On the Day of Your Surgery

What to do when you arrive at Adventist Health Sonora

When you arrive at the medical center on the day of your surgery, please check in at the desk. You will be advised where to wait until a nurse escorts you to the pre-surgical area.

The nurse will verify your identity by asking your name and date of birth. If you have any questions about the procedure that the nurse is unable to answer, we will wait until the surgeon arrives and assure that everything is explained to your satisfaction.

You will then be given a hospital gown, slippers, hat and a bag for your clothes. You will be asked to change into the hospital gown. We will assure your privacy during this time and give you any assistance you may require.

The nurse will complete an assessment and answer any questions you may have. Your IV will be started for anesthesia. After these tasks are completed, you will be allowed two friends or family members to visit with you until you are taken to surgery.

The anesthesiologist will visit and complete an assessment. The operating room nurse will also visit and ask a few pre-operative questions.

After the surgeon arrives and speaks with you about the procedure, they will mark the surgical site. You will be taken on your gurney to the operating room. You will be asked to put on your hat so that it covers your hair.

As you move through the different phases of the surgical experience, it will seem like you are asked the same questions repeatedly. We do this to assure your safety.

When your surgery is completed, you will be taken to the recovery room (post-anesthesia care unit, or PACU). While there, you will be monitored until you are recovered from your anesthesia. A nurse will be at your side or very close and will be assessing your pain continually. The nurse will offer you medication to control your pain. After recovery from anesthesia, you will be discharged to go home, transferred to the outpatient area for further care or transferred to your room in the medical center.