Before Your Operation |
NEW PATIENTS | CURRENT PATIENTS | BEFORE OPERATION | AFTER DISCHARGE
You will have an appointment to meet with Dr. Pigott a few days before your operation. He will answer all of your questions at that time, so jot them down before your meeting. It will help you remember them. Plan to spend half a day at Tulane for pre-operative testing. REMEMBER… Nothing to eat or drink after midnight before surgery except for certain medicines. Pre-operative details A few days before your surgery, you will have an appointment to meet with Dr. Pigott. Family members are encouraged to come with you to this appointment. