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If you are scheduled to be a patient at the Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head (OSCHH), it will be important for you to know the following:
Prior to the Date of Surgery
- A representative of OSCHH will call you to inform you of your scheduled time for surgery, but if, for some unusual reason, you have not been contacted 48 hours prior to your surgery, call us at 682-5050 to confirm the time you should report to the center for your procedure.
- A representative of the OSCHH billing office will also contact you to give you an estimate of your charges, the expected reimbursement from your insurance company, the amount of your required co-insurance payment and any other uncovered charges you will need to pay at OSCHH prior to your surgery.
- You will need to bring the means for payment with you when you come for your procedure, BUT you should leave all other valuables (like money or jewelry) at home. OSCHH accepts cash, credit cards, and personal checks for pre-payment of charges.
- In addition to any pre-operative instructions you receive from your physician, you should not take anything by mouth for 12 hours prior to your scheduled procedure.
- Since you will likely receive some level of sedation or anesthesia in connection with your procedure, you will need to arrange for someone to bring you to and take you home from the Center. In addition, you will need to have a legally responsible adult (who can sign your post-operative instructions and accompany you home or to your destination) with you when you are released from treatment. You will be asked to sign a patient transportation statement when you arrive at OSCHH stating that you do have a person to sign your release forms and provide your transportation home at the conclusion of your treatment.
When You Arrive at OSCHH
- You can be dropped off at our front entrance and enter immediately through the front door, while your escort parks your vehicle in one of the nearby spots.
- You will be greeted at the reception desk and asked to complete and sign some brief documents and to pay any amounts due per your earlier conversation with the billing office. Since most procedures are scheduled well ahead of time, the bulk of your patient information is already in your chart and the admission process takes only a few minutes.
- After a typically short wait in our comfortable reception area, you will be escorted by a nurse into the preparation area, given your private bed space, and made ready for your procedure. If you are dressed in surgical attire, your clothing will be placed in your own tote bag, which will accompany you throughout your treatment.
- If you have inadvertently brought any valuables with you, the nurse will ask you to give them to the person who escorts you to the Center for safekeeping while you are in for your procedure.
- Your surgeon and an anesthesiologist will visit you in your bed area prior to your procedure to explain your treatment, mark the location for surgery, and you will be given any pre-operative medication ordered.
- At the appointed time you will be taken into the operating room or procedure room for your procedure.
During Your Procedure
- Typically, during a surgical procedure, your waiting family member(s) or escort(s) will be given complimentary beverages and made comfortable in the reception area. They will also be kept up to date on your progress by our nurses or receptionists.
- Most procedures will require that you will be at OSCHH for 1 to 3 hours from the time you arrive until the time you are discharged. Occasionally, more extensive surgical procedures will require extended recovery time and a stay of more than 3 hours. Your physician should be able to give you a good estimate of the total time required for your stay.
When Your Procedure Is Finished
- You will be taken from the operating or procedure room into your private, monitored bed in our recovery area. A nurse will continuously monitor your recovery from anesthesia or sedation.
- When you begin to come around, a family member or your escort will be asked to come into your bed area to keep you company while you complete your recovery.
- At the appropriate time, your nurse will offer you a beverage and snack to help in your recovery.
- When you are ready to be discharged, your escort/family member will be asked to come in, if they are not already there, and your physician will visit you in your bed area to report on the procedure and give you post-operative instructions.
- Your escort will then need to sign your discharge paperwork and go to drive your vehicle around to the side entrance to meet you at the patient pick-up door.
- A nurse or attendant will accompany you to the exit and see that you are safely in your vehicle for your trip home. If you have received sedation or anesthesia you will not be released without an escort and you will be strongly advised not to drive for 12 hours following your procedure. Since you will be legally impaired for 12-24 hours following sedation, this is for your protection with regard to liability and for your safety.
After You Have Returned Home
- A nurse from OSCHH (and probably one from your physician's office) will call you within 24-48 hours to check on your healing/recuperation.
- If you have any difficulty or experience any symptoms of extreme discomfort, you should contact your physician's office immediately. You can call OSCHH during the hours of 7:30 AM until 5:30 PM, but at other times your physician's office and emergency number will be the best recourse.
- You will be given a patient satisfaction survey when you are discharged and will be asked to complete it and return it in the stamped, self-addressed envelope provided. We will appreciate your candid feedback so we can continually understand how to improve our service.
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