PREPARATION FOR GYNECOLOGIC SURGERY CHECKLIST

SURGERY DATE: _____________________________________________________________________

SURGERY YOU ARE HAVING: __________________________________________________________

WHERE TO CHECK IN (DAY OF SURGERY): 

Weiler Hospital: Ambulatory Surgery 1825 Eastchester Road, Bronx, NY 10458 (see handout on directions on how to get there). Phone number for check in area: 718-920-3347.

Moses Hospital: 111 E. 210 th St. Bronx, NY 10467. Phone number for check in area: (718) 920-5001. How to get there: http://www.montefiore.org/west.

Hutch Surgery Center:  Hutchinson Metro Center 1250 Waters Place Bronx, NY. Tower II 2nd Floor | Admissions office. Phone number for check in area: (929) 263-3477. How to get there: http://www.montefiore.org/hutchinson-campus-directions

What time to check in:___________

Surgery start time:_______

Duration:________

Time spent in recovery room:___________(please note that visitors are only allowed in to for last hour only)

To-do-list before surgery:

· Pre-operative appointment:  this visit is required for all patients.  Even if you you had prior appointments, your doctor will need to see you again 3-4 weeks before your surgery date.  Once you chose your surgery date, we usually schedule your pre-operative visit 3-4 weeks prior to the surgery date and your PST appointment on the same day (see below). Your pre-operative appointment is scheduled for: ___________________________

· Any additional tests that need to be done prior to surgery: __________________________________________

· Any records that need to be obtained and reviewed by your surgeon prior to surgery: _____________________

· Pre-surgical testing (PST).  Location: Hutchinson Metro Center 1250 Waters Place | Tower II 2nd Floor | Bronx, NY 10461.  Phone: (929) 263-3235. How to get there: http://www.montefiore.org/hutchinson-campus-directions.

In-person appointment might be required for all patients within 30 days of your surgery date.  It is best to schedule it 3-4 weeks prior to your surgery date.  Normally, we will schedule it for you on the same day of your pre-surgery appointment with your surgeon to make it more convenient, approximately 2-3 hours before or after.  Please call PST at (929) 263-3235 to confirm that.

During PST appointment, a nurse or anesthesiologist with review your medical history and make sure you are ready for surgery.  After that you will get your blood work done and other tests such as EKG or chest X-ray if needed. If not PST appointment is needed, your doctor will ask you to do blood work only (below).

· Bloodwork:  Location: 1515 Blondell Ave, Room 210, Bronx, NY 10461. Lab Monday 8-6:45, Tuesday-Thursday 8-5:45, and Friday 8-5 pm.  (718) 405-8250.

· Your post-operative appointment:  Your surgeon will see you approximately 2-4 weeks after surgery.  At that visit, she will go over findings during surgery and your pathology report in detail and check-in with you about your recovery.  This appointment is scheduled on: ________________________________________________

· Medical Clearance:  Discuss the need for medical clearance with the doctor or nurse.  You will need medical clearance if you have any medical problems or if you are 65 years or older.  Please see your primary care physician prior to your visit to PST (pre-surgical testing) and ask him/her to fill out a clearance form (we will give it to you).  If your primary care doctor is not part of our Montefiore medical practice, please ask your provider to fax clearance form to us after your consultation to (718) 405-8016 or email it to us so that we could scan this letter into out electronic medical records in order for your surgeon and your anesthesiologist to be able to review it before surgery and at the time of your PST visit (above).

o Is medical clearance required? [] No [] Yes, please see above.

o Any additional specialty clearance that needs to be obtained prior to surgery: __________

· Time off work for recovery:  your surgeon will go over what to expect during your recovery with you.  Depending on what kind of surgery you are having and how your recovery is going, you will decide on when to return to work.   Some patients decide to use their vacation or sick leave time as it provides them will full pay during that time and others apply for short term disability (which might mean reduced pay but varies from company to company so you should contact your human recourses department to find out benefits you have).  In case you need a letter for work to get time off or if you need to submit paperwork for short-term disability, please contact our office.  Please allow for 72 hours to complete this paperwork.

· The hospital will take care of all necessary paperwork and obtain prior authorization from your insurance company (insurance approval for surgery).  If you have any questions about costs from surgery your insurance company makes you responsible for, please contact our office.

Prior to surgery/How to prepare:

• Please do not take any NSAIDS (e.g., Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Aleve) or Aspirin for 10 days prior to surgery date.  They can affect bleeding and your body’s ability to clot.  However, they should be taken immediately after surgery for pain (see instruction on how to take pain medication).
• Please make sure you fill all your prescriptions your doctor gave you right after your pre-operative visit to avoid trying to do so immediately before or after surgery.
• Do not shave the surgical area.  Shower the night before or the day of surgery.
• Eating/drinking: You must not have anything to eat or drink for 8 hours prior to check in. In addition, you must refrain from smoking and chewing gum.  Please make sure you “carboload” the night before.
• Please ask you caregiver (who will be picking you up from recovery room) to bring you a cup of coffee or tea (your choice) to recovery room.  It will help you feel more awake prior to discharge. 
• Please bring chewing gum to the hospital with you. Chewing gum in recovery room and for the first few days at home help expedite your recover because your intestine will recover faster.
• Any medications you take on an ongoing basis should be discussed during your evaluation, as some should not be taken prior to surgery.

On the day of surgery:

• Where to check in:  see the top of this document
• When to check in: Please come to the hospital two hours prior to your procedure to check in.  You will be notified the week prior to surgery what time your surgery will be starting and what time you need to check in (final check in time).  Please note that unless your surgery is scheduled as the first case in the morning, it is not possible to predict exactly what time your surgery will begin.  The operating room at times run into unexpected delays or might be running ahead of schedule, which may be 1-2 hours. Therefore, we recommend that before you check in you ask the clerk to check with the operating room as to what time we expect your surgery to start.   This allows you to avoid waiting in the check in area and allows you to walk around if you wish.  The waiting area is somewhat limited in space.  Please note that once you are checked in you cannot leave the waiting area.
• Remove fingernail polish; do not apply make up, do not wear any jewelry, remove all hairpins; wear glasses, not contacts if possible.
• If your physical condition changes the night before surgery (for example if you develop a cold, cough, flue, fever or an important change in the condition for which you are having an operation), please notify provider on call by calling the office.
• You need a responsible adult to accompany you home as you can not drive for 24 hours after anesthesia and walk home alone (we call it “escort”).  Without an escort your operation will not be performed.  You do not need an escort to check in with you (although anyone is welcome to keep you company during this process), only to take you home. 

• Doctor or nurse will call you the day after surgery to see how you are doing (please refer to the Instructions after surgery handout). If you have any additional questions during your recovery, please call the office at (718) 405-8200 ext 7168 or 7167 and ask to speak with the nurse during regular business hours which are M-F 9 am to 5 pm (do not wait for prompts, enter extension right away).
• Information for your family, friends and support persons: waiting for surgery to be over and for your loved one to go home can take up a lot of time.  Patients can check in by themselves, and you can come to the hospital to pick them up when then are waking up in recovery room.  You are welcome to stay with your loved one as they are getting checked in for support, but that is not required.  If you chose to leave, you surgeon will call you to let you know when the surgery is over and when to visit.  If you chose to wait in the hospital (at Weiler), there is space in the lobby, on 3^rrd floor waiting room, and in Caregiver Support Center (located on the 4^tth floor, and open 9-5 pm M-F, phone number 718-94-3599).