Having Surgery – Part 2

Getting to the Hospital

There are three basic pathways for going to surgery. The most common is to arrive at the hospital the day of surgery from home. Almost all patients having elective surgery have their operations scheduled this way. You will be told to report a minimum of one and half to four hours before the start of your surgery. This means that if you are scheduled for surgery at 8 am (which is the latest

OR’s start) you will be required to be at the hospital by 6 or 6:30 am. If you live a considerable distance from the hospital you may want to consider staying in a hotel close to the hospital to avoid the fatigue and stress of a long ride or trip at the beginning of an already stressful day.

You should also be familiar with the directions to the hospital, areas of parking, and construction zones. Although some patients (particularly surgeons and anesthesiologists) prefer to go to the hospital alone the day of their surgery, most patients choose to have a family member or friend accompany them.

The hours waiting in holding rooms and pre-operative surgery suites can seem painfully long and having company can make this more time bearable. It is absolutely recommended that all children and adolescents be accompanied by a trusted adult and most hospitals allow adults to stay with children virtually to the operating room door.