Preoperative
Once you arrive, you will be escorted to a holding area and greeted by a preoperative nurse. You will be asked several questions early in the interview, including your name and birth date, your surgeon’s name, and the planned procedure. You will be questioned repetitively by various members of the surgical team for your safety. Besides checking your identity, these questions verify that you and your surgical team have the same plan outlined in your consent form, your chart, and your surgical schedule.
The nurse will then take your vital signs … your heart rate, blood pressure, respirations and oral temperature. He or she will also ask some basic medical history questions including a list of your current medications, drug allergies, and the time of your last oral intake of food or liquid.
You will then have an intravenous (IV) line placed by the nurse. Blood will be taken at this time if needed for further lab tests.
Family Involvement
After you have been checked into the pre-op holding area, your family will be allowed to sit with you until you are taken back to the operating room for your procedure.
Anesthesia Care Team
Next, you will meet your anesthesiologist, who will verify many of the pre-op nurse’s questions, ask a more detailed medical history, and examine you. You will be given options and recommendations regarding the appropriate anesthesia care planned (detailed here). Patients commonly have questions regarding their anesthesia, so do not hesitate to ask. Your anesthesia care team will also include a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) who will also talk to you and confirm your medical details. Thereafter, a mild sedative is usually administered through the IV prior to your transport to the operating room