THE DAY BEFORE SURGERY

A woman measuring her waist to hip ratio — Your actual time in the operating room is typically only an hour or two. The time preparations that you must make beforehand and afterward are much more relevant.

Scheduled operative time

Expect a call from the hospital to confirm you arrival time on the day of surgery. This time may not be finalized until the day before your operation. Typically the schedule is not published approximately 3pm. Dr. Belsley's secretary as well as the hospital will call you and inform you about your operative time. Please remember you need to arrive two hours before your scheduled start time.

Confirm your route to and from surgery with the responsible adult who will drive you. Also confirm plans with your 24-hour support person and make certain he or she has all of your post-operative instructions.

Shower as directed. Use an anti-bacterial, fragrance-free soap. Shampoo your hair. Do not use any hair gel or other styling products, scented skin creams or moisturizers. Do not use any deodorant, hair spray, perfume or cosmetics. Remove all finger nail and toe nail polish. If you have acrylic nails, at least one will need to be removed prior to surgery.

Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery. No candy, gum or mints. Anything more than a small amount of water as needed for brushing teeth or swallowing medication may result in the need to cancel surgery. This includes candy, gum and mints.

Get plenty of rest and avoid unnecessary stress.

Pack your bag for the day of surgery

This should include: All paperwork, Reading Glasses if needed, Your identification, Warm, clean cotton socks, All prescription medications, Saltines or other crackers in case of nausea during your ride home

THE DAY OF SURGERY

Both Mt. Sinai West and Mt. Sinai St. Luke's are in the process of improving their operating room suites and waiting areas. The best advice is to please call our office to make sure that the flow is the same and that locations nor times have been changed.

Ventilator Settings — General anesthesia is used for all laparoscopic procedures and the vast majority that are performed by Dr. Belsley. This means that a breathing tube will be placed in your throat during your operation. Expect mild throat soreness afterwards that may be helped by over the counter lozenges and will dissapate in a day or two.

The early morning admitting process at Mt. Sinai West is evolving with the ongoing facility improvements. Currently we suggest that our 7:30 am patients arrive at the lobby of Mt. Sinai West at 5:30 am. There will be a sign-in-sheet and your identification and insurance cards will be checked. At approximately 6:00 am you will be brought along with the other patients to the 5th floor.

On the fifth floor, relatives will go to a separate waiting area and you will be brought to the nursing area where you will change and the nurses will start to work with you asking questions to double check your medical information as well as perform vitals signs. Approximately thirty minutes later, your family will reunite with you while you wait together for your operation.

Patients who are not the first case (after 7:30 start time) should just present directly to the fifth floor waiting area. There is no need to check in with admitting on the ground floor. There is a sign-in sheet in the fifth floor family waiting area. There is an admitting office next door and you will be called and directed accordingly.

NOTHING by mouth. Anything more than a small amount of water as needed for brushing teeth or swallowing medication may result in the need to cancel surgery. This includes candy, gum, mints. Take the morning medications that you have discussed with Dr. Belsley with a small sip of water.

Do not wear cosmetics, jewelry of any kind, contact lenses, hair clips, body piercing: (If there is something you cannot remove, let the admitting nurse know right away.)

Wear comfortable, clean, loose-fitting clothing: Do not wear jeans or any tight-fitting bottom; rather have a pair of loose, drawstring sweatpants to wear home. You may wear a robe. Wear slip on, flat shoes with a slip proof sole; no heels. Wear clean cotton socks, as the operating room can feel cool. For your comfort, wear a zip or button front top. No turtlenecks.

You will need to arrive at the hospital two hours prior to your surgery start time on the day of your surgery (except for 7:30 am cases for which you will need to arrive at 6 am). This time allows for adequate check-in time as well as time for you to meet with nurses and your anesthesiologist. Enter Roosevelt Hospital on the entrance on Tenth Avenue and alert the security personnel in the lobby that you are having surgery. They will direct you to the Ambulatory Surgery Center on the 5th Floor. Although you will be given a locker on your day of surgery, please do not bring any valuables that could get lost.

Bag of IV Fluids — Hydration is very important throughout the surgical process. You are given IV fluids during your procedure and are started on liquids immediately afterwards. The medications you receive with anesthesia will make you a bit nauseous, so it is best to focus on a liquid diet until the next morning after your procedure.

Your family members will be directed to wait in the waiting room during your surgery. After the surgery has been completed, Dr. Belsley will speak to your family members in the waiting room. If you are to be discharged the same day you have your surgery, please be sure to have someone to escort you home.

Once your surgery is completed, you must follow all the instructions given to you in order to heal properly and have a good outcome.

Glossary