Catawba Valley Medical Center
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Outpatient Surgery

Outpatient Surgery Center

What to Expect When Having a Surgical Procedure at Catawba Valley Medical Center

Outpatient Surgery

Thank you for choosing Catawba Valley Medical Center for your surgical needs. We are committed to providing exceptional care throughout your stay. Your safety is our top priority. Reading the following information prior to your procedure ensures that we work as partners in your health and well-being.

  • Normal hours of operation for Outpatient Surgery are 6am to 7:30pm, Monday - Friday, excluding major holidays.
  • The phone number for the Outpatient Surgery Department is 828.326.3898.
  • After 7:30pm, please contact the Administrator on Duty at 828.326.3720.

Pre-procedure Testing and Interview

One of our highly skilled Registered Nurses will contact you 1-3 days prior to your procedure date to obtain information about your health history and current medications. We will provide your Outpatient Surgery arrival time and tentative procedure time during this phone interview. If your arrival time changes after that initial phone call from our pre-anesthesia testing department, you will be notified the business day before your surgery/procedure. It is very important that we have a working telephone number to contact you in case there is a change with your Outpatient Surgery arrival time.

  • Normal hours of operation for our Pre-Anesthesia testing department are 8am to 5pm, Monday - Friday, excluding major holidays.
  • The phone number for the Pre-Anesthesia Department is 828.326.3404.

Selected patients may require an in-person anesthesia evaluation. Regardless whether we obtain your health history over the telephone or you have an in-person evaluation prior to your procedure, EVERY patient undergoing anesthesia is assessed on the day of surgery by highly qualified anesthesia providers such as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) or an Anesthesiologist prior to undergoing anesthesia.

Why Do I Need Pre-procedure Testing and Interview?

Anesthesia is safer today than ever before. However, certain conditions increase your risk of experiencing a complication with anesthesia and thus require an in-person evaluation. Our goal is to identify any potential risks before you receive anesthesia or sedation, discuss these risks with you, and work with you to develop the safest anesthetic plan.

Pre-procedure interview includes:

  • Review of you medical history, including previous surgeries, hospital admissions and illness.
  • Review of your medications taken daily or as needed. (This includes over the counter medications, vitamins, herbs, inhalers, eye drops, topical ointments, CPAP and oxygen)
  • Blood work, x-rays and electrocardiogram as ordered by your provider.
  • Bring your medications and important documents with you: Living Will, Healthcare Power of Attorney, Advanced Directive, etc.
  • Depending on your surgery and medical history you may meet with an anesthesiologist at your interview.

Instructions given to you at your pre-procedure interview:

  • Date and tentative time of surgery.
  • When you to stop eating or drinking prior to your arrival at the hospital. Normally you may consume clear liquids up to 2 hours prior to your arrival time. This is for your safety in an effort to prevent stomach contents from accidentally entering your lungs during sedation or anesthesia. If you do not follow instructions your procedure may be delayed or cancelled for your safety.
  • Clear liquids include: Black coffee (NO CREAM or MILK), carbonated beverages, clear tea (NO CREAM or MILK), or fruit juice WITHOUT pulp (apple juice and cranberry juice are OK). NO Alcohol, candy, breath mints, chewing gum or TOBACCO should be consumed prior to your procedure.
  • What medications to take the day of surgery.
  • How to clean your skin prior to surgery.
  • Do not wear make-up, finger nail polish, lotion or powders.
  • Do not use tobacco products, alcohol, recreational drugs or herbal remedies prior to surgery.
  • You must have a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours after surgery.
  • If you develop a cough, cold, fever or flu-like symptoms before surgery, please contact the doctor performing your procedure.
  • Leave valuables at home.
  • Wear hearing aids, dentures, and glasses and bring cases for them if you have them. You will not be able to wear contacts during surgery so please leave them at home. Bring walkers and/or canes with you.
  • If you use a breathing machine (CPAP/BIPAP) we will discuss this with you and provide instructions during your interview.

Day of Surgery (Prior to Surgery)

What to expect the day of surgery:

  • Bring an updated list of all medications you take (herbal remedies and over-the-counter medications included). Please list the medication name, dose, and the number of times taken each day exactly as it reads on the medication label.
  • Insurance card and photo identification. Payment may be required prior to surgery.
  • Enter the hospital main drive from Fairgrove Church Road. Drive toward the hospital to the Stop sign, turn right. At the next Stop sign, turn left. The Outpatient Surgery entrance will be on your left. Park in the “D” parking area for convenient access to the Outpatient Surgery entrance. Once you enter the building, take the gold colored elevator (on your left as you enter the building) up one floor to the Outpatient Surgery lobby.
  • Upon arrival to Outpatient Surgery, please check in with the receptionist at the main desk.
  • You may provide a cell phone number for text message updates or we will provide a pager to communicate with you or your support person while in the waiting area.
  • You will be taken to the pre-operative area and provided with a personal belongings bag and asked to change into a hospital gown.
  • A registered nurse will perform an assessment and will ask you a series of questions that are important for your safety.
  • To ensure your privacy we ask that you only have 2 visitors with you in your outpatient surgery room.
  • The nurse will start an IV. Depending upon your procedure, you may be asked to cleanse your entire body with special cloths to prevent surgical site infections.
  • You will meet some members of your surgical team in Outpatient Surgery. This includes: your anesthesiologist, certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), pre-operative registered nurse and operating room registered nurse.
  • We are affiliated with various institutions of higher learning in an effort to facilitate clinical education of the next generation of healthcare providers. In accordance with these affiliations, students supervised by our licensed staff or physicians may participate in the delivery of your medical treatment. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about any member of your healthcare team.
  • Once your pre-operative admission is completed you will be taken to operating room.

Note: All patients arrive 1.5 to 2 hours before their scheduled surgery time. Please know that we value your time, however, there are occasions where your surgery may be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. If this happens we will keep you informed of delays. If you believe you are waiting too long or have questions about your care, please SPEAK UP to a hospital staff member.

Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)/Recovery Room

  • On arrival to the PACU you will be monitored closely by a registered nurse.
  • After surgery, some pain is expected. The registered nurse will ask you regularly about pain to ensure your comfort. Please rate your pain on a scale from 0-10. 0=no pain, 1-3= mild pain, 4-6= moderate pain, and 7-10=severe pain. We offer multiple interventions to ensure your comfort. We will also ask if you are having any nausea. If you experience pain, nausea or have any other concerns please do not wait on staff to ask, SPEAK UP immediately to allow us the best opportunity to give you excellent care!
  • The type of anesthesia you receive will determine how long you stay in the PACU. The PACU nurse will observe you until you sufficiently arouse from anesthesia. Sometimes patients stay longer than expected in PACU, do not be alarmed: a longer stay is sometimes necessary to ensure your comfort and safety.
  • Depending on your surgery and your physician’s orders, you will either return to Outpatient Surgery for discharge or go to a hospital room once you are ready to be transferred from PACU.

Please call the Pre-Anesthesia Testing Clinic at 828.326.3404 or the Outpatient Surgery Nurses Station at 828.326.3898 if you have additional questions.