What do they do for the prep?

what do they do for the prep? hope it doesnt take long or i'll run out of there screaming

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Originally Posted by loriekay what do they do for the prep? hope it doesnt take long or i'll run out of there screaming

I had lap hyst they asked me to be there 1 1/2 hours prior to surgery. I was worried that it was going to be the worst time of my life, but it went so quick or was unbelievable. I got 2 IV's before being wheeled back to surgery suite. I remember about 5 minutes of being in that room before I was out!

well my questionis more like...i HATE people touching me...which makes this really hard for me...so what do they do before they put you out.

Can someone answer me? what do they do before the surgery. before they put you to sleep

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Originally Posted by loriekay Can someone answer me? what do they do before the surgery. before they put you to sleep

They don't really do much that I can remember except get you changed out of your clothes and into a Johnny and socks and get your hair into a cap (you do this yourself unles you need help), and then they put in the IV lines that they will use and hook up the monitors for heart rate and so forth (sensor adhered to chest). Some docs will come by and see you, especially the anesthesiologist who will explain the anesthesia. They will all ask you your name and DOB, and will ask you about what procedure you think you are getting. You will be asked to sign a couple of releases for the surgery and anaethesia. Then they start the sedative, wheel you away, and you don't remember anything until you wake up in the recovery room.

I don't know how long this all took. If I had to guess I would say 40 minutes? But your sense of time is distorted in these situations. All I can say is that they didn't leave you time to get bored or dwell on matters because there was a lot of hustle and bustle. I think there must have been six or seven different people coming and going and introducing themselves and then doing their thing. They are all used to the "process". Move 'em in, move 'em out! But they were all very nice and took time to answer any questions.

thank you so much

I just had a TVH last Friday, and I will walk you through my experience.

The day before they had me come in for blood work, urine sample, and to go over the dos and don'ts.

The morning of, I had to be there 2 hours before the surgery was scheduled. I was SUPER NERVOUS, couldn't talk to anyone because I felt like I was going to burst into tears, and my stomach was so upset that morning.

When I checked in, they took me straight to a room and gave me a gown to put on and told me take everything off underneath. I put that on and got in the bed. Then they came in and took my vitals. They placed air compression boots on my legs, but did not turn them on.

The gown I had was like plastic lined, and that and the boots made me really sweaty. Ick!

A nurse came in and started my IV, and asked a ton of questions. I asked her when she was done if I would be getting anything for anxiety because I was SO NERVOUS. She said she would send anesthesia to talk with me because usually they could give a xanax in the waiting area.

The anethesia person came in and said unfortunately I would not be able to get anything because they needed me to be aware for when my doc came in to go over the consent form, and I needed to be able to sign it. And he would not be in until they were ready to actually do my surgery.

So, then the anesthesia person went over her part and asked a ton of questions. Everyone was very concerned about dental work, and she even asked to look inside my mouth at all of my teeth. I was surprised by this, but it finally dawned on me they were asked because of the intubation that would be happening during the surgery, and they wanted to know what was broken or missing BEFORE the surgery so I didn't try to sue them after the surgery claiming that they had done damage that was already there. LOL

At some point after this, the nurse had me take an antacid.

The wait after that was long and quiet. We (dh and I) just had the TV on, and I just tried to stay calm and put it all out of my mind. My surgery was supposed to start at 12:00, but the doc didn't get in there until about 12:30. And each minute after 12 was making me increasingly nervous.

He said the surgery before mine was lasting longer than expected and that's why we were still waiting. He went over everything, and I signed my papers.

After that, they started rolling my bed away to the OR area, and I didn't see my dh again until much later. My nerves were increasingly ramped the further we went. We finally got to this whole other area, and they wheeled my bed into another small room. I asked if this was where I would be after the surgery, and she said, no that this was just a little holding room until they said they were ready for us in the OR.

Another nurse walked in at this time, and it was a lady I recognized from church, and we both smiled at each other, and she asked how I was doing. And my nerves just got the best of me at that point, and I burst into tears. I had let out the occasional tear all morning, but this moment I couldn't control it and the tears were just flowing uncontrollably.

The nurse I knew started crying with me, and then we were both a mess. LOL But she shouted out, "Get her some VERSED now!!" So, as this anesthesia guy came in giving me a shot of versed in my IV, while she held my hand and prayed with me. HELPED SO MUCH!! So glad she was there, even though she saw me lose it!

