Surgical Specialties
The Day of Surgery
Helpful Phone Numbers
Acute Care Pavilion
443-481-1796
Edwards Outpatient Surgical Pavilion
443-481-5700
- Getting Ready for Surgery
- Making Procedures Child-friendly
- The Day Of Your Surgery
- Registration
- Pre-Procedure Area
- Just Before Surgery
- Post Surgery
- Your Privacy
Getting Ready for Surgery
You will receive an automated call the day before your scheduled surgery to give you the time of your procedure and the time you are expected to arrive at the hospital. (If your procedure is scheduled on a Monday, your automated call will come on the Friday before.)
Please listen carefully to the entire call. If the call is not clear or you do not receive a call, you may call one of the following numbers, depending on where you procedure is to take place.
- For procedures in the Acute Care Pavilion, call 443-481-1796.
- For procedures in the Edwards Outpatient Surgical Pavilion, call 443-481-5700.
Be sure to follow these pre-procedure instructions:
- Do not smoke or drink alcoholic beverages for 24 hours before your scheduled procedure. For the health and safety of our patients, AAMC is a smoke-free campus. Visitors may purchase nicotine replacement lozenges in the gift shop. If you need help quitting smoking, please contact your primary care physician for assistance with smoking cessation prior to your procedure.
- Do not eat or drink anything after midnight of the night before your procedure unless instructed otherwise by your physician.
Someone must pick you up after the procedure, drive you home and remain with you for the first 24 hours after your procedure. This is very important for your safety. You cannot drive yourself or be left alone. If you do not arrange for transportation home, we will not be able to perform your procedure. The day before your procedure, make sure the person who is bringing you home is available and knows your schedule.
Making Procedures Child-friendly
It’s especially important to create a relaxed, comfortable environment for children scheduled for procedures at AAMC. We encourage you to discuss procedures with your child to ease concerns or worries.
- To make your child feel more secure, bring a favorite toy or blanket.
- You may stay with your child until surgery and rejoin him or her as soon as it is appropriate.
- One parent must stay in the facility at all times while the child is in surgery and recovery. When it’s time to go home, we recommend that two adults be available — one to drive and one to care for the child.
A patient advocate is available if you have any questions about your family member who is having a procedure. Please call 443-481-4820.
A patient advocate is available if you have any questions about your family
member who is having a procedure. Please call 443-481-4820.
The Day Of Your Surgery
To help make sure that your procedure and your day go smoothly:
- Take your medications as you were directed during the pre-op interview.
- Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before. This includes water, coffee, tea, juice, gum, mints and candy. You may brush your teeth and use mouthwash the morning of your procedure, but do not swallow anything. Your stomach must be empty prior to surgery so that your anesthesiologist can maintain your airway. This also decreases the possibility of being nauseated after your surgery.
- Shower or bathe on the day of your procedure. Do not use body lotion, perfumes or make-up.
- Do not wear headbands, hairpins, jewelry and ornaments, contact lenses, etc. All body piercings must be removed.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing such as sweatsuits and easy-to-button shirts or blouses that are big enough to accommodate a large bandage after surgery. Wear comfortable shoes. No high heels, please.
- Please bring your photo ID (i.e., driver’s license), insurance card, living will and power of attorney, if you have them.
- Please leave all your valuables, such as jewelry or extra cash, at home. (Some money might be necessary for incidentals). AAMC is not responsible for damaged or lost property.
- If your doctor instructed you to bring X-rays or you have been given any other papers to bring on the day of your procedure, please remember to bring them.
Registration
You will be greeted at our front desk and a customer service representative will register you for surgery. You will be asked to verify information you provided during your pre-procedure call. We ask that you show your driver’s license or identification card, and provide your current health insurance information.
Once you are registered, your family member or another individual you designate will be given a pager and asked to wait in the waiting area. You will be taken into our pre- procedure area to prepare for your procedure.
Pre-Procedure Area
A Patient Care Technician will take your height, weight and vital signs, and you will change into a hospital gown. Valuables should be given to a family member, but if no one is available at this time to take them, they can be placed in a locker for you.
A technician or a nurse will start an intravenous line (IV) that will be used to administer medications. When this and any necessary blood work is done, you will be interviewed again by a pre-op nurse. This is to assure that all of your information is correct. Your family will be brought back to wait with you until you are taken to surgery.
Just Before Surgery
Before going into the operating room, your surgeon, anesthesiologist (if you are getting anesthesia) and a circulating nurse from the operating room will talk to you about your procedure, answer your questions and alleviate any concerns you may have. They will confirm the procedure and verify your consent. Your surgeon will mark the site of your surgery if appropriate.
Your anesthesiologist then will administer medication to you through your IV. This medication may make you feel sleepy and you may not remember or be aware of being taken to the operating room.
Your family and friends will return to the waiting area. They will be given updates periodically and be told when you are taken to the recovery room. If your child is having surgery, in most cases one parent may go into the operating room until the child is asleep.
When surgery is completed, you will be taken to the recovery area. At first, you are connected to a heart monitor, your vital signs are taken, and your pain level assessed. Medication will be given to you as needed to control your pain. Your doctor will speak to your family while you are recovering. Once your vital signs are stable and your pain is manageable, your family may be able to join you.
If you have had an outpatient procedure, discharge instructions will be given to your family member or designated individual. If you are staying overnight or longer in the hospital, you will be moved to an inpatient room to continue your recovery with us.
After you return home, you will receive a post-procedure phone call from one of our nurses to check how you are doing and answer any questions you may have.
Anne Arundel Medical Center respects your privacy and follows the regulations outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). When you are here for surgery, we will give information about you only to those family members or individuals you have designated.