What is Outpatient Surgery

An outpatient surgery is a procedure that does not require an overnight stay at a hospital or clinic. A person having an outpatient surgery can go home hours after the surgery is complete.

Tell a health care provider about:

• Any allergies you have.
• All medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, eye drops, creams, and over-the-counter medicines.
• Any problems you or family members have had with anesthetic medicines.
• Any blood disorders you have.
• Any surgeries you have had.
• Any medical conditions you have.
• Any use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, or street drugs.
• Whether you are pregnant or may be pregnant.

What are the risks?

The risk and complications of surgery depend on the specific procedure. Common risks and complications include:

• Infection.
• Bleeding.
• Allergic reactions to medicines.
• Temporary increase in pain.
• Failure to fix the problem that the surgery was meant to fix.

What happens before the procedure?

Staying hydrated

Follow instructions from your health care provider about hydration, which may include:

• Up to 2 hours before the procedure – you may continue to drink clear liquids, such as water, clear fruit juice, black coffee, and plain tea.

Eating and drinking restrictions

Follow instructions from your health care provider about eating and drinking, which may include:

• 8 hours before the procedure – stop eating heavy meals or foods, such as meat, fried foods, or fatty foods.
• 6 hours before the procedure – stop eating light meals or foods, such as toast or cereal.
• 6 hours before the procedure – stop drinking milk or drinks that contain milk.
• 2 hours before the procedure – stop drinking clear liquids.

Medicines

Ask your health care provider about:

• Changing or stopping your regular medicines. This is especially important if you are taking diabetes medicines or blood thinners.
• Taking medicines such as aspirin and ibuprofen. These medicines can thin your blood. Do not take these medicines before the procedure if your health care provider instructs you not to.

General instructions

• Do not use any tobacco products, such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes, for as long as possible before the procedure. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider. Quitting lowers your risk for complications during and after surgery.
• Plan to have someone take you home from the hospital or clinic.
• If instructed by your health care provider, bring your sleep apnea device with you on the day of your surgery.
• Plan to have a responsible adult care for you for at least 24 hours after you leave the hospital or clinic. This is important.
• Ask your health care provider how your surgical site will be marked or identified.
• Call your health care provider if you develop an illness or a problem that may prevent you from safely having your procedure.

What happens during the procedure?

• You will be settled on an operating table.
• To reduce your risk of infection:
  • Your health care team will wash or sanitize their hands.
  • Your skin will be washed with soap.
  • Hair may be removed from the surgical area.
• You will be connected to heart, blood pressure, and oxygen monitors.
• You may be given one or more of the following:
  • A medicine to help you relax (sedative).
  • A medicine to numb the area (local anesthetic).
  • A medicine to make you fall asleep (general anesthetic).
  • A medicine that is injected into your spine to numb the area below and slightly above the injection site (spinal anesthetic).
  • A medicine that is injected into an area of your body to numb everything below the injection site (regional anesthetic).

The specifics of the procedure will depend on the type of procedure that you are having. The procedure may also vary among health care providers and hospitals.

After the procedure

• Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood oxygen level will be monitored until the medicines you were given have worn off.
• Do not drive for 24 hours if you received a sedative.
• If there are no complications, you will be allowed to go home with a responsible adult when you are awake, stable, and taking fluids well.
• The surgical site will feel tender.
• You may feel nauseous and have some swelling, bruising, and numbness around the surgical site.

Summary

• An outpatient surgery is a procedure that does not require an overnight stay at a hospital or clinic. A person having an outpatient surgery can go home hours after the surgery is complete.
• Follow instructions from your health care provider about eating and drinking before your surgery.
• Plan to have a responsible adult care for you for at least 24 hours after you leave the hospital or clinic. This is important.

Outpatient Surgery, Adult, Care After

These instructions provide you with information about caring for yourself after your procedure. Your health care provider may also give you more specific instructions. Your treatment has been planned according to current medical practices, but problems sometimes occur. Call your health care provider if you have any problems or questions after your procedure.

What can I expect after the procedure?

After the procedure, it is common to have:

• Tenderness and numbness at the surgical site.
• Swelling and bruising around the surgical site.
• Nausea.

Follow these instructions at home:

For at least 24 hours after the procedure:

• Have a responsible adult stay with you. It is important to have someone help care for you until you are awake and alert.
• Rest as needed.
• Do not:
  • Participate in activities in which you could fall or become injured.
  • Drive.
  • Use heavy machinery.
  • Drink alcohol.
  • Take sleeping pills or medicines that cause drowsiness.
  • Make important decisions or sign legal documents.
  • Take care of children on your own.

Activity

• Return to your normal activities as told by your health care provider. Ask your health care provider what activities are safe for you.
• Do not lift anything that is heavier than 10 lb (4.5 kg), or the limit that your health care provider tells you, until your health care provider says it is okay.
• Do not play contact sports until your health care provider says it is okay.

Incision care

• Follow instructions from your health care provider about how to take care of an incision, if you have one. Make sure you:
  • Wash your hands with soap and water before you change your bandage (dressing). If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Change your dressing as told by your health care provider.
  • Leave stitches (sutures), skin glue, or adhesive strips in place. These skin closures may need to stay in place for 2 weeks or longer. If adhesive strip edges start to loosen and curl up, you may trim the loose edges. Do not remove adhesive strips completely unless your health care provider tells you to do that.
• Check your incision area every day for signs of infection. Check for:
  • More redness, swelling, or pain.
  • More fluid or blood.
  • Warmth.
  • Pus or a bad smell.

Medicines

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Do not drive or use heavy machinery while taking prescription pain medicines.

Eating and drinking

• Follow the diet recommended by your health care provider.
• When you are hungry, begin eating light and bland foods such as toast. Gradually return to your regular diet.
• If you vomit:
  • Drink water, juice, or soup when you can drink without vomiting.
  • Make sure you have little or no nausea before eating solid foods.

General instructions

• If you have sleep apnea, surgery and certain medicines can increase your risk for breathing problems. Follow instructions from your HCP about wearing your sleep device:
  • Anytime you are sleeping, including during daytime naps.
  • While taking prescription pain medicines, sleeping medicines, or medicines that make you drowsy.
• Do not use any tobacco products, such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes, for as long as possible.
• If you smoke, do not smoke without supervision.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You have more redness, swelling, or pain around your incision.
• You have more fluid or blood coming from your incision.
• Your incision feels warm to the touch.
• You have pus or a bad smell coming from your incision.
• You have a fever.
• You feel light-headed or you faint.
• You develop a rash.
• You keep feeling nauseous or keep vomiting.
• You have very bad pain, even after taking the medicines your health care provider has prescribed or recommended.
• You have constipation.

Get help right away if:

• You are unable to pass urine.
• You have trouble breathing.

Summary

• Have a responsible adult stay with you for at least 24 hours after the procedure.
• Nausea is common after a procedure. Make sure you have little or no nausea before eating solid foods. Follow the diet recommended by your health care provider.
• Ask your health care provider what activities are safe for you.