Preoperative Information | Knee
At the Hospital & Day of Surgery
Being Admitted for Surgery
Please arrive promptly at the scheduled time at the main entrance of the hospital and check in at the hospital reception desk. You will be escorted to the pre-surgery area. Your surgeon and anesthesiologist, the nursing staff and other hospital personnel will visit you in this area to confirm surgery plans, prepare you for surgery, and answer questions.
Nursing Assessment/Teaching
The nursing staff will prepare you for your surgery by assisting you in putting on a hospital gown and measuring you for surgical support hose. The nurse will also measure your vital signs: blood pressure, pulse, respiration and temperature.
Most patients will have a heparin lock (intravenous) started pre-operatively. Through this IV you will be given an antibiotic before surgery. All patients will have an IV after surgery, through which fluids, antibiotics and pain medicine will be given.
You will be asked to identify the location anatomic location of the surgery on your body with a marker. You will be asked numerous times by various hospital personnel to confirm the correct site (right or left) and procedure to be performed.
Eating Before Surgery
The night before surgery, you may eat dinner as usual. If you are scheduled for surgery in the morning, you will not be allowed any food or drink after 12:00 midnight. If your surgery is in the afternoon, you may be allowed a clear liquid breakfast.
Surgery Preparations
The morning of surgery, do not use deodorants, perfumes, shaving lotions or skin lotions. You should remove all hairpins, nail polish (finger and toe) or artificial nails and jewelry. Wedding rings may be left on, but must be taped. Please give all your valuables to your family; we cannot be responsible for them. Your family will wait in the family surgical waiting area and will be notified when surgery is complete, where they will then meet with your surgeon.