What happens before my surgery

A registered nurse will call you prior to your scheduled surgery date to review your pre-operative instructions including when to stop eating and drinking, obtain a brief medical history, confirm your arrival time and give tips on how to prepare for your home care. We will need to get personal health information such as the names of medications you take as well as the dose and how often you take them. We will be asking for your private health information and it is important you are in a place where you feel comfortable discussing your personal information.

A member of the Mid-America Surgery Institute business office will call to discuss the amount of any co-pay or deductibles that need to be met and paid upon registration. We accept cash, credit cards, cashiers checks and money orders for payment. We do not accept personal checks. We also encourage patients to verify their own coverage and obligations.

Surgery Centers are designed to provide high quality care in the most cost effective manner. One means of reducing costs is to eliminate the expenses of itemizing bills. The Surgery Center's charges include routine lab, materials, equipment and nursing services necessary for the procedure. It does not include your doctor's fee, anesthesia fee, pathology studies, radiology services or special items such as a brace, for example.

Cosmetic procedures require 100 percent of the facility fee and anesthesia fee to be paid at the time of registration.

One person will be allowed to wait with you in the pre-operative area once you are ready for surgery.

Preparing for surgery

Pre-registration is required through our website. Please be sure to complete this as thoroughly as possible. A registered nurse will call you prior to your scheduled surgery date to review your personal medical history and to provide you with pre-operative instructions, including when to stop eating and drinking, and to confirm your arrival time.

If you are a diabetic or take medications for your heart or for other specific conditions, you will be given specific instructions what to do the day of your surgery.

Arrange for a responsible adult to drive you to and from Mid-America Surgery Institute. Our staff will call the person you assign responsible with your status updates and discharge instructions. Please arrange to have someone stay with you for 24 hours following your surgery.

If you suspect that you are pregnant, please notify your doctor and our nursing and anesthesia personnel.

Please report to your doctor even minor changes in your health between your recent visit to your doctor and the day of your procedure, such as an elevated temperature, cough, or cold.

Leave all jewelry, cash and valuables at home or with the person accompanying you. We also suggest you wear casual, loose clothing. During your surgery you will wear a gown provided by the surgery center.

Refraining from smoking after midnight the night before your surgery will enhance your healing time.

Bathe or shower the morning of surgery to minimize the chance of infection. Brush your teeth but avoid swallowing the water.

Should you need reading glasses or contacts to read and sign documents, please bring the appropriate containers and/or soaking solutions with you.

Day of surgery

Arrival:

It is important that you arrive at the Mid-America Surgery Institute one hour before your procedure unless you are instructed otherwise. Please remember to bring your photo ID, your insurance card and accepted method of payment for any money due at the time of registration.

What to expect:

You will be asked to sign a consent form, which verifies that you and your doctor have discussed the surgery to be performed as well as the associated risks.

During pre-admission, the pre-op assessment nurse will complete verification of the correct patient, correct procedure and correct operative site by:

  • Consulting with you and/or your representative
  • Confirming that your consent form is complete
  • Confirming "patient, procedure and site" with the physician's documentation

The staff will verify who you are, what kind of surgery you are having, and the expected part of the body on which the surgery is being performed, as well as double-checking what you tell them against the documents provided by your doctor's office (for example: X-rays).

Depending on the type of surgery you are having, the person performing your procedure will mark the correct location on your body where the procedure is to be performed.

This is called "site marking" and is a critical step to preventing errors, especially if you are having surgery on one of your arms, legs, hands, fingers, eyes, or ears. For example, if you are having a cataract removed only from your right eye, the surgeon will make a mark somewhere around your right eye with a surgical marking pen or semi-permanent tattoo. This is to ensure the correct eye is the one being operated.

The patient, family member, or significant other will participate in the verification process prior to pre-op medication, sedation and anesthesia.

TIME OUT...Once you are taken to the operating room, a "time out" will be completed by the surgical team before beginning your surgery to assure themselves that they are performing the correct procedure at the correct site and on the correct person.

After surgery:

In the recovery room, you will be under close observation by the anesthesiologist and the recovery room nurses. We encourage all of our doctors to talk to a family member/friend upon completion of your procedure and it is, therefore, important for this person to remain in the building.

Your surgeon will provide post-operative instructions and the Center will provide a written summary of these instructions.

If you had any anesthesia/pain medication, avoid the following for 24 hours:

  • Driving, operating vehicles/equipment/machinery
  • Signing important papers
  • Making important decisions
  • Drinking alcoholic beverages

Should you experience any unexpected complications or concerns, contact your surgeon or his/her designee. If you experience an emergency, call 911.