Pre-Op Apts. - HOW MANY???

How many pre-op apts. will I need??? I have to travel 110 miles to the hospital, how many times will I have to do that??? I keep reading about this pre-op apt. they tested that, and the next pre-op apt. they did this, holy cow.

It would be really nice if I did not have to travel so much, especially in winter in Montana!!!

Plus, is it going to be really uncomfortable traveling home after??? Should I stay in a motel a few extra days after I am released?? Or will the pain killers take care of that for the ride home???

I have 2 pre-op appointments scheduled: one at the gyno's office, and one at the hospital, and they are both scheduled for the same day.

I can't help with the other question as I am still a Lady in Waiting.

Best wishes with your surgery.

I only had my Gyno appt and had to go for blood work at a lab..I didn't have to go to the hospital. Maybe you wont' have to, either?

Good luck.

shelly

My surgery is less than a month away. I have not scheduled ANY pre-op visits. Never have been contacted or told to. I called the doctor's office and asked for some brochures on my procedure.

Do you have to have a pre-op visit? I am not that far from the doctor, so travel is not a problem. Should my husband go with me? Can pre-op testing be done on the same day of the surgery?

Maybe someone who has gone through will know. What is the procedure for Pittsburgh hospitals?

Every DR had his/her own procedures for pre op. The day my sugery was scheduled was the last time I saw my DR til surgery. She told me at that time if I had any questions that was the time to ask them. She did call me the night before to see how I was doing.

I did have an apt at the hospital a week before surgery though. That was when I signed a lot of paperwork in admissions, then met with a nurse and had an extensive medical history interview. She also took my vitals, explained where to go and what to do the morning of surgery. She also gave me my pre op preparation instructions. Then it was off to the lab to have some blood drawn. Some people have EKG's or chest xrays before surgery. I didn't.

For a previous surgery a nurse called from the hospital and did the med interview, then they did the blood work the morning of surgery. Same hospital, but different DR's and different specialties.

I'm guessing you're about 2 hours from the hospital? Riding in a car on the way home - what would you feel more comfortable doing? Can you wait til you're discharged and decide at that time if you feel you ought to stay in a hotel overnight or for a couple of nights? What are the roads like? Windy bumpy roads or pretty smooth interstates? If you do go home be sure to ask for your pain meds just before you leave, they should help. Also have a pillow for your tummy, and plan on reclining if you need to.

Best wishes!

If you're like most, and your Doc is not requiring more testing for anything specific, it should just be a pre-surgery appointment, which is a blood-draw, ekg, possibly a chest x-ray, and a really fun meeting with finance. (or maybe you won't have that last one) That usually happens up to 4-5 days (or less) before surgery. All this at the hospital, in my case.

I did not see my own Doc at that appointment. I had seen her last about 2 weeks before that, but she did call the night before surgery to verify my arrival time and see if I had questions. I could almost see her jaw drop when I said - No, not that I can think of...(I asked them all HERE on HS, thanks to all the sisters!)

My ride home was about 1 hr 20 min. and I did fine. I was just so happy to get OUT of the hospital, I couldn't have cared less. You'll want to remind your driver not to go very fast over any railroad tracks or speed bumps, and go slow around corners (the worst!) Take all the pain meds they will give you about an hour before you leave & do have a pillow. Maybe a piece of 2x4 you can bite down on if the going gets rough. (just kidding)

I would not have wanted to go to a hotel afterwards. I guess if you're having a big dangerous storm, you might want to consider that, but I really wanted to get 'home' to my friend's house, where I was very well taken care of that first week.

Also, you probably will still have some of the painkilling effects of the heavy meds from the hospital that you might not be feeling as much 2 days later. Another reason not to wait...I know the next time I rode in a car after that, everything felt much worse! I could have told you the exact dimension of every bump in the road.

Regardless of what you decide to do, get your pain-meds from the hospital pharmacy and take them home with you. You might really regret waiting hours for someone to go get them for you later!

Best to you!

joano

I guess I will have to just wait and see - but my mind has been eased a bit w/ all the help of the sisters!! Thanks ladies!!

It would be nice to not have to travel back and forth a bunch of times, but I imagine if that is the way it has to be done. then we will just make it work. It is about a hour and a 1/2 drive, the roads are ok, not interstate, just a two lane highway -

If the weather gets too bad we will just stay - and I know they do all sorts of surgeries for people here, cause our hospital is small, so lots of people from here have to travel one direction or another to get stuff done. So they probably have a method set up to make it easier on us.

Thanks again for all the help!!

What a great tool this web site is!!!

I myself have had three pre op appnt. (Including the hospital) I have all sorts of illnesses though so they are being extra carefule with me. Most healthy people have less from what I've seen.


Good Luck!!!

My pre op visit was done over the telephone with a nurse from the hospital. She asked all sorts of questions and was able to answer all mine. I went in 1 hour earlier the day of surgery and had my blood work done. I was happy to have it done this way, as I do not like hospitals when it is something for me. I had many visits with the Gyn prior to surgery. I got to know the parking lot guy real well. Kinda sad, I go on Monday for my 6 week post op, probably the last time I will see him! Take care.