Your visit with the surgeon will be a time for you and the doctor to discuss your health issues, evaluate your needs, and for Eastern Surgical to provide you with opinions, options and recommendations.
If the need for surgery is determined, details of the operation will be discussed – including surgical risks, benefits and alternatives, as well as the risks of not having surgery. Any and all your questions about the operation will be answered before the end of this visit. We will work with you to determine a date for the operation and it will be scheduled with a hospital or an outpatient surgery center.
It is very important to us that you are given all the information you desire and need prior to planning any surgical procedure.
What to bring to your appointment:
Your insurance card
A list of current prescriptions or over-the-counter medications you are taking, including dosage and frequency
Pertinent information about your medical and surgical history
x-rays or records you may have.
Forms our office may have sent to you
Insurance:
Eastern Surgical Associates is a provider for most major insurance plans. However, it is always in your best interest to consult your insurance provider’s list of participating physicians to be sure your plan allows you to be seen at our office. Also, please review with your insurance customer service representative (or insurance provider) the rules and limitations on coverage and reimbursement for your plan.
What to expect on the day of surgery.
As we will remind you leading up to the day of your surgery, it is very important that you do not eat or drink anything after midnight on the evening prior to your operation. On the afternoon prior to your operation, you will be contacted by the hospital or outpatient surgery center regarding a time to arrive on the day of your surgery. After your arrival, anesthesia personnel evaluate you and discuss details and choices of anesthetic techniques. Usually an IV (intravenous catheter) will be placed in an arm vein to deliver fluids and medications before, during, and after the operation. Different anesthesia techniques are used for different operations and include general, regional, and local anesthetics – sometimes even combinations of these.
After your surgery, you may be provided with plans to take home after recovery. Or for some more intensive operations you may be admitted to the hospital for one or more nights.