Prepare for Your Procedure

Simple Steps You Can Take

You play an important role in your outpatient care. Here’s what you can do to get the best results before and after your procedure.

Safe Surgery

Before your procedure, make sure you and your surgical staff confirm:

your name
the type of surgery you are having
the body part to be operated on—check that hospital staff marks the correct spot

Have your surgeon take a time out to double-check your information and prevent medical mistakes.

Progress Updates

Your support person, family and friends can wait during your procedure in the waiting room, where your nurse or doctor can give them updates easily. Ask your nurse if there are other ways to get updates, such as an app or pager.

After Your Procedure

Before you leave the hospital:

Talk to your nurse or doctor about your pain. Managing pain helps the healing process, so be specific about the intensity and location.
Ask about medicines you receive and possible side effects.
Know how to take care of your incision.
Review your written discharge instructions carefully, and ask any questions you have.
Ask your doctor if you have any limits on driving, working or exercising.

For information about what you can do at home to help your recovery, see Post-Procedure Recovery .

Are You Ready to Go Home?

Before you leave the hospital, you must:

be alert and able to walk with no problems
have control of pain and nausea
be able to urinate
have a family member or another adult available to take you home