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Surgery Checklist

The night before your surgery:

Please do not eat or drink anything after midnight before your surgery unless you are given special instructions stating otherwise. This includes water, coffee, gum, candy, ice or vitamins. This is very important for your safety and, if not followed, your procedure may have to be delayed or rescheduled. If your child is having surgery, the anesthesia provider will discuss special feeding instructions. Instructions regarding daily medications will be given to you by the pre-op nurse.

Confirm arrangements for a family member or friend to wait at the hospital during your surgery.

The morning of your surgery:

You must NOT eat or drink as per your instructions.

  • Please bring the following with you:
  • Your insurance card and form of identification
  • Your home medications in the original bottles, if staying overnight
  • Any written orders or paperwork from your doctor
  • Comfortable clothing
  • A family member or friend who can wait during surgery—the caregiver of children under 18 years of age must remain on the premises

Your anesthesia provider will discuss your procedure and what to expect before, during and after your surgery, and answer any other questions you might have.

After your surgery:

You will rest in our recovery room under the care of specially trained nurses.

  1. Your anesthesia provider will monitor your condition.
  2. Your physician will discuss your operation with your family members. As soon as your nurse and anesthesia provider have finished all of their assessments, our concierge will notify your family member(s) and one visitor at a time can be escorted to the recovery area.
  3. You may be sleepy or dizzy after your surgery. You must have a responsible adult with you to drive you home.
  4. Nurses and physicians will answer your questions and give you instructions. You will receive a written copy of these instructions. Please follow them carefully.
  5. Be prepared to go home and finish your recovery there.
  6. We recommend that someone stay with you the first night after surgery.
  7. Do not make any important decisions, drive, or operate machinery for 24 hours after your surgery.

When you get home:

Patients often experience minor after-effects following anesthesia, such as drowsiness, muscle aches, sore throat, headaches or dizziness. Nausea may also be present, but vomiting is less common. These side effects decline rapidly in the hours following surgery, but may take several days before they are gone completely. The majority of patients do not feel up to their typical activities the next day, usually due to tiredness or surgical discomfort. Plan to take it easy for a few days until you feel back to normal.

Notify your surgeon if you have questions about what you can and cannot do, when you can return to work, and how active you can be.

An Avala nurse will contact you at home to check on your progress in the days following your surgery.

Finally, we hope we have made your surgery experience as convenient and comfortable as possible.