Diet

• Do not eat any solid food or chew gum before your surgery.
• You may drink CLEAR FLUIDS up to two hours prior to the time that your surgery is scheduled. These include water, clear apple juice, carbonated beverages, and coffee or tea without milk. (Some patients, such as those with esophageal reflux, will need longer periods of time without food or drink prior to surgery related to their medical condition.)
• Parents of very young children should speak with the surgeon/proceduralist or anesthesiologist for instructions on the timing of feedings.
• Do not take any recreational drugs. Smoking is also discouraged.

Medications

• Unless your surgeon/proceduralist or anesthesiologist has specified otherwise, you may take your normal morning medication(s) with small sips of water. Special instructions about your medication(s) may also be given to you by your surgeon or by the anesthesiologist. In particular, drugs that prevent blood clotting (blood thinners, such as Coumadin, warfarin, aspirin, NSAIDs, and some herbal supplements) and diabetic medications and some blood pressure medications will require special instructions. (Call us or your surgeon iff you have questions.)
• For your convenience, make sure you fill any prescriptions for pain medication which your surgeon may have given you before you come to the hospital. That way, you will have everything you may need available when you return home.

What to Bring

• Please bring any reports or test results papers about your condition or operation that you may have received from your doctors.
• Do not bring large sums of money, nonessential clothing, luggage, or jewelry. Bring only essential items such as toiletries, hearing aids, or prostheses. Please remove rings and jewelry on any portion of your body prior to coming to the Hospital.
• You may wish to bring a book, magazine, your personal stereo with headphones, or a small handcraft in case there is a waiting period after registration and before your operation.
• You should be accompanied to the Hospital and have someone remain with you if:
  -you need an interpreter to help you speak or understand English;
  -you have physical or mental handicaps which normally require the assistance of another person for communication;
  -you are under 18 years of age.
• Be sure to bring in all medication(s) you are currently taking.
• If you are an ambulatory surgery patient (going home the same day as surgery), you must have a responsible adult designated to accompany you home. You will be required to identify this person prior to surgery or the surgery will be postponed. The Hospital can help you arrange a medical transport service home at your expense.

When You Arrive at Mount Sinai for Surgery

• YOUR MUST ARRIVE AT LEAST TWO HOURS PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED TIME OF YOUR SURGERY. You will first go to the registration area on the second floor of the Guggenheim Pavilion, where you will receive important information regarding your rights as a patient and review the information in your file. If you will be staying at Mount Sinai overnight, please let us know if you are interested in one of our private rooms.
• Next, you will go to the patient assessment area to change into a hospital gown. A registered nurse will verify your medical history and condition, your medications, and perform any necessary final testing.
• You will then be escorted to the pre-surgical holding area, where you will meet the surgical team, which includes your surgeon/proceduralist, anesthesiologist, and nurse. The team will prepare you for the procedure, confirm your identity and the type of surgery/procedure you are having, and mark the surgical site, if appropriate. Expect multiple individuals to ask you the same questions so as to protect your safety and follow national guidelines. From the holding area, you will go to the operating room.
• Friends and family members are welcome to accompany you to the registration area on the day of surgery, but, for the safety of the patient, visitors are not permitted in the pre-operative assessment, holding, or recovery room (Post-Anesthesia Care Unit) areas. Parents may accompany children to the holding areas and sometimes into the operating rooms if the surgeon/anesthesiologist agree that this is reasonable.
• There is a Surgical Family Waiting Area, located on the second floor of the Guggenheim Pavilion, where your family/escort can stay while you are in surgery. Your surgeon/proceduralist will contact them when the procedure is done. Please do not bring children with you on the day of your surgery, since the wait can be very difficult for them and they may not be allowed to see you after the procedure.
• The waiting area is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm in case questions arise. The number is (212) 241-8282.