Search Home | About Us | Services | Patients & Visitors | Employment | Giving & Volunteering |  Quality & Safety July 25, 2008 Home>Welcome>Services>Surgical Services Welcome Services Surgical Services Contact Us Surgical Services Outline Information About Your Visit To Our Surgical Services Department Welcome to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Surgical Services Department. The following information should help you with pre-operative questions you may have before you arrive the day of your surgery. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us at (413) 582-2379. This information is designed to make your experience at Cooley Dickinson Hospital as safe and comfortable as possible. Surgical Services includes: Surgical Day Care, the Operating Room, the Recovery Room (The Joint Replacement Center) Endoscopy/Colonoscopy suite. If you are a Surgical Day Care/ Endoscopy/Colonoscopy patient, our hospital resources are available to you without the expense or inconvenience of an overnight stay. If you are spending at least one night in the hospital after your surgery, our A.M. Admission program allows you to enter the hospital the morning of your surgery (please ask about the Night Before Program). For help in understanding and making difficult medical decisions, the hospital has a group of clergy, physicians, nurses, social workers, attorneys, community members, and hospital administrators called the Ethics Advisory Group. For more information, please call (413) 582-2050. If you do not already have a Health Care Proxy, we recommend that you complete the one enclosed in this packet and bring it with you on the day of your surgery. If you already have a Health Care Proxy, please bring a copy with you. If your doctor would like you to have more care when you go home, there are services available that will help you get better. Our Case Management Department can help you set up these services. Please call (413) 582-2248 with any questions. Back to the Top Very Important! Ways to help prevent delays or cancellations Patients are asked not to eat or drink anything (NPO) including water, candy, or gum after midnight the night before surgery, unless instructed by your physician to take certain medications with a small sip of water. Your stomach should be empty to prevent vomiting during any surgery requiring anesthesia, including local, spinal, or general. * A special note for colonoscopy patients: you may drink clear liquids up to one and one-half hours before your procedure. Ask your physician about taking medications the morning of surgery, particularly those for heart and blood pressure. Blood thinners may be stopped by your physician several days before surgery. If you wake up with a sore throat, a fever, or a cold on the day of surgery, call your doctor before you go to the hospital. You will not be allowed to drive, walk, or take a bus home after surgery. Please make arrangements to have a friend or family member drive you home. If you must take a taxi, you must have a friend or family member with you. If you have a guardian, or are the guardian of a patient scheduled for a procedure, please bring a copy of the guardianship papers to every hospital visit. Back to the Top General Information For pre-procedure assessment and testing, enter the hospital using the main entrance with the revolving door. Check in at the Patient Access/Admitting desk. On the day of your procedure, enter the hospital using the Emergency Department/Surgical Day Care entrance. Check in at the Surgical Day Care reception desk, just inside the entrance to the right. For help in understanding and making difficult medical decisions, the hospital has a group of clergy, physicians, nurses, social workers, attorneys, community members, and hospital administrators called the Ethics Advisory Group. For more information, please call (413) 582-2050. If you do not already have a Health Care Proxy, we recommend that you complete the one enclosed in this packet and bring it with you on the day of your surgery. If you already have a Health Care Proxy, please bring a copy with you. If your doctor would like you to have more care when you go home, there are services available that will help you get better. Our Case Management Department can help you set up these services. Please call (413) 582-2248 with any questions. Back to the Top Pre-Procedure Assessment and Testing It is important for all patients to have their health issues assessed prior to the day of their procedure. This assessment may be done in person at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, or by telephone with the Patient Assessment Registered Nurse. Your doctor will determine the appropriate method of assessment and schedule the appointment for you. When your doctor schedules your pre-procedure assessment/testing, at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, go to the Patient Access/Admitting department at the main entrance with the revolving door. Please bring your health insurance information including any identification cards to help complete your hospital record. For your assessment, please have a list of your current medications and any health problems available. The nurse will ask about your needs and answer your questions. Plan for approximately forty-five minutes for an in-person visit and twenty minutes for a telephone assessment. Your doctor may order tests to be completed before your surgery. The tests will be scheduled by your doctor's office and can be performed at a Cooley Dickinson site or at other locations. Your individual health plan may determine what tests are covered and where they may be performed. All pre-operative testing results must be delivered to Cooley Dickinson Hospital at least two days before your surgery. Back to the Top The Day Before Your Procedure You will receive a call from Surgical Services to confirm your arrival time. It is possible that your original appointment time has been changed. Be sure to leave all jewelry and valuables at home. All bodily piercings must be removed for your safety. Use the Emergency Department/Surgical Day Care entrance. The Surgical Day Care Unit is located just inside the entrance on the right. You are welcome to bring a friend or family member who may be with you for most of your stay. To comply with privacy laws, your visitor will be asked to wait briefly while the nurse prepares you for your procedure. Back to the Top After Your Procedure You will be given juice and/or a light snack when your condition allows. It is common to have some pain after procedures. We will continually work with you to keep your pain well managed. You will be sent home with written instructions for how to care for yourself at home. The nurse will go over these with you and any family or friend you choose. We encourage questions. Back to the Top At Home It is common to feel sleepy or even dizzy after a procedure. When you leave the hospital, it is wise to go home and rest. You should not drive, operate machinery, or make difficult decisions for twenty-four hours. If you have any problems or questions before the next appointment with you doctor, please call their office. After office hours, the answering service will have the on-call doctor call you back. Back to the Top Checklist Remember, nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your procedure. Call your doctor if you have any cold or flu symptoms, or any type of infection. Arrange for a ride home after your procedure. Talk with your doctor about what medications you should take or avoid. Leave all valuables and jewelry at home. Do not wear make-up or nail polish. If you have a guardian, or are the guardian of a patient scheduled for a procedure, please bring a copy of the guardianship papers to every hospital visit. Back to the Top How You Can Be Our Partner In Your Health Don't be afraid to ask questions. Write down questions for your doctor. Read all medical forms. Speak up if something does not seem quite right. All healthcare workers should introduce themselves and wear an I.D. badge. If you are having surgery or an invasive procedure, make sure the doctor marks the area so there is no confusion. Let us know if a friend or family member is going to help you make your health care decisions. We check and double check medications before they are given. Help us by bringing a list of your current medications with you. Tell us if you have any allergies. Make sure we check your wristband before giving you medication. The single most important thing to help prevent an infection is good hand washing. All healthcare workers should wash their hands before they touch you. Make sure that you wash your hands frequently at home, especially after eating, smoking, or going to the bathroom. After surgery, you are at greater risk for falling. Never wear just socks or slippery shoes. Avoid shoes with heavy soles or rubber toes. Arrange furniture and electrical cords so that it does not interfere with walking. Use good lighting. Use care when taking pain medications as they may make you light headed or dizzy. If you are going to be using crutches after surgery, and have a pair already, please bring them with you on the day of surgery so that we can make sure that they fit properly and can instruct you in their use. Back to the Top Information About Your Visit Ways to help prevent delays or cancellations General Information Pre-Procedure Assessment and Testing The Day Before Your Procedure After Your Procedure At Home Checklist Ways you can help  Cooley Dickinson Hospital 30 Locust Street (Route 9) Northampton, MA, 01061-5001 (413) 582-2000  Terms and Conditions | Privacy Statement | CDH Notice of Privacy Practices | DHA | Site Map | Contact Us