Surgical Services

• Your surgeon’s office will schedule your procedure with the American Fork Hospital scheduling staff.
• You will receive a call from a pre-screening nurse 2-3 days before your surgery date. The pre-screen nurse will review your health history and any medications you are taking. They will give you specific information and instructions about your individual type of surgery.
• You will receive a time and instructions to check in to Surgical Services on the day of your surgery.
• Typically, you will need to have some labs drawn the day before your surgery. Instructions will be provided on how to take care of the lab draws.

Arriving at the Hospital

• On the day of your surgery, please arrive on time according to the time provided by the pre-screen nurses.
• American Fork Surgical Services is on the second floor of the Emergency/Surgical Services building on the south side of the American Fork Hospital.

Registration

• You will be registered when you arrive at our front desk.
• A nurse will take you from the waiting area back to a pre-op room. This nurse will get your weight, height, and vital signs as a baseline for the procedure. The nurse will also start an IV, review your health history, and answer any questions you might have.
• You will wait in the pre-op room for an anesthesiologist and your surgeon before going into the surgery suite. We work to keep this wait to a minimum, but depending on the number of surgeries the wait may be longer.
• You can expect a high level of care and attention from the surgeon when it is time for your surgery. We recommend you not plan anything else on your surgery day so you have time to recover.

Surgery Recovery

After your surgery you will recover in a same day surgery bed or your bed on a nursing unit, depending on the nature of your surgery. Post-op nurses will monitor your pain, how well you are breathing, and if you will be able to get up and walk after surgery. These three criteria are the basis on which we can discharge you from the hospital. We work with you to keep your pain at a tolerable level, your breathing easy and unlabored, and make sure you will be able to walk without difficulty.

Discharge

You will receive a packet with specific instructions from your surgeon and some instructions from the hospital when you are discharged to go home. The nurse will go over these instructions with you before you leave and answer any of your questions.

Why can't I have anything to eat or drink past midnight before my surgery?

We need to have your stomach as empty and free from acid before surgery. The acid in your stomach can be especially dangerous while you are under anesthesia.

What medications do I take?

DO take your heart, blood pressure, asthma, or seizure medications with a sip of water on the morning of your procedure. DO NOT take any other medications unless directed by your physician.

What if I have special needs: disability, language, etc.?

We will work with you to take care of any need you may have. Interpretation services are free and available 24 hours a day.

Should someone come with me?

• We allow two visitors to be with each patient. We ask that no children under the age of 12 come with you.
• Visitors will wait in the waiting room during your procedure.
• You will need a responsible person to drive you home following your procedure.
• We recommend you have someone with you for 24 hours after you return home from surgery.

What should I bring with me?

• Please bring the following:
  • photo identification
  • Insurance card or insurance information
  • Any cash or credit card payment for co-pays
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing

The pre-op hop is a fun, interactive class and tour for children ages 2 to 12 who are having surgery at American Fork Hospital. Children and parents will enjoy the following activities:

• Guided tours of surgical areas so children know where they will be on the day of surgery.
• General education about surgery with opportunities to ask questions and address concerns about surgery.
• Activities to help children become familiar with sights and sounds they may experience during their stay at the hospital.

Register your child by calling (801) 357-4872. Tours occur Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. Meet in the hospital main lobby.