Instructions
Instructions

Instructions

A patient undergoing surgery at the hospital usually needs to visit the Presurgical Assessment Clinic (PSA) for evaluation prior to the day of surgery.  During this visit, the patient receives preoperative instructions and information regarding what to expect the day of surgery.  A medical evaluation by a trained Anesthesiologist along with preoperative testing are utilized to maximize patient safety during surgery, and often lead to greater satisfaction postoperatively.  A clinic appointment also minimizes the likelihood of delay or case cancellation on the day of surgery.

Any patient for whom a visit to the clinic is indicated will be contacted prior to the day of surgery. Patients visiting the Presurgical Assessment Clinic receive specific instructions regarding when to stop eating and drinking prior to surgery and what medications to take the morning of surgery.  If a patient is coming in for surgery and has not received this information, the following rules may be applied:

  • Do not eat or drink anything after midnight prior to having surgery the next day
  • Do take morning medications with a sip of water on the day of surgery
  • Do use eye drops and inhalers on the day of surgery
  • If you are going home the same day as the surgery, you must have a person available to take you home

For questions concerning these instructions, please contact the PSA at (314)525-4302

 

patients do better when
they're informed.

Comfort comes with knowing what to expect.

We take the necessary time to explain everything that a surgery patient will experience.