At the Turk’s Head Surgery Center, we specialize in minimally invasive surgical procedures that do not require overnight stays for recovery. Our focus is on providing the highest levels of care and safety, as well as a great experience for all of our patients.

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Preparation for Surgery:

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Your physician will schedule your procedure with the Surgical Center. A member of our staff may call you prior to your day of surgery to review your health history and pre-admission testing if necessary.  On the last business day prior to your scheduled procedure date a member of our staff will call you after 1:30PM to give you your arrival and procedure time and any other pre-procedure instructions that are required. If you are having your procedure on Monday you will receive a call on Friday afternoon.  It is important that we have a contact number of where to reach you on this day and if you have not provided this information to your physician please contact us with the best number to reach you on this day.

 

Remember you must have nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your surgery unless you have received special instructions from our staff. Our staff will also instruct you regarding your daily medications.

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You must make arrangements for a responsible adult to drive you home from the Center after the procedure. If you don’t make such arrangements, your procedure will be rescheduled. It is also helpful to have this person at the Center to review your discharge instructions, but they do not need to stay with you the entire time you are with us.

 

Please dress for comfort. You will need to change into a patient gown at the center for most procedures. Do not wear any jewelry or bring valuables. We do need you to bring your insurance card and some form of picture identification. Parents, your picture identification is all we require for your children.

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We are here to meet your needs; please feel free to call us if you should have any questions.

 

Anesthesia

 

What is anesthesia?  Anesthesia is the loss of sensation and/or consciousness by the use of medications and close monitoring. It provides comfort and maintains vital life functions during surgery and other medical procedures. Anesthesia is used to relax (sedate) you, block pain sensations (analgesia and anesthesia), induce sleepiness and forgetfulness (amnesia) or make you unconscious for your surgery. The anesthetic option chosen for your individual procedure will be based on your physical condition in collaboration with your surgeon. According to a 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine, anesthesia care today is nearly 50 times safer than it was 20 years ago.

Preparing for anesthesia:Your surgeon or a nurse will give you a list of instructions before surgery.

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A nurse from the Surgery Center may contact you to perform a brief interview and answer any questions you may have. Based on your surgeon’s recommendations, do not eat or drink for a certain length of time before the surgery. The amount of time depends on your medical condition and the type of anesthesia that will be used. If you take any medications regularly, ask your surgeon or Anesthesia Specialist whether you should take your medication on the day before or on the day of your surgery.

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You will need to give written consent for surgery, and anesthesia, as well as to receive other necessary medications. Your surgeon will explain why your surgery is needed, what it will involve, its risks and expected outcome, and how long it will take you to recover. Your Anesthesia Specialist will have the same discussion with you about your anesthesia care.

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Who administers anesthesia? Our staff of anesthesia physicians are all Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology. The physicians who provide Anesthesia services to our pediatric patients have received specific training in the administration of Pediatric anesthesia. A Turk’s Head Surgery Center anesthesia specialist will stay with you for the entire procedure, constantly monitoring every important function of your body and individually modifying your anesthetic to ensure maximum safety and comfort.

 

Recovering from anesthesia:

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Immediately after surgery, you will be taken to a post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), often called the recovery room, where nurses will observe and assist in your immediate recovery. A nurse will check your vital signs, bandages and ask about your discomfort level. Some effects of anesthesia may persist for many hours after the procedure. You may have some numbness or reduced sensation in the part of your body that was anesthetized with local or regional anesthesia.  Other common side effects of anesthesia are closely monitored and managed to decrease your discomfort. These side effects include:

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• Nausea and vomiting. In most cases, nausea after anesthesia can be treated and does not last long.

• A mild drop in body temperature (hypothermia). You may feel cold and shiver when you are waking up.

 

Recovering at home from Anesthesia:

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• A responsible adult must drive you home and remain with you until the effects of anesthesia have subsided, usually within 24 hours.

• You will remain sleepy so plan to rest. In most cases you can resume activity in a few days.

• Plan a light meal for after your surgery such as soup and crackers. You will start with liquids at the surgical center.

• You may receive a prescription for medication to relieve incisional discomfort. Take any medication with a light snack.

• Follow the instructions provided by your Surgeon. These will be reviewed with you and your caregiver by your nurse at the surgical center.

• A member of our nursing staff will call you after your surgery to review your progress but you may contact your surgeon’s office for any major concerns you may have prior to this call.

 

Pediatric Surgery

 

Turk’s Head Surgery Center staff is dedicated to your child’s health and security. Our staff will help reassure and comfort your child and will provide information and support for families coping with your child's surgical situation. Here are some helpful suggestions to assist in a positive experience for your family:

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• If possible, it is helpful for both parents to be present on the day of surgery. We request that siblings remain at home, so the full focus of the parents’ attention is on your recovering child.

• Bring a comfort item, such as a stuffed animal or toy.

• Arrange a visit to the Center prior to surgery for you and your child.

 

Parents should explain why surgery is needed, what the doctors and nurses will do and ensure the child understands he/she has done nothing wrong or bad. We try to reduce discomfort as much as possible, but you should be honest when discussing fears about pain. Please contact your surgeon or our staff with specific questions so you can provide accurate information to your child.