Surgery Day – What You Need to Know

When to arrive

• If your procedure is scheduled for the Ambulatory Surgery Center on 3 West you will receive a call two business days before your surgery between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. informing you of your arrival time. 
• If you do not receive a call by 3 p.m., please call 716-845-8476 and ask for your arrival time. 
• If your procedure is scheduled in Interventional Radiology on  2 West, you will be given an arrival time when your procedure is scheduled.

Who will drive you?

• Arrange for rides to and from the hospital. 
• If you are not staying overnight, you must have a responsible adult with you to drive you home.  If you do not, your procedure will be cancelled.  You cannot take a taxi by yourself. If you are alone, you must have someone ride home with you in the taxi.
• If arranging a ride home is a problem, talk to your nurse and the Social Work department will try to assist you. If you wish to contact Social Work yourself, please call 716-845-8022.

What to bring

• Pack a small bag with toiletries, reading materials, etc. Include your insurance card, a list of your medications and allergies, and your healthcare proxy and/or advanced directive. 
• Lockers are available for storing smaller items, but if you have anything larger than an overnight bag, you may want to leave it in the car so your family member/ friend does not have to carry it around while you are in surgery and recovery. 
• If you wear dentures, you will need to remove them before surgery. Please give them to your family member/friend.
• Do not bring valuables such as jewelry, credit cards, or money.   Phones should be given to your family member/friend for safekeeping.  Roswell Park is not responsible for lost or stolen items.  Please be sure to give your valuables to your family member/friend or leave valuables at home. 

Arriving at the hospital

• Parking is available in the ramp on Carlton Street. On the 3rd floor of the ramp, there is an enclosed walkway that leads directly to the hospital.
• Parking discounts are available for eligible patients and their families. Parking tickets can be validated at the information desk in the lobby.
• Valet parking is available at the main entrance of the hospital for patients from 5:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday – Friday (except holidays). Parking with (with valet) is $5.00. To use the valet,  just pull up to the hospital entrance and our valet attendants will assist you.
• Wheelchairs are available for all patients at the main entrance of the hospital.
• Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the Roswell Park campus, indoors or outside.
• Go directly to your assigned floor (2nd floor for Interventional Radiology or 3rd floor for Ambulatory Surgery Center) of the hospital to check-in with the Patient Access representative.

On 3 West

• On 3 West, a receptionist will review your personal information, show you the SmarTrack patient tracking system, and at your request, provide Advance Directive, Living Will or Health Care Proxy forms.
• ALL patients must have an adult with them to take or accompany them home if returning home on the same day as the surgical procedure.
• Give your valuables to your family/friends for safekeeping while you are in surgery. Lockers are available. If you are staying overnight, you won’t need your belongings until you arrive in your room after the procedure.
• A nurse from 3 West will come to the waiting room and bring you to the pre-op area. Your family will remain in the waiting room at this time.
• You will receive an ID band with your personal medical information. It’s an important safety measure in your care, so be sure to wear the band at all times.
• Your nurse will take your vital signs and review your medical history, medications and allergies. An IV (an intravenous tube placed in a vein in your arm) will be started.
• You will need to remove dentures, partial dentures and hearing aids. Put them in the storage box you brought with you and give them to your family/friend.
• ERAS Patients: Your nurse may give you 1 to 3 medications – acetaminophen (Tylenol, celecoxib (Celebrex) and gabapentin (Neurontin).  Taking them before surgery will help relieve pain after your operation. These can also help reduce or eliminate the need for opioid medications. If you have a medical condition or allergy that would make any of these medications unsafe for you, you will not receive it.
• A 3 West staff member will bring your family/friend to the pre-op area when you are ready for your procedure. Only two visitors (age 12 or older) are allowed at any one time.

• Your family/friend can wait in the 3rd floor lobby. The SmarTrack board will keep them informed of your status. Your physician will talk with them, as permitted, after the procedure.
• Volunteers are stationed on 3 West to assist with directions and amenities.
• Children are not permitted in the surgical preparation or recovery areas.

Immediately after the procedure

• Rules for visitors. Following your procedure, you will be taken to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), 3 West, or 2 West. No family members are permitted in the PACU. Only two family members or friends may visit in 3 West. Only one visitor at a time is allowed on 2 West. Children are not permitted in the surgical preparation or recovery areas. 
• Recovery time. This will vary. Your condition will be monitored until you are stable for discharge.
• Practice the breathing exercises and physical activity your nurse showed you; lay with your head elevated help to keep your lungs clear.
• Walk as soon as possible to reduce the risk of blood clots and pneumonia. Leg exercises are also important in helping to prevent blood clots after surgery. These exercises will help you recover from surgery more quickly.
• Avoid falls. Whether you are staying in the hospital or going home after surgery, please read these Tips to Prevent Falling. 
• Discharge and follow-up instructions will be reviewed with you. You will be discharged into the care of a responsible adult. Make sure you, or your family member/friend, understand all these instructions. Please ask if you have questions. Take a copy of your discharge instructions home with you.
• Breastfeeding mothers should pump and throw away their breast milk for 24 hours after surgery.  Please consult a lactation specialist for further information.