Pre-Op Visit

Pre-operative Visit & Phone Calls

You may be scheduled for a pre-op phone call or visit to assist the hospital in gathering information before the day of surgery. 

Special Note for Raleigh Campus Only

Raleigh Medical Park: If you are scheduled for a pre-op, pre-anesthesia visit, the visit will be at WakeMed Raleigh Medical Park, 23 Sunnybrook Road, Suite 110. Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time to register. If you are late, there may be a chance that you will be rescheduled or need to wait for an open appointment time if one is available.

Heart Center: You may be instructed to arrive at The Heart Center Pre- & Post-procedure Care Area. This is where patients go to prepare for and recover from an invasive cardiology procedure like a heart catheterization. The length of procedures and need to stay overnight in the hospital vary, so please follow the instructions provided by your physician’s office for the time you should arrive at the hospital for your procedure, your diet and instructions related to your medications. The phone number is 919-350-8880.

When you arrive at the Heart Center you will be able to register in the Heart Center registration area which opens at 5:45 am. You and your family will be accompanied to the Heart Center Pre- & Post-procedure Care Area. A waiting room is available for your family’s convenience. A nurse will help you get ready for your procedure.

After your procedure you will return to our department for post-procedure care and monitoring. Your physician and nurse will continue to monitor you closely following a plan of care to ensure you receive the highest quality and safest care.

Patient Registration: The Patient Registration entrance is located just past the Andrews Center. It opens at 5 am and closes at 9 pm. In Registration, you will be asked for your picture ID for verification and your insurance card. Parking is in the Orange Deck (P3) across from Patient Registration. Please bring your parking ticket with you to have it validated. This deck is to be used by you and your escort on the day of your surgery. WakeMed visitors will park in a separate parking deck. Please see the Raleigh Campus map for directions

Andrews Center: You may be instructed to arrive at Endoscopy in the Andrews Center for your procedure. The Endoscopy registration area opens at 7 am. You will need to arrive 90 minutes prior your scheduled procedure time. The length of time it takes to complete the type of procedure you are having varies, but you can expect to spend 30 to 45 minutes in recovery. The person taking you home should stay in Endoscopy.

Special Note for North Hospital Only

North Hospital: WakeMed North Day Surgery Center offers pre-operative tours and support to assist you in preparing your child or teenager for surgery.

The tour is both educational and interactive. It is an opportunity to familiarize both you and your child with what to expect the day of surgery. We use a combination of photos, play with actual medical equipment and take a walking tour.

Visiting the Day Surgery Center before admission helps children and adolescents cope with their fears and anxieties. Brothers, sisters and other family members also are welcome. Please call 919-350-1430 to set up a tour or to obtain more information.

Sign up for WakeMed MyChart

Once your surgery is scheduled, you will receive an email message that includes a MyChart activation code. If you are not a WakeMed MyChart user, please use this code to sign up. MyChart is a secure, online patient portal. You and your WakeMed providers can communicate through MyChart. Plus, you can use MyChart to request appointments and prescription refills, view information about any appointments you have before and after your procedure and see your test results. If you do not have a computer or cell phone, we will communicate with you in the way that you choose (home phone, etc.). 

Getting Started with MyChart

  • 1. Visit WakeMed MyChart.
  • 2. Click on “Sign Up Now.”
  • 3. Enter your activation code, date of birth and zip code, and click “Next”. You will be taken to the next sign-up page where you will be asked to create a user name, password and security question.
  • 4. Select your communication preference. Be sure to enter a valid email address so you can be notified when new information is available in your MyChart account.

If you have trouble signing up, please call 919-350-2288 or email us at mychart@wakemed.org. You can also access WakeMed MyChart by downloading the app from Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Endoscopy

Please be sure you have received instructions from your doctor’s office about the diet you should follow and anything you need to do for the 48 hours before your procedure. Your doctor's office may have special instructions for you to follow, including bowel preps. Check with your doctor concerning heart, blood pressure and blood thinning medications prior to the day of your procedure. Please call Endoscopy if you have a cold, fever, flu or other illnesses at 919-350-8648.

Billing/Insurance

Payment for services will be arranged at Patient Registration. If you have questions about payment, please call the Business Office at 919-350-8359 between 9 am and 6 pm, Monday through Friday. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may be asked for a deposit. A picture ID is required at the time of registration. Please bring your insurance card and any claim forms required by your insurance company on the day of surgery so we can file claims related to your procedure.

To connect with the automated system, please call 919-350-7808 at least three business days prior to your surgery, between 8 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Be ready to share your name, phone number, type of surgery, scheduled date and duration, along with your surgeon's name. We will get back to you with an estimated hospital bill, but remember that this is just an estimate; the final amount will depend on the specific services your doctor prescribes.

If you have questions about your insurance coverage for your procedure, please call 919-350-2273. Remember to contact your insurance company prior to surgery to determine if pre-certification or a second opinion is required. You will be billed separately for the anesthesiologist’s, surgeon’s and radiologist’s services. View a list of insurance plans accepted by WakeMed and learn more about Billing & Insurance.

