Strong Memorial Hospital Pre-admission
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What to Expect on the Day of Your Surgery / Procedure
Checking Into the Strong Surgical Center
About Private Rooms…We will make every attempt to honor requests for private rooms for patients admitted to the hospital. However, we cannot guarantee that one will be available during the time of your stay. About Admission Wait Times...We are constantly improving our system to expedite your admission process. Sometimes, emergencies occasionally happen between the time you’re called and the time you come in. When this occurs, your wait may by somewhat extended.
Our Lab and Outpatient Service Office includes a comfortable, television-equipped waiting area and a special annex waiting room just for children. |
On the day of your scheduled surgery/procedure, we ask that you please arrive at least 20-30 minutes early to allow for parking and way finding. When you arrive at Strong Memorial Hospital, please report to the Strong Surgical Center you have been assigned to, either:
- Second-Floor - view a map to the Second-Floor Strong Surgical Center
If you require assistance with way-finding, staff at the Information Desk in the Hospital’s main lobby will be happy to assist you.
Please help us remain on schedule by arriving at the Strong Surgical Center on time. We will make every effort to begin your surgical/procedure care at the scheduled time. Should we experience unanticipated delays in caring for other patients result in beginning your surgery/procedure late, we will keep you informed of our progress and estimate the time we anticipate being able to initiate your care.
After You Check-In
You will be admitted to a patient care area and asked to change into a hospital gown. Our staff will give you an identification band to wear on your wrist. If you have any allergies, a second red band will be placed on your wrist. We will insert an intravenous line (IV) in a vein in your arm or hand to give you fluids during the course of your operation/procedure.
Two of your family members and/or friends may wait with you until you are transferred to the pre-anesthesia area. The type of surgery/procedure you are scheduled for will determine where your family and friends will be asked to wait for you during your surgery/procedure.Friends and Family Members
If your surgery or procedure is scheduled for the Ambulatory Surgery Center or you are scheduled for an overnight admission (23-hour patient) your family can wait for completion of the surgery/procedure in our Strong Surgical Center waiting rooms. There is a waiting room located near each of our surgery suites (basement level or second floor).
If you are having a Same Day Admission (SDA) and will be admitted to an inpatient room following your procedure, your friends and family will be asked to wait in the Friends of Strong Family Waiting Room, located near the main lobby. The Family Waiting Room offers books, magazines and board games to help pass the time. Complimentary coffee, tea and hot chocolate are provided by the Friends of Strong.
Your surgeon may call or visit the waiting room after the procedure to give those accompanying you a report. If those waiting for you leave the area, please have them inform the receptionist of where they are going and approximately how long they will be gone.
More information for family and friends
Pre-anesthesia Area
Just before your surgery/procedure, you will be transferred to the pre-anesthesia area. Patients may have only one person wait with them in the pre-anesthesia area. Your anesthesiology care team (professionals who specialize in administering anesthesia) will meet with you to discuss anesthesia to be used during your surgery/procedure. They will answer any questions you may have regarding the anesthesia. Vital signs will be monitored and medications may be administered.
Surgery
You will be taken from the pre-anesthesia area directly into the operating room for your surgery/ procedure. Your time in the operating room will depend on the type of surgery/procedure you are having. A team of professionals will be in the operating room to assist your surgeon in providing excellent care and ensuring your safety and comfort during your procedure/surgery.
Post Anesthesia Care Unit (Recovery Room)
When your procedure/surgery is completed and you are still asleep, you will be moved from the operating room into the post- anesthesia care unit (recovery room). While you are in recovery, our staff will closely monitor your vital signs (e.g., blood pressure, pulse, etc.), administer oxygen, as needed, ensure that your pain is controlled, and keep you as comfortable as possible. Your stay in the recovery room may last from 30 minutes to two (2) hours depending on the type of surgery/procedure you have experienced. If you remain in the recovery room longer than 2 hours, a staff member will call your family in the waiting room and report on your status. After you wake up and your vital signs are stable, you will be moved out of the recovery area to:- One of our surgical inpatient units, if required by the nature of your surgery/procedure;
- Our 23-hour unit; or
- The Strong Surgical Center (SSC).
Before you can go home from the SSC, you must be able to walk a short distance, tolerate small amounts of fluid, and urinate.
Complete instructions will be reviewed with you and a family member/or friend prior to your discharge.
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