Day of Foot/Ankle Surgery General Surgical Information: Your individual surgical plan will be reviewed with you by your surgeon. You may- have stitches in your foot that will require removal in the office. experience pain or soreness after the procedure. have a dressing, splint, or cast on your leg. have screws, plates, or pins in your foot depending on the operation. Day of Surgery Guidelines: Do not wear any jewelry, body piercings, makeup, nail polish, hairpins or contacts. Leave valuables at home. Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing. Nothing to eat, drink or smoke after midnight, unless otherwise directed. You may take sips of water to take your medications as reviewed by the preadmission nurse. Please arrive at least 90 minutes prior to your scheduled surgical time. The time that you are given is only an estimated start time. Occasionally, your surgery may be delayed. Please be understanding of these time delays. Your Foot & Ankle surgeon always strives to do what is best for all of his/her patients. The Department of Foot & Ankle Surgery will mark the correct leg for the operation in the pre-operative area. Do not mark the leg yourself as it may create confusion for surgery staff. If you have an “Advanced Directive” Please bring it with you. Our staff will need to make a copy of it for your medical records. Please do not bring children and large numbers of visitors to the waiting area. Please bring the following with you: Insurance/prescription cards Co-pays Medication list Health care proxy or advanced directives CPAP or Bi-Pap machines (if you have sleep apnea) Loose-fitting clothes Hair ties Any crutches or braces your surgeon has instructed you to bring Storage cases for your glasses/hearing aids/dentures/contacts If you are going home on the day of surgery you must have a driver. Even if you are planning to take a taxi or bus you MUST bring someone along to make sure you get home safely. Your surgery will be canceled if you do not have a driver. Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Arrival: It is normal to feel a little stressed on the day of surgery. That is why we do our best to help the process run smoothly and put you at ease. Here is a quick summary of what to expect on the day of your surgery: Arrive at least 90 minutes before your surgery time. The extra time prior to surgery will be used to prepare you for surgery. Register in the main lobby at the registration desk. A health care provider will escort you to the surgery area. Your health care history will be reviewed. You will be asked to remove all your clothing and change into a hospital gown and socks. You will have your weight and vital signs checked. You will meet your surgical care team. You will be asked to sign consent for the surgery as well as for anesthesia. You will be asked to remove all jewelry, glasses, contacts, hearing aids, and dentures. Once you are prepared and the teams are ready, you will be escorted to the operating room. Your support person will receive updates from your surgical team during the duration of your visit. Recovery Room: Immediately after surgery, you will have a recovery room phase. You will have your vital signs taken frequently. You will be asked to rate any pain you may have on a 0 - 10 scale. (0 being no discomfort and 10 being an intense discomfort) A typical length of time in the recovery room is 2 hours. If you have sleep apnea or suspected sleep apnea you will be required to stay for 3 hours.