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Preparing for Your Surgery

Before Your Surgery Visit

Trust Huron Regional Medical Center When You Need Surgery

At Huron Regional Medical Center, we are proud to provide patients with exceptional healthcare, compassionate service, privacy, and convenience. Thank you for choosing us for your surgical procedure.

Learn more about what to expect before, during and after your surgery at HRMC. We'll make your surgery as safe, comfortable and convenient as possible.

Preregister

We encourage prospective patients at HRMC to complete a preregistration form prior to their hospital visit. We have a couple of options for preregistration:

Register online
Mail the preregistration form your healthcare provider gave you

An HRMC preadmission clerk will call you to confirm pre-surgery details. If you have questions, please call us anytime at 605-353-6233.

Will My Insurance Cover My Surgery?

Because insurance coverage varies, it is a good idea to check with your insurance carrier, clinic staff or our business office to ensure your benefit plan covers the services ordered by your provider and whether preauthorization is required. Feel free to call us at 605-353-6593.

Do I Need a Pre-operative Visit?

A surgical nurse will call you prior to your surgery. At this time, the nurse will evaluate and determine if a preoperative visit to the hospital is necessary. Please have a list of all medications and dosages available at the time of the call.

If necessary, your physician will order pre-surgery tests (e.g., X-rays, laboratory, EKG) to be completed prior to your surgery. When possible, please complete your pre-surgery testing two to three days prior to your surgery to ensure test results are ready for the surgical team.

The nurse will notify you of pre-surgery instructions you should follow and will answer your questions. The nurse will also let you know what time you should arrive at HRMC for admission and at what time your surgery is scheduled.

If you have not been contacted two business days prior to your surgery, please call the HRMC surgery department at 605-353-6310, Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Medications

Ask your surgeon’s office about when to stop blood thinners, Aspirin, anti-inflammatory medications, and herbal and dietary supplements. Examples include Ibuprofen, Aleve, Advil, Motrin, Naprosyn, Garlic supplements and/or Fish Oil supplements.

Take your heart, blood pressure, acid reflux, thyroid, and anti-seizure medications on the day of surgery, unless instructed otherwise by your surgeon’s office.

Medications should be taken with a sip of water.

Eating

Do not eat or drink (not even water) after midnight the night before surgery unless otherwise instructed for taking medications.
Do not chew gum or take breath mints or hard candy after midnight the night before your surgery.

Tobacco

It is best to stop smoking a few days before your surgery. All tobacco and e-cigarettes, including chewing tobacco, must be stopped at midnight the day before your surgery. HRMC is a tobacco-free campus.

Change in your health

If you develop a fever, cold, flu, or have any other changes to your health, notify the physician/surgeon who is performing the procedure and HRMC’s surgery department at 605-353-6310, Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or 605-353-6200 (after hours).

Day of Surgery

Where Should I Go?

Parking for Huron Regional Medical Center is located on the north side of the hospital near the main entrance. See our campus map for additional parking areas. Enter HRMC through the main hospital entrance located on 4th Street. Our admissions staff is available 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to check you in and direct you where you need to go.

On arrival, you will be given an identification bracelet to wear during your stay. You will then be directed to the surgery area where you will change into a hospital gown and slippers. Any additional surgical preparations will be done at this time. If you are given any pre-medications, you must stay in your bed/recliner for your own safety.

What Should I Bring?

It is important that you bring everything necessary for your appointment. Every patient must bring:

Photo ID, such as a driver’s license
Social Security number
Insurance, Medicare or Medicaid card
Cash, check or major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) to pay for co-pays and applicable deductibles
An Advance Directive serves as an important guideline for the medical staff to follow in the event of an emergency or critical illness. If you have completed advance directives or have a living will, bring a copy with you. To learn more, view our Advance Directive page.

Personal Preparation

Shower or bathe morning of or evening before surgery, avoid powders, lotions or creams on or near the surgical area.
Wear comfortable loose-fitting clothes and shoes.
If you are staying overnight, bring personal care items such as a toothbrush, comb, shaving razor and robe. Feel free to bring reading material or something else to occupy the time before surgery.
Bring these medical devices: inhalers, CPAP, crutches, braces, prostheses, and any implant registration cards.
Dentures, glasses, contact lenses, hair pieces/wigs, hairpins, jewelry, and makeup must be removed prior to surgery. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, please bring a case for storage.
Empty your bladder as close to the time of surgery as possible.

Additional Information

Leave all money, jewelry and other valuables at home.
A family member or friend can be with you in the pre-surgical area before surgery and in the recovery area after surgery. They can be included in your discussions with the medical staff regarding your care following surgery, if you wish.
You will have an opportunity to speak with your anesthesiologist before you have surgery to answer any questions you may have about anesthesia. If your procedure requires sedation, a family member or friend must be present to hear discharge instructions. it is a requirement to have someone present to hear discharge instructions.
For your safety, you are not permitted to drive or walk yourself home after your surgery and/or hospital stay. Please make arrangements for an adult family member or friend to drive you home. If you need transportation, staff can schedule a ride with a local transportation service.
If you are having same-day surgery, arrange for someone to be with you for the rest of the day. The length of time you will need such assistance will vary.

Other Assistance

We provide persons with disabilities, including persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or persons with low vision who have other sensory or developmental disabilities an equal opportunity to access care and treatment. Please ask if you need assistance.
We also provide interpreter services at no cost to all patients and their relatives. We make every attempt to provide an in-person interpreter in Spanish and Karen languages. We also have interpretation of many languages available by telephone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.