For day surgery, you will be required to present yourself to the Hospital several hours prior to your booked time in order to be admitted to the hospital (Admitting Dept), be prepped for the procedure (Preoperative Care Center), and review with the attending Surgeon and Anesthesiologist.
For inpatient surgery, you may have to be admitted as early as the day prior to your operation for final testing or preparation at which time you will also meet with the Surgical team and Anesthesiologist responsible for your procedure.
At this point, you will be walked or wheeled to your operating room accompanied by one of the nursing team members where you will again be reacquainted with the Surgical and Anesthesia teams as well as Nursing team (circulating, scrub and relief nurses), and any ancillary staff required for the case (Technicians, Therapists, etc).
The type of anesthetic varies depending on the details of the surgery you will undergo, but range from local anesthesia, regional anesthesia, spinal or epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia.
Once the anesthetic has been administered, the airway managed and any additional vascular access obtained, the Surgical team will begin the operation.
Depending on the type of anesthetic you have been administered, you may have varying levels of wakefulness. Be assured that you will not experience pain or discomfort beyond what is acceptable and will not “wake up” during the procedure or remember much of the details of the operation for the most part.
After the operation is complete, you will be brought to the Post Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU) to recover from the anesthetic and for close monitoring. When you are well and stable, you will be transferred to a discharge unit to await your ride home, or to the a ward in the Hospital where your family can meet you.
Most of the time, whether you are discharge home or stay in the Hospital after your operation, you will feel very tired and a certain amount of discomfort from the procedure. Pain medications will be prescribed and administered and you should rest as much as possible at this time.
