If they won't allow that, ask for a wet
washcloth to moisten your mouth. You may have to wait some more at this point. They can usually give you some meds to calm you down -- take them.
4. Eventually, you will be moved to the pre operative area. Here, your IV line will be put in. You may have more waiting to do. As your surgery draws near, your anesthesiologist may give you an epidural painkiller, if that's what your doctor recommends to assist with pain control. Blood pressure and oxygen level monitors may be attached to you.
5. Suddenly, everything seems to happen at once. You are given medications to begin the process of general anesthesia. You're moved into the OR and a mask is placed over your face and you fall asleep. While you're asleep a catheter is put into your urinary tract, a nasogastric tube might be placed in your nose, and you will be intubated with a tube placed in your throat to help you breathe. You will be asleep during all of this and will not feel it! You should not feel anything during the entire operation.
6. Afterwards, you will become aware of noises in the recovery room. If you still have your airway tube in, it may feel very funny, but the medical personnel will come and take it out the minute you're alert enough to breathe on your own. (Most of us do not have any memory of this and do not even feel it.)
People might be making noise, banging things, or talking, and you can't really figure out what's going on.
Gradually, you'll become aware of someone saying your name. You'll want to go back to sleep, but they won't let you. Then, you'll start to remember where you are, and the discomfort of the operative procedure may be felt. At this point, try to take some deep breaths; they'll give you pain medications as soon as they know you're awake and they are sure the medications won't affect your breathing.
7. You may feel a blood pressure cuff tighten on your arm and have an oxygen monitor on your index finger. If you're still in a lot of discomfort, you can usually mutter a few words about it to the nurse and they'll do
something about it. The nurses will tell you your operation went fine, they'll give you pain medications if you need them, and you'll fall into a drowsy state.
8. You'll stay like this -- falling in and out of sleep -- for several hours. After about
an hour or two, they'll move you out of recovery and either into your own room,
or into a step-down recovery room for the first 24 hours. As you continue to wake up, you'll feel a need to urinate. That's the catheter keeping your urethra open and you don't have to worry about it. They'll probably take it
out after 24 hours. It does not hurt to have it removed. Try to breath deeply and regularly to make sure you get enough oxygen. Tell the nurses if you have any pain; you may be a bit uncomfortable, but you should not be in
so much pain you cannot fall asleep.
After several hours, you will wake up more or less. As soon as you can, stand up and take a few steps (the first time is not much fun). Walk as much as you can every two hours or so. This is the best prevention of blood clots.
Have some chapstick available nearby; your lips may be dry after the operation. You will continue to sleep a lot the rest of the day.
