Preparing For Surgery

Before Surgery

You will receive a call a few days prior to your surgery from one of our nurses or clinical staff members to give you pre-operative instructions and an exact time to report to our facility for your procedure. This time may vary from the time given by your doctor’s office.

If you have questions about medications or any condition(s) you have relating to your surgery, please call your doctor’s office.

On the Day of Surgery

Please report to the hospital lobby. Our patient registration is located near the main entrance.

You will be registered by one of our patient access representatives and asked to be seated in our waiting area.

When you are called from the waiting room, a volunteer or staff member will escort you to the waiting area for surgery and give you any assistance you may need. From here, you will proceed to the pre-operative area. Your family may accompany you if you wish.

In the pre-operative area, you will meet with your registered nurse and anesthesiologist. They will review your medical history with you and answer any questions you may have. You will be asked to verify the procedure you are about to have performed.

After your procedure, you will be taken to our recovery area, where you will be monitored until you are ready for discharge or transferred to your room. If you are discharged, a registered nurse will review with you any instructions and prescriptions given to you by your physician.

For your care and safety, you must arrange to have someone drive you home following our discharge from the hospital.

Once home, please plan to rest for the remainder of the day.

Someone should plan to be with you for a 24-hour period after you return home.

Please expect a telephone call from one of our staff within a few days. We will be checking on you to monitor your recovery, answer any questions you may have and inquire about your satisfaction with the care given at our facility.

What to Bring/What Not to Bring

Before your surgical procedure, you should know that Coastal Carolina Hospital will cover all the basics. That means we will provide items such as hospital gowns and essential toiletries.

But you may want to bring a few things from home to make your stay more comfortable. Here are some items you may want to bring with you from home, along with those items that you should leave behind.

What to bring:

• A list of all medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter meds and herbal supplements
• Lab and X-ray results if they were completed recently at another facility
• Cases for your glasses, contacts or dentures
• Insurance card
• Valid ID
• Form of payment
• A copy of your advance directive (ex: Living Will)
• For overnight visits: sleepwear, footwear and other personal items you might need

What NOT to bring:

• Valuables, such as jewelry (rings) or money
• Electrical devices, including cellphones, TVs and radios
• Cigarettes, alcohol or illegal drugs

Additional Questions

If you have any questions regarding your surgery and your visit with us, please do not hesitate to call us at (843) 784-8026.