What Happens on the Day of Surgery

Plan to arrive at the hospital 2 hours before your surgery time to check in. Be sure to bring all of your paperwork with you.

After checking in, you will go to a pre-op holding room, then to the operating room, and you will awaken in the recovery area with a new hip or knee!

Before Surgery:

•  In the pre-op holding area you will get a gown and we’ll put your clothes and belongings in a locked room. (They’ll be brought to you when you’re in your room.) A nurse will go over your paperwork, take your vital signs and make sure everything is in order for your surgery.

•  Then you’ll see your surgeon. One thing your surgeon will do is sign the leg that will be operated on. You may be asked several times to say which leg is being operated on; this is standard procedure to prevent errors.

•  You’ll also meet with your anesthetist, who will make sure you’re fit for anesthesia and discuss the plan for pain medication after surgery.

•  Be aware that it’s possible for your surgery to be postponed if you’re sick or if you’ve eaten when you were instructed not to. If you’re sick the day before the surgery, let us know; we may decide before you come in to postpone it. Fevers, respiratory infections, breaks in the skin or a stomach virus can all complicate surgery and recovery.

•  As you’re getting ready for surgery you’ll be started on an IV. (After the surgery, you’ll keep the IV to continue to receive fluids and medications.) Your family member or caregiver can stay with you until shortly before you are taken to the operating room.
 

After Surgery:

•  You will go to the recovery area—the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)—where you will stay for about 2–3 hours. The PACU is a large, open room in which many patients recover. There you will receive nasal oxygen, which you will continue to receive overnight. We will monitor your vital signs.

•  We will move you to your room once your vitals return to baseline and you’re able to stay awake, respond to commands and manage your pain.

Communicating with Your Family Member or Friend

Including the pre-op time, your operation and your time in the recovery area, your family member will be waiting about 6 hours on your surgery day. He or she may wait in the hospital’s waiting area or go somewhere nearby. If he or she leaves the hospital, we will provide a phone number to call to check your status. (Be sure to bring the phone number with you!)

Your surgeon will be in touch when the surgery is over to report how it went and how you are doing.

See more info for your family members and caregivers.

This service is not intended to provide individual medical advice, which should only be obtained directly from a qualified physician or healthcare professional. Your personal information will never be used for any purpose other than to help educate and support you. You may opt out at any time with no effect to the delivery of your care or health benefits.