Advanced Directives

During your stay in the hospital, you will be asked about an advance directive and if you have registered the directive with the State of North Carolina. This is a set of directions you can give ahead of time about the health care you want if you ever lose the ability to make decisions for yourself. There are different types of advance directives – the living will, the health care power of attorney and the advance instruction for mental health treatment. If you have registered your directive with the State of North Carolina, you will be asked for your patient’s registry file number and password so that the file can be accessed and printed for your medical record. If you do not have one, your nurse will provide you with the appropriate forms to complete one.

Federal law requires us to inform every adult patient about advance directives. WakeMed has policies in place to honor advance directives made in accordance with North Carolina law. Your nurse will give you written information about the state law regarding advance directives and can provide you with copies of the living will, health care power of attorney and advance instruction for mental health treatment forms. You may also request copies of our hospital policies regarding living wills, health care powers of attorney and advance instruction for mental health treatment from your nurse.

If you've appointed a health care power of attorney, please remember to bring the legal paperwork to confirm this designation.

Organ and Tissue Donation

When you arrange to donate organs and tissues, you are giving the most generous gift you can give: the gift of life. Recent medical advances make it possible to transplant many types of tissues and organs successfully. There are a number of ways an individual may make a personal anatomical gift designated by will, valid donor card and other valid document through the individual’s telegraphic, recorded telephonic or other recorded message. It may also be designated through an Advance Health Care Directive and filed with the online registry with the state of North Carolina. If so, staff will ask for the patient’s registry number and password so that the file can be accessed and printed for the medical record.

For more information about organ and tissue donation, you can contact Carolina Donor Services at 1-800-252-2672. They are ready to provide you with all the details you need to make an informed choice.

Pre-Op Evaluation/Work Up

Prior to your scheduled surgical procedure, a Day Surgery nurse will contact you to gather some basic information about you and your health and to answer your questions. Most outpatient surgeries require pre-operative testing such as blood and urine tests. Some also require chest X-rays or EKGs (electrocardiograms).

Expect your pre-op visit and lab work to take around two hours. During this time, you'll meet with a pre-op teaching nurse and a member of the anesthesia team. It's essential to bring an updated list of your medications, including dosages and frequency. Generally, you won't need to fast before this appointment unless your doctor advises otherwise.

If you've had any relevant blood tests in the last three months or other tests like a chest X-ray, EKG, heart stress test, heart catheterization, or lung function tests within the past two years, be sure to bring copies of those reports to your pre-op visit. Alternatively, you can fax them to 919-350-2562.

You must have these tests completed within 30 days before your surgery. You may schedule to have these tests completed at the laboratory (Ground Floor) and Imaging Services (radiology/X-ray), located on the First Floor, at WakeMed North.

If you have any of the following, please bring a copy of the report with you on the day of surgery:

  • Chest X-ray, EKG (electrocardiogram), treadmill study or cardiac catheterization within the last six months
  • Lab work within the last 30 days
  • Living will or Health Care Power of Attorney

Before Surgery

Pre-Registration 

A few days before your surgery, someone from Pre Certification may contact you to collect your pre-registration information. If you have questions about insurance verification, you can reach out to the CareLine at 919-350-2273. During this time, our Patient Account Representative will ask for some personal and financial details, so it’s helpful to have your policy numbers and claims addresses handy. Depending on your insurance coverage, you might also need to make a deposit.

Requirements

It's important to inform your surgeon if you're taking aspirin or any blood thinners. Before discontinuing these medications prior to surgery, consult with your cardiologist or primary care physician. Common blood thinners include Coumadin (Warfarin®), Dabigatran (Pradaxa®), Enoxaparin (Lovenox®), Clopidogrel (Plavix®), and Prasugrel (Effient®).

  • Stop using alternative medicine, including herbal remedies and weight loss supplements, two weeks before your surgery.
  • Refrain from alcohol and smoking for 24 hours prior to your surgery.
  • For bottle-fed infants, formula is fine up to 6 hours before your appointment; breastfed infants can nurse up to 4 hours before.
  • If you experience any symptoms like fever, cold, or flu, contact your doctor before surgery.
  • Avoid eating or drinking anything after midnight the night before surgery, unless your WakeMed Pre-Op nurse advises otherwise. This includes gum, mints, tobacco, and alcohol.
  • You can have clear liquids up to one hour before arriving at the hospital; options include black coffee (no cream), tea (no cream), soft drinks, apple juice, and high-carb nutritional drinks. Avoid orange juice, broth, gelatin, and alcohol.
  • Do not shave the area where the surgery will occur.
  • If you take regular medications (aspirin or insulin), consult your surgical evaluation nurse about whether to take them the night before.
  • Follow any CHG bath instructions you receive to help reduce the risk of infection. Stick to the bathing guidelines to ensure a safe surgical experience.

Outpatients Only

  • Bring an adult with you to the hospital for your procedure.
  • Have someone stay with you at home for 24 hours after surgery.
  • For endoscopy, your family or driver needs to stay on-site until you're discharged.

Cancellations

Surgery may be canceled in these instances:
  • Food and drink guidelines are overlooked.
  • No responsible adult is available to drive you home or stay with you for 24 hours after surgery.
  • There may be unexpected changes in your medical condition.
  • You arrive late on the day of your surgery.
  • Necessary evaluations from your primary care physician or specialists are not provided to our surgical team.

Contact your physician to cancel a surgery in advance.