Being Admitted

Before You Arrive  
Your physician may give you special instructions if you're undergoing surgery or certain other procedures. It is important that you follow them. Check with your physician for pre-op guidelines. Although these guidelines vary, some general advisories may be as follows:

Eating and Drinking
The evening before surgery you may eat a normal dinner, but you cannot eat or drink anything (including water, gum, hard candy) after midnight. This is essential in preventing vomiting during and after anesthesia. If you violate these guidelines, your surgery may be cancelled.

Medications
Before you are admitted, you may be asked to discontinue taking aspirin or medications with aspirin in them. Many patients should stop taking aspirin two weeks prior to surgery. Anticoagulants (blood thinners), such as Coumadin, also may have to be discontinued. Consult your physician about these and other medications prior to and after surgery.

If you are staying overnight, you may bring your medications or a list of them (name, dose, and how often you take them). Consult with your physician to make certain there won't be any drug interactions.

Smoking
If you are a smoker, it is strongly recommended that you quit smoking as early as possible before surgery.

Transportation
Before your surgery/procedure, be sure you know the date and time you are expected to arrive at Greenwich Hospital. It is also important to determine whether someone should accompany you to the hospital and accompany you home. If you are coming for same-day surgery, you may receive sedation or pain medication that will not only impact your ability to drive yourself home, but will prohibit your traveling alone in a taxi or by public transportation.

Misc. Pre-op Guidelines
Nail polish is permitted in light shades only -- dark colors will be removed.
Pre-operative pediatric tours for children scheduled for surgery