Services * Contact Us * Pre-Registration *Frequently Asked Questions * Pre-Op Guidelines * Post-Op Guidelines * Parent’s Guide to Ambulatory Surgery
At Sierra Vista Regional Health Center the spirit of our surgical care is reflected in our beautiful state-of-the-art Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) and on the faces of our compassionate staff. You will find our ASC located on Highway 90 East just 2 miles from the Fry Boulevard/Highway 92 intersection. Turn right at the traffic signal at 151 Colonia de Salud and pull into the spacious parking lot.
We are proud of the range of services we provide giving you the advantage of going home the same day surgery is performed. Our caring surgical staff, led by your surgeon, is comprised of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, surgical technicians, anesthesiologists, and the Sterile Processing team all licensed and certified by the state of Arizona, carrying the highest levels of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
On the day of your surgery, you will check in with our helpful Client Services staff that will quickly process your paperwork. One of our nurses will conduct you to the pre-operative area where you will be readied for surgery. You may have one family member or friend stay with you during this process. You are welcome to bring something to read or do until it is time to go into surgery. Please do not bring any valuables with you on the day of your surgery. Your family and friends may wait in our spacious waiting room, equipped with cable television. We do request that cellular telephones are limited to outdoor use. Refreshments are available from vending machines located in the Ambulatory Surgery Center’s main lobby. Your family members and friends will be fully informed of your progress and your support person may visit you in the post-operative area after you are recovered from anesthesia. When you are ready to go home, you will be released at our convenient, covered portico where your support person can drive right in to pick you up.
In addition to providing high standards of care, our goal is to make you feel as comfortable as possible by answering your questions and educating you about your surgical care. To help you, we have listed many helpful links below. We also welcome your calls at (520) 417-3010 if we may further explain or answer any of your questions, or drop us an email at Iwona.Snyder@svrhc.org.
- Endoscopy – used to diagnosis and treat digestive diseases, the liver, the esophagus, the colon, and the lungs.
- General Surgery – includes respiratory, digestive, abdominal, and vascular system.
- Gynecological Surgery
- Orthopaedics – procedures involving injury or disease to bones or joints.
- Otolaryngology – ear, nose, and throat procedures.
- Urology – specializing in kidney, urinary system, and prostate procedures.
- Manometrey – measures pressure within the esophagus/
- Podiatry – Treatment of foot disorders.
When you pre-register for your surgical services, you will be given complete pre-operative information. If you have any questions at all, we welcome you to call (520) 417-3010 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. where one of our helpful registered nurses will be glad to assist you.
Your pre-registration will begin with a telephone call from Client Services to schedule your pre-operative interview. Our Client Services telephone number at the Ambulatory Surgery Center is (520) 417-4900.
When you come for your pre-operative interview, please bring the following items:
- Insurance cards
- Test results
- Medications you currently take, either in their original bottles, or a complete
list of your medications including dosages.
- Picture identification
- Copy of your Living Will or Medical Power of Attorney, if applicable.
- Proof of Legal guardianship, if applicable.
You can prepare for same-day surgery by asking your surgeon questions and by completely following their guidelines. Here are some questions you can ask your surgeon about what you will be able to do after surgery:
- Will I be able
to prepare my own meals?
- Can I take care of my personal needs?
- Will I be able to walk without assistance?
- Will I be able to walk up stairs?
- Can I bathe or shower?
- How will I take care of my incision?
- What kinds of things do I look for that indicate something is wrong?
- How long will I remain off work?
- What medications should I continue to take prior to and after surgery?
- If your surgery is scheduled in the morning, do not eat or drink anything after midnight the day before surgery. This includes water. If the surgery is scheduled after 12 noon, call your surgeon for specific instructions about what you may or may not eat or drink.
- If you routinely take medications in the morning (especially blood pressure medication), consult your surgeon. If you are advised to take medication the day or surgery, you may take it with a sip of water.
