Day of Surgery

On the day of your surgery, park in the free patient and visitor lot in front of the hospital. Come in the main entrance of the hospital and go to the Information Desk. Please be sure to bring your driver’s license and all medical insurance cards with you. After verifying that all of your insurance and demographic information is correct, an armband will be placed on your wrist. You will then be sent to the Day Surgery Reception Desk.

If you have a living will or health care power of attorney, please bring a copy for your hospital records.

To prepare for surgery, follow these guidelines carefully:

Outpatients Only

  • Arrange for an adult to accompany you to WakeMed Cary Hospital and drive you home following your procedure. You will not be allowed to drive yourself home or be released to a taxi.
  • Arrange for an adult to stay with you at your home for at least 24 hours after your surgery.

All Patients

  • Bathe or shower the morning of your surgery to minimize the chance of infection. Exception: patients given CHG bath instructions.
  • Follow your pre-anesthesia testing nurse’s instructions about your insulin dose and diabetes medications. Take your morning dose of heart, blood pressure, seizure, pain, or asthma medicine with a sip of water unless your pre-anesthesia testing nurse or surgeon tells you otherwise. Heart surgery patients should not take any medications, unless instructed by the surgeon.
  • Do not shave the surgical area.
  • Teeth may be brushed, but DO NOT swallow water.
  • Call your surgeon prior to surgery if you have a cold, flu, fever or other illness.
  • Wear loose, comfortable clothes.
  • Bring your C-PAP or Bi-PAP if you use one at home.
  • After removing your clothes and undergarments, you will put on a gown.
  • Your clothing and other belongings will be placed in a personal bag for family to keep.
  • Leave valuables at home, including jewelry and money. You will be asked to remove all jewelry before surgery. This includes body piercings, dentures and hearing aids.
  • Remove contact lenses.
  • Do not wear heavy makeup.
  • Please plan to arrive at Patient Registration promptly at the time you were instructed.
  • Bring a list of all medications that you are taking on a regular basis. Inform your nurse if you have taken blood thinner medications (Plavix, Heparin, coumadin, Ticlid, Effient, Lovenox) within the last month prior to surgery.
  • You will be asked to sign a consent form for your surgery and anesthesia prior to surgery. If the patient is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must be present to sign the consent. Proof of legal guardianship must be provided. Also, prior to surgery, your anesthesiologist will meet with you in pre-op to discuss your plan of care.
  • While in the pre-op area, you will be allowed two visitors.
  • Ensure your children are not left unattended in the reception area.
  • You will be asked to sign a surgical consent prior to surgery. If the patient is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must be present to sign the consent.
  • As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the utmost safety for our patients, you may be asked the same questions by more than one caregiver.The staff responsible for your care will verify who you are, what kind of surgery you are having, and the part of your body on which surgery is to be performed.
  • You will be asked these questions many times. Staff will also double-check what you tell them against the documents from your doctor’s office. While it might seem redundant, it is an important part of our quality assurance process.
  • Depending on the type of surgery you are having, your surgeon will mark the correct location on your body to indicate where the procedure is to be performed. Called site marking, this is a critical step in ensuring your safety and preventing errors, especially if you are having surgery on one of your arms, legs, hands, fingers, eyes, ears, etc.
  • Just before the surgery begins the entire surgical team will take a “time out.” During this time out, the members of the team assure that they are performing the correct procedure at the correct site and on the correct person.

During Surgery 

  • An estimation of surgery length may be given by surgeon
  • Surgery may be delayed due to emergencies, or previous surgeries extended longer causing delays
  • The OR staff may call to update families for extended surgeries
  • Please ask the receptionist at the desk if you are concerned with a delay or need information

Billing & Insurance

Co pays will be collected at patient registration as well as additional payment for special procedures such as lenses, bariatric and cosmetic surgeries. Note you will be billed separately for services performed by the anesthesiologist, surgeon, pathologist and radiologist.

View a list of insurance plans accepted by WakeMed and learn more about Billing & Insurance.