Preparing for Surgery

Welcome to South County Hospital Surgical Services. When you selected South County Hospital to have your surgery, you placed yourself in the care of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists, as well as a comprehensive surgical team that uses the latest advances in technology and equipment, pre- and post-surgery.

Please review the following information as you prepare for your day of surgery:

• Once your surgery has been scheduled, access the online Pre-Admission Testing portal.
• Prior to your date of surgery, a nurse from our Pre-Admission testing Department will call to review your health history and current medications. At this time please feel free to ask questions or voice your concerns you may have regarding the scheduled surgical procedure.
• You will also receive a call from our Patient Registration Department to confirm that we have your insurance and contact information recorded correctly.
• On the day prior to your surgery, a surgical team member will call you to inform you of the time you are expected to arrive for you procedure. You will also be reminded not to eat or drink after midnight, and only take approved medications with a small sip of water the morning of your procedure. This phone call often occurs late in the afternoon or early evening.
• In the week and days prior to surgery, please let your doctor know if you have any of the following:
  • Illness, such as a cough, cold, fever, stomach flu or asthma attack
  • Cuts, abrasions, or rashes near the surgical site
• If you are taking any blood thinning medications, such as Coumadin, aspirin, Plavix and other anti-inflammatory medications (e.g. Motrin, Advil, Aleve, etc.), contact the doctor who prescribed the medication and ask if and when it can be discontinued prior to surgery. You should also check with your doctor to determine whether herbal medications and vitamin supplements should be discontinued prior to surgery.
• On the day of surgery please enter the Hospital through the Main Entrance (under the dome). Upon entering the lobby, you will need to stop at the Information Desk located on the left and one of our Volunteers will escort you to the surgical waiting area. A pre-operative nurse will meet you in the surgical waiting area and begin preparations for your surgery. Plan to arrive 1.5 to 2/5 hours prior to the start of your surgery.
• We ask that you leave all jewelry and valuables at home the day of your procedure. If possible, leave contact lenses at home and wear glasses. Please do wear hearing aids if they are necessary.

Our goal is to make your experience seamless, from admitting to discharge, while achieving excellent surgical outcomes. Patient satisfaction is one of our top priorities; therefore, we encourage you to contact us about your surgical experience at 401-788-3901 use our online form.

We look forward to creating the best possible surgical experience for you.