Visiting the Hospital before Hysterectomy

Part of preparing for your hysterectomy involves a trip to the hospital prior to surgery. Your visit will include stops in several departments so you can complete paperwork and pre-op testing. You can also use your visit as an opportunity to have some questions answered about hospital policies and procedures.

One of your stops will be in the Business office. There, you will be asked for your personal information including your address, birth date, employer, guarantor, insurance provider, and emergency contact. You may be asked to verify the surgical procedure for which you are scheduled and to sign consent for services forms. Arrangements regarding any applicable co-pays due before surgery may be made at that time. You may also be given information about an Advanced Directive which may be required for your surgery.

Once you finish in the Business office, you will visit the Lab. In the lab, blood work may be drawn to identify your blood type, check your general health, look for any infections, and identify possible blood clotting disorders. You may also be asked to give a urine sample which can be used to identify some infections, organ disorders, and possible pregnancy issues. If a chest x-ray is needed to verify your lungs are clear for surgery, you will also be sent to Radiology.

You may also meet with a nurse who will go over your general health history. If you have any questions about your procedure or how it will affect other health conditions, ask the nurse at that time.

While you are at the hospital, you should take the time to find out about policies and procedures that will affect you. You can ask about visiting hours and whether or not you can have someone stay overnight. If you require a special diet, such as vegetarian or gluten free, or you have a food allergy, discuss it at this visit. You will also want to be sure that any drug or latex allergy has been noted in your file. Be sure to ask if you need to bring any daily medications or if they will be provided for you. If you have concerns about what necessities will be provided and which ones you need to bring, ask before you leave.

Once you have completed all the paperwork and testing at the hospital, you are one step closer to surgery!

This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support. Reprinted with permission: Visiting the Hospital before Hysterectomy

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