Day of Surgery

1. Enter SMDC Medical Center’s Miller-Dwan Building through the main entrance on Second Street or through the adjacent parking ramp.
    
2. Stop at the Information Desk located on the medical center’s lobby level.You will be directed to the Fifth Floor Admitting Area where we will verify your information, so make sure you bring a photo identification card (such as your driver's license) and your insurance card. Any necessary lab work will be done at this time.
    
3. You or your legal guardian will need to sign a consent form for your surgical procedure if this has not been done already. While you are in surgery and recovery, your nearest relative or legal guardian should stay in the hospital.
   
   
4. No personal clothing may be worn in surgery. A nurse will give you a gown to wear.
    
5. Before going to surgery, you will be asked to remove:
   
   • Dentures or partial plates
   • Hearing aids
   • Glasses or contact lenses (Please bring your contact lens case and solution or a case for your glasses.)
   • Barrettes, hair clips or hair pins
   • Nail polish (You may wear clear or very pale polish.)
   • Artificial lashes
   • All jewelry, including watches
   • Hairpieces and wigs
   • Prosthesis of any kind
      
6. A nurse will record your height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and breathing. Please tell the nurse if you have:
   
   • Any allergies to medicines, soap, latex, rubber, tape, etc.
   • An implantable prosthesis or device (hip or knee replacements, AICDs, pacemakers, etc.).
      
7. When you go to the pre-operative area, you will talk with the anesthesiologist and an intravenous line will be started. It is normal to feel anxious or a little nervous before your procedure. Let the nurse or anesthesia caregiver know if you want medicine to reduce your anxiety.
    
8. When you leave for the surgical suite, your family or friends will be directed to the Family Waiting Area on the Fifth Floor.
    
9. Your family may receive a pager to take with them to other parts of the hospital such as the cafeteria or gift shop. It will notify them when to return to the waiting room to talk with your doctor after surgery. They also will be given a special number that will allow them to track your movement through surgery and recovery at a computer in our Family Waiting Area.