Asked Questions (FAQ's)
What to expect at your pre-op visit
Prior to the day of your scheduled surgery you will need to come to BSSC for your pre-op visit. You will need to
fill out a history of your medical problem(s), past surgeries, a list of medication(s) and their dosage(s). Patients
will also need to bring their insurance card(s) and/or any billing information. When the pre-op paperwork is completed,
you will meet with a pre-operative nurse to discuss any questions you might have.
We are open Monday thru Friday. Our normal hours are 6am to 5:30pm, unless otherwise noted. An appointment is not necessary and
our pre-op nurse is available 6am - 5:30pm. At this time any further testing i.e. lab work or EKG's will be ordered if necessary.
Please contact us if you are unable to arrive during these times and we can let you know what other options are available.
Children under the age of 18 will not be seen without a parent or legal guardian. Legal guardians must bring a legal
consent. Foster parents of children will need to bring court documentation of guardianship, and either have all
registration forms completed prior to the surgery and signed by the representative of the Department of Family Services or
the representative needs to be present with the foster child on the day of surgery.
Specific Pre-Op information
- 1) Do arrange for a responsible adult to accompany you to BSSC and to drive you home after surgery if you are having a general anesthetic or a local anesthetic with sedation.
- 2) Do arrange for someone to remain with you for 24 hours after surgery.
- 3) Eating & Drinking Guidelines:
- a) Adults- No solid food past midnight pre-operatively. Clear liquid up to 4 hours pre-operatively. Clear liquids are: water, apple juice, black coffee & plain tea. No gum, mints or chewing tobacco after midnight.
- b) Pediatrics- No solid food past midnight. Clear liquids up to 2 hours pre-operatively. Breast milk up to 4 hours pre-operatively. Formula up to 6 hours pre-operatively.
- c) Diabetics- If you are a diabetic your surgery will be done as early as possible. You should not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery, unless otherwise instructed. Please call the physician who follows your diabetes for directions on how to take your medications. Please bring your syringe and insulin with you for possible use after surgery. If your diabetes is controlled with a pill, please bring it in with you the morning of surgery, but do not take it unless instructed. Our snacks consist of juice, soda, pudding, Jell-O & crackers.
- 4) No make-up, body jewelry or nail polish. No smoking. No contact lenses. Please leave all valuables at home.
- 5) Wear comfortable loose clothing. If you have a distance to drive after surgery bring a pillow for the drive home.
- 6) Adults should take all routine medications with a small amount of water as scheduled. If your physician instructs you to stop taking any specific medications i.e. Coumadin, Aspirin, Plavix, Ibuprofen, please do so.
- 7) For patients under 18 years of age, their legal guardian must be in attendance the day of surgery.
Day of Surgery
-Arrive at BSSC 1 hour prior to surgery unless instructed otherwise.
-A nurse will bring you to the pre-operative area. After you change into a gown we will take your vital signs and start an IV (if ordered).
Your surgeon and anesthesiologist will visit you in the pre-op area.
-When your surgery is complete you will go to the recovery area for approximately ½ hour and our recliner area for
approximately an hour or longer if needed. We will monitor you, medicate you as needed, and review your discharge instructions
with you and a responsible adult. When you meet our discharge criteria you may be discharged.
Post operative instructions for an individual having a general anesthetic include:
-For 24 hours Do Not:
-Drive any vehicle or operate heavy machinery
-Make any important business or personal decisions
-Assume responsibility for care of others
Do not take any aspirin or blood thinners for 4 days after surgery, unless advised by a physician.
Eat a light diet for 12 hours after surgery.
Other specific instructions from your physician will be reviewed with you prior to your discharge from BSSC. Your physician's phone
number will be written on the discharge sheet if you need to contact him/her.
Local Anesthetic Patients
Those patients who have had no sedation or medication may drive themselves home if they wish and do not need someone to accompany them.
First Post-op Day
The nurses at BSSC will do a post-operative call to check on your progress the day following surgery. Due to being closed over the weekend, we are unable to call patients that have surgery on Friday until the following Monday.
Pediatrics at BSSC
Our pediatric patients at BSSC are very special to us. We strive to make it a nurturing and non threatening environment.
Parents/Guardians are welcome to be with their children in the pre-op area and post-recovery areas. All IV's are started in
the operating room on children ages 0-9 while the child is asleep. Our new pediatric post op area includes a TV/VCR, rocking
chairs, life size teddy bear, and a freezer full of popsicles. Parents take comfort in knowing that our staff is specially
trained in pediatric care.
** Please Note: All Parents/Guardians of minors are expected to remain in the facility the entire time their child is in Big Sky Surgery Center.**