What happens before my procedure
A registered nurse will call you prior to your scheduled procedure date to review your pre-procedure instructions including when to stop eating and drinking, obtain a brief medical history, confirm your arrival time and give tips on how to prepare for your home care. We will need to get personal health information such as the names of medications you take as well as the dose and how often you take them. We will be asking for your private health information and it is important you are in a place where you feel comfortable discussing your personal information.
A member of College Park Surgery Center business office will call to discuss the amount of any co-pay or deductibles that need to be met and paid upon registration. We accept cash, credit cards, cashier’s checks and money orders for payment. We do not accept personal checks. We also encourage patients to verify their own coverage and obligations. You will not receive a phone call by the business office if you do not have an amount due on the day of the procedure.
Surgery Centers are designed to provide high quality care in the most cost effective manner. One means of reducing costs is to eliminate the expenses of itemizing bills. The Surgery Center's charges include routine lab, materials, equipment and nursing services necessary for the procedure. It does not include your doctor's fee, anesthesia fee, pathology studies, radiology services or special items such as a brace, for example.
One person will be allowed to wait with you in the pre-operative area once you are ready for surgery.
Preparing for procedure
Pre-registration is required through our website. Please be sure to complete this as thoroughly as possible. A registered nurse will call you prior to your scheduled surgery date to review your personal medical history and to provide you with pre-operative instructions, including when to stop eating and drinking, and to confirm your arrival time.
If you are a diabetic or take medications for your heart or for other specific conditions, you will be given specific instructions what to do the day of your procedure.
If you are receiving anesthesia for your procedure, please arrange for a responsible adult to drive you to and from College Park Surgery Center. Please arrange to have someone stay with you for 24 hours following your surgery.
If you suspect that you are pregnant, please notify your doctor and our nursing and anesthesia personnel.
Please report to your doctor even minor changes in your health between your recent visit to your doctor and the day of your procedure, such as an elevated temperature, cough, or cold.
Leave all jewelry, cash and valuables at home or with the person accompanying you. We also suggest you wear casual, loose clothing. During your procedure you will wear a gown provided by the surgery center.
Should you need reading glasses or contacts to read and sign documents, please bring the appropriate containers and/or soaking solutions with you.
Day of procedure
Arrival:
Please arrive on the time your nurse told you during your pre-procedure call. Please remember to bring your photo ID, your insurance card and accepted method of payment for any money due at the time of registration.
What to expect:
You will be asked to sign a consent form, which verifies that you and your doctor have discussed the procedure to be performed as well as the associated risks.
During pre-admission, the pre-op assessment nurse will complete verification of the correct patient, correct procedure and correct operative site by:
- Consulting with you and/or your representative
- Confirming that your consent form is complete
- Confirming "patient, procedure and site" with the physician's documentation
The staff will verify who you are, what kind of procedure you are having, and the expected part of the body on which the procedure is being performed, as well as double-checking what you tell them against the documents provided by your doctor's office (for example: X-rays).
Depending on the type of procedure you are having, the person performing your procedure will mark the correct location on your body where the procedure is to be performed. This is called "site marking" and is a critical step to preventing errors. The patient, family member, or significant other will participate in the verification process prior to pre-op medication, sedation and anesthesia.
TIME OUT...Once you are taken to the operating room, a "time out" will be completed by the procedural team before beginning your procedure to assure themselves that they are performing the correct procedure at the correct site and on the correct person.
After your procedure:
In the recovery room, you will be under close observation by the recovery room nurses. We encourage all of our physicians to talk to a family member/friend upon completion of your procedure and it is, therefore, important for this person to remain in the building.
Your physician will provide post-procedure instructions and the Center will provide a written summary of these instructions.
If you had any anesthesia/pain medication, avoid the following for 24 hours:
- Driving, operating vehicles/equipment/machinery
- Signing important papers
- Making important decisions
- Drinking alcoholic beverage
Should you experience any unexpected complications or concerns, contact your physician or his/her designee. If you experience an emergency, call 911.