Make this an ideal surgical experience
for you, the patient.
Incorporate innovative pain medications
to improve pain control while decreasing your narcotic needs.
Prevent potential surgical and
anesthesia complications.
Reduce the amount of time you’re in the
hospital after surgery.
Decrease your likelihood of having to
return to the hospital after discharge.
Prior to Surgery
Your surgeon will meet with you to
explain surgical plans and set your expectations for surgery.
Contact your surgeon via MyChart or call the surgical clinic with
questions: 214-645-8765.
We will call you to provide instructions
for surgery and medications prior to surgery. You might also be scheduled
for an appointment in our pre-surgical testing clinic to meet with our
anesthesia team or have blood drawn.
We might request testing from your
other physicians.
Call our pre-surgical testing clinic
with any questions: 214-633-4202.
Lifestyle modifications:
We encourage you to stop smoking and consuming
alcohol for one month prior to surgery.
We encourage you to increase your
physical activity prior to surgery.
Eat a balanced, healthy diet, and
remain hydrated.
On the night before surgery, do not eat
solid foods after 11 p.m.
Follow any instructions directly from
your surgeon.
You can drink clear liquids (such as
water, Gatorade, or Sprite) up to two hours before your surgery start time.
In the pre-op area, you will receive
oral non-narcotic pain medications (Toradol, acetaminophen, methocarbamol,
and pregabalin) to improve your postoperative pain.
During Surgery
You will receive general anesthesia and
be completely asleep during the procedure.
Your anesthesia team will monitor you
very closely while you are asleep and will insert additional intravenous
(IV) lines or monitors if necessary.
You will receive multiple medications
during surgery to treat pain and nausea.
There will be a specific and tailored
anesthetic protocol to decrease the stress on your body, improve pain
control, and accelerate your recovery.
Local anesthetics will be placed at the
surgical site by your surgeon. This is designed to decrease your
postoperative pain and need for IV and oral pain medications.
Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and After
You will wake up in our post-anesthesia
care unit (PACU).
You will be asked to chew gum and ice
chips and drink clear liquids to help with recovery of bowel function.
You will be given an incentive
spirometer to remind you to take deep breaths.
Starting on the day of your surgery, we encourage you to get out of bed and walk with help from your nurse.
Try to increase the distance and frequency of your walks each day; doing so will help your bowel function return to normal, prevent deconditioning, and speed up your recovery.
Unless instructed otherwise by your
nurse or surgeon, you will be able to eat a normal diet the day of your
surgery. Continue to chew gum or hard candy as well.
You will take scheduled non-opioid pain
medications during your recovery and have narcotic medications available
for breakthrough pain if necessary.
For ureteroscopy patients, we expect
that after some time in the PACU, you will proceed to day surgery. When
you meet the criteria for discharge, you will be discharged home, typically
on the same day of your procedure.
For patients having a PCNL, you will go from the
PACU to a patient room, with a specialized plan to hasten your recovery and
optimize your care.
Eating and Drinking the Night Before Surgery
Austin
Street, M.D., answers questions about eating and drinking the night before
surgery.