Starting now:
- Stop Smoking: Smoking reduces circulation to the skin and impedes healing.
- Take Multivitamins: Start taking a multivitamin daily and 500 mg of Vitamin C twice daily two weeks prior to surgery.
- Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen within 10 days of your surgery. : Stop taking medications containing aspirin or ibuprofen. Review the list of drugs containing aspirin and ibuprofen carefully. (Link to list!) Such drugs can cause bleeding problems during and after surgery. Instead, use medications containing acetaminophen (such as Tylenol). Be aware that most pain medications also contain Tylenol (acetaminophen).
- Limit Vitamin E: Limit your intake of Vitamin E to less than 400 mg per day.
- Fill your prescriptions: Please have them filled BEFORE the day of surgery and bring them with you.
The day before surgery:
- Confirm Surgery Time: We will call you to confirm the time of your surgery. If you are not going to be at home or at your office, please call us to confirm at 865.671.3888.
- Prescriptions: Make sure that you have filled the prescriptions you were given and set the medications out to bring with you tomorrow.
- Cleansing: The night before surgery, shower and wash the surgical areas with mild or antibacterial soap.
- Eating and Drinking: Do not eat or drink anything after midnight. This includes water.
The morning of surgery:
- Special Information: Do not eat or drink anything! If you take a daily medication, you may take it with a sip of water in the early morning.
- Oral Hygiene: you may brush your teeth but do not swallow the water.
- Cleansing: Shower and wash the surgical areas again with Dial soap.
- Makeup: Please do not wear moisturizers, creams, lotions or makeup.
- Clothing: Wear only comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that does not go over your head. Remove hairpins, wigs and jewelry. Please do not bring any valuables with you.
- Check-in/Preparation: Report for surgery with your prescribed medications. You should plan on arriving two hours earlier than your scheduled surgery time. Patients under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The operating suite:
Going to the operating room is not a normal experience for most of us. The doctor and all of the professional staff caring for you recognize the natural anxiety with which most patients approach this step in the process of achieving their goals; therefore, we believe a description of the surgery experience will be helpful.
Your surgery will be performed in a state-of-the-art operating suite. Specialists using modern equipment and techniques will attend to you. The team includes a board certified anesthesiologist, a trained operating room technician and a registered nurse in charge of the operating room.
When you arrive, you will be escorted to the surgery suite. You will be asked to change into a gown and robe and will be given foot covers. The doctor and the anesthesiologist will meet with you before you enter the operating suite. This is the time for final surgical planning; it is also when we will do basic preparation or draw on your skin as needed. You will have time for last minute questions.
Once you enter the operating room, the staff will do everything they can to make you feel secure. You will feel comfortable on our deeply padded operating table, and the nurse or anesthesiologist will start an intravenous drip in your arm. At the same time, to ensure your safety, our staff will connect you to monitoring devices. Medicines that will make you drowsy will flow through the tubing into a vein in you arm.
The recovery room:
When your surgery has been completed and your dressings are in place, you will be moved to the recover room. You will be connected to monitoring equipment constantly. During this period, a fully trained room nurse will take care of you and remain with you at all times. The registered nurses in the recovery room are specially certified for advanced cardiac life support.
Your stay in the recovery room will last from 1 to 4 hours, depending on how soon you are ready to leave. Most patients are fully awake within 30 to 60 minutes after surgery but may not remember much about their stay.
Post surgery arrangements:
You must arrange for someone to bring you to and drive you from the surgery center. Because you will be sedated for the surgery, either a family member, friend or nurse must remain with you the first night following your procedure