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Preparing for Your Surgery

Before Your Surgery Visit

We thank you for choosing HRMC for your surgical procedure! This page provides a general overview of preparing for your visit and what to expect the day of your procedure.

Preregister

If your surgical procedure is scheduled more than 48 hours in advance, an HRMC preadmission clerk will call you at the daytime number you provided to gather important preregistration information. Or, you may register online or by completing and mailing the form from your healthcare provider. If you have questions, please call us at 605-353-6233 anytime.

Will My Insurance Cover My Visit?

Because insurance coverage varies, it is a good idea to check with your insurance carrier, clinic staff or our business office to be sure your benefit plan covers the services ordered by your provider and whether preauthorization is required. Feel free to call us at 605-353-6233.

Preparing

A surgical nurse will call to 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 presurgery tests (e.g., X-rays, laboratory, EKG) to be completed prior to your surgery. When possible, please complete your presurgery 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 presurgery 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 353-6310 Mon.-Fri. from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Medications

Take your medication for your heart and/or high blood pressure with a sip of water. Do not take any other medications unless instructed.

Eating

Do not eat or drink (not even water) after midnight the night before surgery unless otherwise instructed for taking medications.

Tobacco

Do not use any tobacco products the evening prior to or the day of surgery. HRMC is a tobacco-free campus.

Change in your health

If you become ill with a cold or flu prior to surgery, notify the physician/surgeon who is performing the procedure and HRMC’s surgery department at 353-6310 (Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.) or 605-353-6200 (after hours).

Day of Surgery Guidelines

Shower or bathe before coming to the hospital.
Wear clothing that will be easy to put on and comfortable to wear home.
Empty your bladder as close to the time of surgery as possible.
Dentures, glasses, contact lenses, hair pieces/wigs, hair pins, jewelry and makeup must be removed prior to surgery. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, please bring a case for storage.
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.
Leave all money, jewelry and other valuables at home.
If your procedure requires sedation, 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. Therefore, 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, you should have someone available to stay with you once you arrive home.

Day of Surgery

Where Should I Go?

Parking is located on the north side of the hospital near the main entrance. See 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.-5:00 p.m. to check you in and direct you to your service location.

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.

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 premedications, you must stay in your bed/recliner for your own safety. Ask for assistance if you need to get up.

Other Information

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.