What to Expect
Day of surgery
On the day of your surgery, go to the main entrance of Santa Rosa Medical Center (visitor's entrance located in front of the facility), and go up to the 2nd floor. Allow yourself extra time to finalize registration and take care of any additional pre-surgery steps. You will be given an ID bracelet, which you will wear throughout your hospital stay. If you'll be running late, let us know as soon as possible at (850) 626-5250.
Pre-Op
In pre-op, a registered nurse will prepare you for surgery. In this area you will:
- Sign your informed consent.
- Change from your clothing into a hospital gown, any preoperative preps completed.
- Additional labs and tests if required.
- Get an IV.
- Possibly have your surgical site clipped and scrubbed.
- Meet your surgery team, including your anesthesiologist, to discuss your anesthesia care.
- When your pre-op is complete, visitors are allowed to wait with you until you are taken back for surgery. Please see the latest visitor policy.
Before Your Surgery
Your surgeon will mark the spot on your body to be operated on. If you are having spine surgery, a second check using X-rays in the operating room will confirm the correct location for your surgery. Make sure your surgeon marks only the correct part and nowhere else. This helps to ensure that the correct surgery will be performed.
Marking usually happens when you are awake. Sometimes you cannot be awake for the marking. If this happens, a family member, friend or another health care worker can watch the marking. They can make sure that your correct body part is marked.
Ask your surgeon if they will take a "time out" just before your surgery. This is done to make sure they are doing the right surgery on the right body part on the right person.
Your Surgery
Frequently, patients are given medication to help them relax prior to going into surgery. As a result, you may not remember anything about your arrival in the operating room. However, if you should remember, you may notice that it is a very busy place, as we ensure that everything about your planned surgery procedure is safe. The lights are bright and the temperature is cool. You will be provided with warm blankets or a warming device. At all times, you will be taken care of by a team of professionals who are concentrating on you and working to ensure the best outcome from your planned procedure. The length of the surgery and recovery time at the hospital will depend on the specific procedure.
After Your Surgery
Once the surgery is complete, you'll be taken into the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). There, you will receive constant care from a post-anesthesia care nurse. As the anesthetic wears off, noises may sound louder than usual. You may have blurry vision, a dry mouth and chills. Your nurse will continuously assess you for pain and administer medications as needed. Once your vital signs are stable, your pain is managed and you have met specific transfer criteria you will be transferred to one of the inpatient nursing units for further care or to our day surgery unit for further recovery prior to your discharge home.
After anesthesia, deep breathing and coughing are important to expand the lungs and help prevent pneumonia. Walking is usually encouraged after surgery and helps to promote circulation and a more rapid return to a healthier state of well being. Your doctor may also give you a special diet until your body is able to digest food.
Tell your doctor or nurse about your pain. Hospitals and other surgical facilities that are accredited by The Joint Commission must help relieve your pain.
Ask questions about medicines that are given to you, especially new medicines. What is it? What is it for? Are there any side effects? Tell your caregivers about any allergies you have to medicines. If you have more questions about a medicine, talk to your doctor or nurse before taking it.
Find out about any IV (intravenous) fluids that you are given. These are liquids that drip from a bag into your vein. Ask how long the liquid should take to "run out." Tell the nurse if it seems to be dripping too fast or too slow.
Ask your doctor if you will need therapy or medicines after you leave the hospital.
Ask when you can resume activities like work, exercise and travel.
Santa Rosa Medical Center is accredited by The Joint Commission and guidelines on this webpage have been developed in conjunction with The Joint Commission Speak Up Program. The goal of the Speak Up program is to help patients become more informed and involved in their health care. Learn more at www.jointcommission.org.
For more information, please call: (850) 626-7762
Billing Questions
Santa Rosa Medical Center participates with most insurance carriers. We will work with your surgeon's office to ensure proper authorization from your insurance provider is obtained prior to your procedure. Medical expenses not covered by your policy will remain the responsibility of the patient and are typically due at time of service, but we will take care of submitting claims for hospital charges to obtain payment. Please note that charges for professional services, such as from your surgeon, anesthesiologist, radiologist and pathologist will be billed separately by the individual physician. We are happy to assist you, and thank you for choosing Santa Rosa Medical Center. For billing questions after surgery, please call (866) 481- 2553.