Thank you for choosing South County Hospital, Rhode Island’s Most Trusted Healthcare partner.
Our surgical team includes board-certified surgeons and anesthesiologists that use the latest advances in technology and robotic equipment. The following information will be helpful as you prepare for surgery:
- Once your surgery has been scheduled, you will receive email instructions to access our Hospital Patient Portal. Once registered, Click on “Forms” and fill out the Presurgical Testing Forms.
- Prior to your date of surgery, a nurse from our Pre-Admission testing Department will call to review your health history and current medications.
- You will also receive a call from our Patient Registration Department to confirm your registration and insurance information, and to provide an estimate of your financial responsibility per your insurance benefits.
- On the day prior to your surgery, an OR surgical team member will call you to inform you of the time you are expected to arrive for your 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.
Prior to Surgery
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.
Day of 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. Please 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 on the day of your procedure. If possible, leave contact lenses at home and wear glasses. Please wear hearing aids.
Do's and Don'ts of Surgery
DO take only those medications that your doctor or anesthesiologist have instructed you to take on the morning of surgery, with a small sip of water.
DO wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing and flat-heeled shoes. If your surgery is on the upper body, a buttoned shirt may be most appropriate. If it is on the lower body, loose fitting pants or shorts may be most appropriate.
DO wear your hearing aids or bring them with you.
DO NOT wear make-up or nail polish. This will enable the doctors and nurses to see your natural coloring during surgery. Changes in skin coloring help us to identify possible surgical complications.
DO NOT wear perfumes or colognes, hair spray, hair gel, or other hairstyling products.
DO NOT wear any jewelry or body piercings. They are a potential source of infection or burn risk during surgery.
DO NOT wear contact lenses. Please wear or bring your eyeglasses and a glasses case with you.
DO NOT bring any valuables (including your wallet) with you to the hospital. NOTE: (This one is tough because oftentimes they are paying their estimated costs on the date of their surgery. We do prefer they pay prior, but sometimes they like to wait until the morning of and we’ve had some patients who didn’t end up paying because they were advised not to bring their wallet)
We look forward to creating the best possible surgical experience for you!