After your procedure, you will be moved to our Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) where the anesthesiologist and our PACU room nurses will observe you closely until you are ready to go home or be transferred to the Nursing Floor for continued admission. Your doctor will want to talk with a family member/friend after your surgery so it is important for this person to remain in the building.

The time a patient stays in the PACU will vary, depending on the procedure performed and the physician’s instructions. Typically, most patients are discharged within one to two hours after their procedure to home or to the Nursing Floor.

Your surgeon will provide post-operative instructions about diet, rest, exercise, and medications. The hospital will provide you with a written summary of these instructions before you are discharged. For the outpatient, we suggest you rest yourself for the first 24 hours following your procedure.

If you had anesthesia and/or pain medications during your stay, arrange for an adult to remain with you at home for at least 24-hours. Since it is normal to feel drowsy after receiving an anesthetic and/or receiving pain medications, we also recommend you postpone the following activities for 24 hours after discharge:

• Driving and operating equipment
• Signing important papers
• Making significant decisions
• Drinking alcoholic beverages

If you have any unexpected problems, please call your doctor. A nurse from the hospital will attempt to call you the next day to check on your progress and discuss any questions you may have.