Some families may elect to bring children for a preoperative tour of Emerald Coast Surgery Center.
Not necessarily. We strongly encourage that you visit our website to complete your pre-registration prior to your date of surgery. One Medical Passport is the online pre-registration program that you will use to complete this process.
If you do not have access to a computer or the internet, you may call and speak with a preadmissions nurse for assistance. You may also visit the Center, where a nurse will assist you in completing your individualized Medical Passport.
Please notify your surgeon and the Emerald Coast Surgery Center at 850-863-7887 as early as possible if you cannot make your scheduled appointment. Early notification can help us better accommodate you and the other patients.
Please wear comfortable clothing. Button-down shirts or blouses are best. Wear comfortable shoes. Leave all jewelry at home, including body-piercing jewelry. If you wear contact lenses, we ask that you remove them for surgery, so consider bringing your glasses. If you have to wear your contacts to the Center, please bring contact solution and a contact lens case. Please refrain from wearing any makeup, as this can hide certain clinical signs. Please remove all body piercings.
Yes. You can comfortably take a shower, bathe, brush your teeth, etc. Please do not use makeup, hair spray, nail polish, perfumes or toiletries. These may interfere with the anesthesia monitoring and possibly hide clinical signs from the Anesthesiologist.
Do not shave the operative site. Damage to the skin can lead to a possible infection.
You refrain from eating/or drinking prior to surgery in order to prevent the risks of aspirating stomach contents during your surgery. This complication is very serious and you need to strictly abide by our recommendations. This has nothing to do with nausea and vomiting after your surgery, as some may think.
We have very clear policies as to specific times before surgery when you must refrain from eating and/or drinking. These are all based on safety standards. We believe that the fasting time should be as short as possible before your surgery. You will not improve your safety by not eating or drinking longer than necessary; in fact, at times you may complicate things a bit.
Children have different fasting schedules than adults, so please check with a preadmissions nurse.
We generally request that you take your medication before leaving home. Diabetic medications will be individualized. We will usually decrease medicines and manage your sugar at the Center. You should be contacted before your surgery, leaving you no doubts in your mind as to which medications you should take. Please bring a list of all medications with you.
People using inhalers should bring them to the Center on the day of surgery.
Some medications will be stopped for the surgery, particularly diabetes medication and blood thinners.
Herbal medications may have harmful effects on the surgery. Many of these remedies may affect your clotting mechanism and interfere with the anesthetic agents. We generally request that you stop these medications two weeks before surgery. Please remember to mention these remedies when being asked about medication.
You are welcome to bring one person with you to the Center. That person is allowed to be with your before surgery and may sit with you after the surgery, if you so choose.
When a patient is a child, often two parents and/or guardians will accompany him or her to the Center. We will do our best to accommodate everyone, however, one parent and/or guardian will be permitted into the recovery room at a time.
Please refrain from bringing young children to the Center as guests. As a part of our discharge process, your guest will be given instructions for your post-operative care. It is imperative that the nurse have your undivided attention during this process.
We will individualize each patient's care. You will speak with your physician, the anesthesia team and pre-op staff prior to receiving any anesthesia.
Yes. We call each patient before the surgery to gather information helpful to us and hopefully answer any of your questions. Preoperative instructions will be given by the nurse who calls you. You may also call the Center directly with any questions.
If you are not feeling well, please contact your surgeon immediately. During normal business hours, you can call the Center for advice. There are some surgeries which are safer if delayed when you are sick. We need to know specific details to make the decision. Please do not delay in contacting your surgeon or the Center.
This will not affect most surgical procedures. There are a few specific gynecological procedures which may be impacted by menstruation. Call us if you have any questions.
It is very important for us to be aware of this possibility. Only essential surgery is performed on pregnant patients. If there is any doubt please contact us immediately.
All female patients between the ages of 10-60, who have not had a hysterectomy, must provide a urine sample following check-in at the Center.
Any patient receiving anesthesia cannot drive until the next day. Please make appropriate arrangements.
We require that all patients have a responsible caregiver. Patients will not be allowed to drive, walk or take public transportation after sedation or anesthesia.
All patients will be seen by the anesthesiologist on the day of surgery prior to entering the operating room. Sufficient time should be spent to answer any questions you may have. If you need to speak with the anesthesiologist before the day of surgery, you are welcome to call the Center. We can also arrange a preoperative interview if you desire.
We will make every effort to accommodate any special need you may have. We strongly encourage you to call the Surgery Center in advance so that we can properly prepare to make you comfortable. Do not hesitate to call and suggest anything that may make your visit easier.
• A case for contact lenses
• Insurance cards, photo identification and any payment due
• A complete medication list (if not previously provided)
• A caregiver who can transport you home and provide care following procedure
• For children-a drink or "sippy" cup, a comfort item such as a blanket or stuffed animal
The management of your pain is of great importance to us. We will be assessing your level of pain from the time of admission, until you receive our postoperative call at home. We need to inform and prepare you for each step of the process. This education will begin with our first contact. You will be repeatedly asked to rate your pain using a numerical scale or using the Visual Analog Pain Scale. Using the results of our communication we will alter the therapy as needed in order to assure your comfort.
The management of your pain will be taken very seriously. We will often use a combination of different modalities to help make you comfortable, choosing from oral medications, intravenous medications, nerve blocks and/or injection of local anesthetic. Please feel free to bring up any concerns or fears you may have. Remember that information on pain management gives you the appropriate expectations and hence a smoother, more comfortable recovery.