They put a shower cap thing on my head and within minutes were wheeling me to the OR. The versed worked FAST!! By the time I was in the hallway, I couldn't focus on anything, and I remember getting to the OR, but I don't remember ANYTHING about it. Not what it looked like, how it felt, who was there. The last thing I remember was them putting a mask on my face, and telling me to breathe. And my next memory after that was obviously in the recovery area, and it seriously felt like no time had passed at all!

I hope all of this description helps, and REALLY HOPE your surgery goes well and is easy for you!! GOOD LUCK!!

Two weeks before the surgery, I had my pre op appointments where I was asked lots of questions about my medical history, allergies, etc., and met with anesthesiologist and other medical staff. I also had blood drawn and had my pulse, BP, etc. checked.

Two days before my surgery, I started the antiseptic washes. I was to use this product with my showers and then the morning of my surgery. The night before surgery, I ate my final meal and did my fleet enema.

I arrived to the hospital 2 hours before the surgery time. Quick paperwork was done, and then I was brought to the prep area where I was given a gown and the compression stockings. They put an IV in my, checked my stats and then put me under an air filled heated blanket. After awhile, I got hot so they gave me a regular blanket.

About 45 minutes before the scheduled surgery time, I was given a hair net and then wheeled to the OR area. I had to wait awhile in the corridor before members of the team eventually showed up. The main nurse and anesthesiologist spoke with me for awhile, and then I was wheeled into the OR. I shuffled over to the operating table and waited awhile while the team got settled. Then the anesthesiologist said that she was going to start, and then I was out.

From reading the other posts, I'm reminded again of how different surgeons have different routines.

I signed the consent forms during my initial consultation with the surgeon and the surgery was schedule then, too. I had a pre-op visit the week before. I was first sent to various lab stations for tests: blood, a chest x-ray and an EKG. Next, I went to the surgeon's office where the nurse took my vitals, had me sign a paper acknowledging that I would be sterile after the procedure and gave me a cup for a urine specimen. As mentioned in a previous post, some individuals have there lab tests on the day of surgery. I then spoke to the nurse practitioner who gave me patient education materials, which included breathing exercises, a map of the hospital areas and parking, instructions on quitting vitamin supplements and most OTC meds, and instructions about the bowel prep to do the day before. She told me that the magnesium citrate could be obtained at the drug or grocery store and not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk post-surgically.

The day before surgery, I recieved a call from the hospital and had to answer a ton of questions. I was told to be there a half-hour before surgery.

The day of surgery, I signed a couple additional papers in the admissions area and was given a copy of them and an ID bracelet. I then went to the surgical waiting area where I signed in and signed a paper listing to whom the surgeon could speak to about me after the surgery. Shortly thereafter, I was called into the adjacent pre-op area where I was weighed. The pre-op nurse then showed me a bed and gave me a cup for an additional urine specimen for a pregnancy test. When I returned from the bathroom, I was told to change into a gown, socks and cap and get into bed after she pulled the curtains around me for privacy. She came back and asked a lot of questions. I told her about my needle issues and she gave me lidocaine prior to starting the IV. She pressed on a number of places on my hand to find a good vein. I then spoke with the anesthesiology resident. Next, the surgeon's crew from the Resident to the medical student came in and introduced themselves. I was then wheeled to surgery. I was only there a minute or two and a mask was put on my face. The air seemed stale, but I was out shortly thereafter and then I was waking up in the recovery room. The other two IVs I woke up with were not put in until after I was under and the blood test for typing was also done then. The breathing tube and Foley catheter were also not inserted until after I was under.

I was not shaved, nor did I have an enema. From other posts I've seen, shaving may be done either before or after you're put under. Some people are instructed to do an enema themselves and in other cases, its administered by a nurse.

Once your in your room, if you have a hospital stay, you will probably be touched more than in pre-op. The nurse put the post-op panties and pad on me - she said it was usually done in the OR. The nurse may clean you up or give you a bed bath or help you change your gown or socks. The first time you sit up, someone will help you. The first time you get up to walk or sit in a chair, someone will hold onto you - you will need assistance and may need it additional times.

I hope it all goes well for you.