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Day of Surgery

Day of Surgery

Arriving at CRHC:

Your arrival time is different than your surgery time. Your surgery time is an estimate, not a guarantee. However, our surgery team will do their best to make sure you are informed in the event of any delays. 

Before Surgery: 

You’ll be asked to change into a hospital gown and socks. We’ll take your vital signs and your doctor may order additional laboratory tests. We will also start an IV to provide you with fluids and necessary medications. You may receive medication to help you relax. Warm blankets are provided for your comfort. Before you enter the operating room, you will meet the anesthesia provider and other members of our surgical team.

In the Operating Room:

You may notice a lot of activity in the operating room. The OR has bright surgical lights overhead and technical equipment in the room. Never hesitate to ask questions about your procedure or activity in the OR. We’re happy to inform you or visit with you while the surgical team checks their final preparations. 

What to expect:

►     Sticky patches placed on your chest will monitor your heart rate and rhythm.
►     A soft "finger probe" monitors the oxygen content of your blood.
►     An automatic blood pressure cuff squeezes your arm as it takes your blood pressure.
►     Occasionally, additional monitors are needed that allow the direct measurement of pressure in the blood vessels.
►     Depending on the type and length of your surgical procedure, a catheter may be inserted into the bladder to drain your urine. 

Anesthesia: 

Our Anesthesia providers have completed specialty training in anesthesia, which is the injection of medication administered to provide insensitivity to pain during surgical procedures. The anesthesia care team will care for you the entire time you are in the operating room.

Types of Anesthesia: 

►     Local Anesthesia: Your surgeon may perform a procedure in the operating room that requires only local anesthesia. This involves the injection of medication into the surgical site to numb the specific area. This is done by your surgeon without involvement of anesthesia personnel.
►     Monitored Anesthesia Care: During this type of anesthesia, the anesthesia care team gives you medications intravenously (administered by entering a vein) to make you drowsy and comfortable while monitoring your vital signs. Your surgeon provides “local” anesthesia to numb the surgical site.
►     Major Nerve Blocks: This type of block may allow an entire extremity to be numbed for surgery. These techniques differ from local anesthesia in that the block is placed near large nerves traveling to the surgical area. Medications will be given to you intravenously (administered by entering a vein) to make you drowsy and comfortable during surgery. With some procedures, these may be used for pain control after surgery.
►     Spinal and epidural anesthesia: This type of block is accomplished by placing anesthetic medications into the spinal or epidural space to numb the lower body. The spinal anesthesia is particularly well suited for certain surgical procedures performed below the waist. The epidural is most commonly used for childbirth. With some procedures the epidural may be used for pain control after surgery.
►     General Anesthesia: This is the most common type of anesthesia used for surgery. You will be made unconscious prior to and during your surgery with intravenous (administered by entering a vein) medications. Anesthetics enter the bloodstream and are transported to the brain where they act on nerve centers to cancel pain impulses in the nervous system. A tube is inserted into the mouth or nose to maintain an open airway. When your surgery is finished, the medications are stopped, and you will begin to awaken from the anesthesia.
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After Surgery

After your surgery you will be taken to the PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit), also known as the Recovery Room. In PACU, a nurse will monitor your vital signs and you may receive oxygen to help you wake up. When you begin to wake up and your vital signs are stable, you will be taken to your room where your family or friend may be with you. If you have a surgery requiring a hospital stay, your family or friend will be able to visit you once you have been transferred to a hospital room. 



On the day of surgery, your family or friends can check with the staff at the surgery waiting room desk for additional information. Your recovery time will depend upon the type of procedure you have undergone, and the anesthesia used.

Specialty Surgery Providers
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