What to Expect – Your Surgery

Here is a summary of what to expect from your surgery experience:

The Day Before Surgery:

The day before your operation, a member of the Ambulatory Surgery Unit staff will contact you between 4 and 6 pm to confirm your arrival time. If they have not called you by 6:00 pm, please call (212) 305-7000 for instructions.

The Day of Surgery:

Arrive and Register at the Milstein Heart Center Hospital Building

Plan to arrive at the Milstein Heart Center Hospital Building, 173 Fort Washington Avenue, 2 hours before your scheduled surgery time. Security in the lobby will direct you to the Admitting Department on the 3rd floor. Be sure to bring your insurance card with you. Do not bring large sums of money, jewelry or other valuables with you to the hospital.

Preparation for the operating room

  • After checking in with the Admitting Department, you will be brought to a preoperative area and given a hospital gown and an ID bracelet. When you change into your hospital gown, you should give all your personal belongings to the nurse to place in a secure locker or to the friend or relative who has accompanied you to the operation. Your family and/or friends will be allowed to stay with you until you are taken to the anesthesia consultation, after which they will be asked to wait in the designated waiting area.
  • A nurse will check your vital signs (temperature, pulse, blood pressure) and go over your medical history.
  • Members of your surgical team will come to speak with you while you are in the preoperative area to confirm the procedure you are scheduled for and to answer any last minute questions you may have.

Anesthesia Consultation

Before entering the operating room, you will meet the anesthesiologist in charge of your case. Your anesthesiologist will review your medical history and explain how anesthesia will be administered during the procedure.

Surgery

Once you have met with your anesthesiologist and your surgical team in the preoperative area, you will be taken to the operating room while your accompanying friends and/or relatives will be shown to the waiting area. The duration of your operation depends on the type of surgery you are having. Your surgeon will typically speak with your accompanying friends and/or relatives after the operation is over. For more information on the type of operation you are having, please refer to the descriptions of each operation in the Endocrine Surgery Center Patient Education website:

Recovery

After your operation, you will be brought to the recovery room. A member of your surgical team will meet you there to discuss the outcome of your operation. Nurses on the recovery team will also monitor you closely, and ensure you are comfortable. Your family and friends will be allowed to visit you. You can expect to stay in recovery for several hours after your surgery, sometimes overnight, before being moved to the surgical unit where you will continue to be monitored closely. For more information on the anticipated length of stay after your operation, please discuss with your surgeon and refer to the descriptions of each operation in the Endocrine Surgery Center Patient Education website:

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Call us at (212) 305-0444 or reach us through our online appointment form.