Your Hospital Stay

Preparing for the practical elements of your hospitalization should be as easy as possible. In this section, we would like to help you prepare for your admission to the hospital and familiarize yourself with services and amenities that are available to make you as comfortable as possible during your stay.


When You Arrive

When you arrive for your surgical procedure you will go to the admission area. Our professional, friendly staff will meet you and you will be treated with compassion and care, at all times respecting your privacy, your fears and your need for information and reassurance. Any questions regarding your surgery or your stay with us are welcomed.

The registration staff will verify your personal information, insurance information and will copy applicable insurance cards. An ID band will be placed on your wrist so all of our staff can identify you. Following admission, your family will be allowed to stay in the waiting area and a pre-operative nurse will escort you to the patient care area. Our nurse will wait for you to change your clothes and store them until you are ready to go home. A nurse will begin your pre-operative assessment that will include taking your vital signs. The nurse may also start an IV if it is required for your procedure. This will be used to administer medication and fluids during your surgery and while you are recovering.

We encourage all caregivers to remain in the waiting area during surgery in case the surgeon, nurse or anesthesiologist needs to contact them. If they do need to leave, be prepared to provide contact information to the admissions desk. When the surgery is complete, the surgeon will meet with your caregivers to discuss how the surgery went.

During Surgery

When you are taken into the operating room, you will be connected to monitoring equipment that will be used to monitor your heart rate and blood pressure. There may be other equipment that is needed, depending on the type of surgery you are having. If you have questions, feel free to ask them anytime.

The amount of time you spend in surgery will depend on the type of procedure you are having. While you are in surgery and recovery, your family or friends will be kept informed of your progress.

After surgery, you will be taken to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit where specially trained nurses will monitor your condition as you begin to recover from the anesthesia. Once you meet specific recovery criteria, you will be moved to a patient room for continued monitoring.

Having Outpatient Surgery

If you are having outpatient surgery (going home the same day), you will remain in the recovery area until you are ready to be discharged. You will be given instructions for postoperative care and any medications prescriptions you will need to take after you are released from the hospital. When you and your healthcare team feel you are ready, you will be discharged to go home.

Staying in the Hospital

When staying in the Hospital, you will be provided pain medication as prescribed by your physician. When specific discharge criteria are met, you will be discharged from the hospital. Please make arrangements to have your discharge transportation here between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. the morning of your discharge from the Hospital.

Medications to Take Home

Most healthcare plans require patient prescriptions to be filled at specific pharmacies. If your physician writes a take-home prescription, you will receive a written prescription to take to the pharmacy of your choice. As always, our friendly staff of pharmacists and caregivers will help you understand any accompanying instructions.

Following Up

After you leave the Hospital, you should continue to follow your doctor's instructions for you recovery. In addition, if you become concerned about discomfort from your surgery, or if you have any questions about your recovery, please contact your doctor's office or call the hospital anytime.

Your health, comfort and satisfaction are our top priorities. You will be provided a patient satisfaction survey to complete. The results of these surveys are used to monitor the quality of care each patient receives. Exceeding your expectations is one of our goals at Lincoln Surgical Hospital.

Thank you for trusting Lincoln Surgical Hospital with your surgical needs.