- If you are being treated for any other medical condition, please call your medical doctor or primary care physician to obtain specific instructions as to what you should do before surgery.
- Plan to have someone drive you home following surgery. Your surgery may be rescheduled if a responsible adult does not accompany you from the hospital after surgery.
- If a developmentally disabled person is having surgery, a parent or legal guardian must be present to sign the surgery consent form. If you are the legal guardian, bring proof of guardianship papers with you. You must remain at the Ambulatory Surgery Center during their surgery and recovery.
- To find out when you should arrive for surgery, call (520) 417-3263 the day before surgery between the hours of 6:00a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
- Notify your surgeon and our facility if there is a change in your health prior to surgery. A cold, flu, or any sign of infection may require your surgery to be rescheduled.
- Surgeons may require blood work prior to surgery. Be sure to have this done following your surgeon’s instructions.
- Wear comfortable clothing.
- Do not bring any valuables with you on the day of surgery. This includes all jewelry including wedding bands. No metal of any kind is allowed including rings or body piercings.
- In the rare event you require hospital admission after surgery at the Ambulatory Surgery Center, you will be transferred by ambulance to our main campus hospital.
- Please remember, your surgery may be rescheduled if you eat anything after midnight the evening before surgery, your ordered laboratory studies are not complete, or if a responsible adult does not accompany you from the hospital following surgery.
Today, Ambulatory surgery provides the benefit of going home the same day as surgery, however that does not mean you can resume your usual activities right away.
- Make sure you have someone to assist you for the first 24 hours.
- If you live alone be sure your surgeon is aware.
- Every surgery involves some pain. Your surgeon will determine the appropriate pain regimen to help you. If you have concerns about your level of pain or you have stomach irritation, nausea, or an allergic reaction (skin rash, itching, hives) please contact your surgeon or seek emergency medical care.
- You may be nauseated or even vomit following surgery but this should go away within a few hours. If you are still nauseated or vomiting the next day, call your surgeon. If you have concerns about continued nausea or vomiting please contact your surgeon or seek emergency medical care.
- Fever over 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit, increased swelling, redness, or drainage are symptoms your surgeon need to be immediately aware of. Call your surgeon or seek emergency medical care.
- To reduce your risk of pneumonia, breathe deeply and cough several times a day for one to two days after surgery. If this is recommended for you, you will be given specific instructions.
- Keep your follow-up appointment with your surgeon.
- Follow the specific instructions that your surgeon gives you related to your surgery. Be sure you understand them and write them down so you can review them later. Your family member or support person is encouraged to attend all appointments with you.
Parent’s Guide to Ambulatory Surgery
Even ambulatory surgery can seem scary to a child. At SVRHC, we want to help answer all of your questions so you and your child may recover quickly.
- Follow your surgeon’s pre-operative instructions. By doing so, your child will not have to go through “surgery day” all over again.
- Follow the eating/drinking directions given by your child’s surgeon.
- If your child is ill on the day before surgery, call your surgeon and the Ambulatory Surgery Center that day.
- If you are a foster parent or grandparent, bring the legal documents with you that prove you can authorize the surgery. You must remain at the Ambulatory Surgery Center during surgery and recovery.
- Bring your insurance information and your child’s medical records, any medications your child is taking, and tell us about any allergies your child has.
- Dress your child in comfortable clothes.
- Bring your child’s favorite blanket, toy, or stuffed animal. They may take one of these into surgery with them.
- You are welcome to bring a quiet activity for your child to do while waiting for surgery.
- You must remain at the Ambulatory Surgery Center during surgery and recovery.
- Bring another adult with you so when it is time to go home, you can concentrate on taking care of your child.
- We request
that other children be left at home as our waiting area has no provisions
for unsupervised children.
Iwona
Snyder, RN, MSN, Director Perioperative Services
(520) 417-3510
Marilyn Harper, RN, BSN, Manager Pre-Post, Specials, PACU & Pain Clinic (520) 417-4915