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Patient information
Upon Arrival
Arrive at the assigned time. Generally, we have allowed 60 minutes before your procedure is scheduled to start. This allows us time to prepare you for your procedure and complete all necessary paperwork.
Due to the limited space in our waiting room area, we ask that you be accompanied by only one family member or friend at this time. During this time, we will be doing the following to prepare you for surgery:
- Reviewing insurance information
- Obtaining copies of your insurance cards, if your doctor has not previously provided us with them.
- Obtaining your “co-payment,” if necessary. This amount varies with different insurance companies and we will be happy to discuss this with you prior to the day of surgery if you give us a call.
- Reviewing all personal information with you for accuracy (name, address, age, etc.) and we will have you sign all the consent forms necessary for your operation.
After this paperwork is completed, you will be brought back to the pre-op area. If you arrive at your scheduled appointment time, this will usually occur within 15-30 minutes, but please remember unexpected events do occasionally occur which may cause a delay in your surgery. If this is the case, we will keep you informed and will always do our best to make your stay here as short as possible.
Pre-Operative Care
Once back in the pre-op area, you will be asked to put on a gown, and then be assisted into bed. Your blood pressure and temperature will be taken and you will be connected to a heart monitor and monitored closely from this point on. A nurse will then review your medical history with you.
If you are having surgery that requires eye drops, a series of eye drops will be put into the eye which is to be operated on. An intravenous line (IV) will also be started by the nurse. At the time the IV is started, some blood may be drawn for laboratory tests. The IV will be utilized by the anesthesiologist to administer medication to help you relax just prior to your surgery. Usually three sets of eye drops are ordered at intervals of 5-15 minutes apart, depending on your physician’s orders. You will be informed of this by your nurse after review of your doctor’s orders.
Ready for Surgery
You are now ready to be visited by our anesthesiologist, a physician, who will again discuss your medical history with you. You will then be given some medication through your IV that will make you relaxed and somewhat sleepy. You will not be unconscious and will be aware of your surroundings, although you will have very little recollection of the actual surgery and event just prior to your surgery due to the short term amnesic effect of the medication.
If you are having eye surgery, your surgeon or the anesthesiologist will now administer the local anesthesia around your eye. You may feel a pressure sensation for a few seconds during this injection, but this will pass quickly and you should experience no more discomfort during your surgery. Shortly after the injection, you will be greeted by another registered nurse who will accompany you to the operating room and be with you during your surgery.
The operative area will be cleansed thoroughly and sterile drapes will be placed on and around you. During surgery, there will be a surgical technician assisting the surgeon with the instruments, a circulating RN and an anesthesiologist monitoring you very closely.
Post-Operative Care
After the operation, which takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes, you will return to the pre-op/recovery area where your blood pressure and temperature will be rechecked and your IV will be removed. You may then sit up in bed and dress, with assistance, if needed. Once you are dressed, you will be assisted to a chair and given juice or coffee. Your family member or friend will be brought back at this time and post-op instructions will be given. We will then assist you to your car and you will be on your way home. This time span can range from two to four hours after your arrival.
We at Tampa Eye & Specialty Surgery Center hope this information will alleviate some of your pre-operative anxiety and are looking forward to providing you with excellent care on the day of your surgery.
If you have any questions prior to the day of surgery, please give us a call at (813) 870-6330.