Preparing for Surgery
At Woman's Hospital, your surgery is in the hands of professionals who know your health well. We are, after all, the only hospital in the area focused on
caring for women. So, our team has in-depth experience performing the specific surgeries you might need. And with that experience comes a healthy dose of friendly, compassionate care. The kind only Woman's can provide.
Hospital stays after surgery have become shorter. Now, more than ever, it is important for you to prepare for surgery and to take an active part in your recovery. Once your surgery has been scheduled with Woman's Hospital, your physician's office will also schedule you an appointment with Preadmissions Center.
A few very important things that YOU can do to avoid delay or cancellation of your surgery:
- Arrive on time.
- Arrange for transportation to and from the hospital.
- Follow instructions regarding when to stop eating and drinking before your scheduled surgery time.
- Remove ALL body piercings and jewelry.
The preparation and recovery from your surgery will depend on the type of procedure you are having done. Over half of the surgeries done at Woman’s Hospital are done on an outpatient basis and are referred to as “day surgery.” Patients able to be discharged to go home are cared for by our perioperative team in the Same Day Surgery Unit. Whether or not your surgery is considered day surgery is determined by several factors: complexity of the surgery, length of the surgery, whether you have other chronic health conditions which may complicate your recovery.
Major or Minor Abdominal Surgery
Surgical procedures that involve the abdomen include gyneological procedures such as hysterectomy, removal of tubes and ovaries, procedures involving the bowel, stomach and gall bladder, hernia repair, and appendectomy. Conditions which can be treated include cervical and uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and uterne prolapse. The surgery may be done through an incision or by using a minimally invasive procedure through small incisions (laproscopy or da Vinci robotic surgery). Even if the procedure is done through the vagina, if it involves the abdomen, such as a vaginal hysterectomy, it is considered abdominal surgery.
Before Surgery | The Day of Surgery | Self-Help Tips After Surgery | After Going Home
Urological Surgery
Urological procedures involve the bladder and/or kidneys and the tubes (ureters) connecting the kidneys to the bladder. Most common surgery procedures are done to relieve incontinence (leaking urine when coughing, laughing) or "fallen" bladder. Conditions which can be treated include incontinence, kidney stones, ureteral blockages, fallen bladder (cystocele), and other bladder disorders. The urological procedure may be done in combination with other surgery.
Before Surgery | The Day of Surgery | Self-Help Tips After Surgery | After Going Home
Breast Surgery
Surgeons perform surgery for breast cancer, ranging from lumpectomies to mastectomies, from sentinel lymph node biopsies to total reconstructive procedures. Breast surgery procedures may be conservative such as a lumpectomy and sentinal lymph node biopsy or more extensive, including a modified or simple mastectomy and removal of the lymph nodes. Other breast surgeries include reconstruction following mastectomies, breast enhancing surgery (augmentation) and surgery to reduce the size of larger breasts (breast reduction).
