What to Expect During Surgical Preparation

When you're preparing for surgery at Atlantic Health System, you can expect the following:

• During a short registration process, an armband will be placed on your wrist.
• You will be escorted to the “holding area,” where you will change into a hospital gown.
• You will be asked to remove dentures, hearing aids and eyeglasses.
• You will meet your pre-operative (pre-op) nurse, who will complete your nursing history and assessment, provide pre-op/post-op instructions and education, start an intravenous (IV) line (a small catheter in your hand or arm that will provide access to your circulatory system for medications), and oversee any pre-op preparation your surgeon has requested.
• You will meet with your anesthesiology specialist
• Once your intravenous line has been started, your family may join you in the holding area. The holding area is a very busy department, therefore it is often noisy and fast-paced.
• You will be taken into the operating room (OR) on a stretcher by a nurse from the OR.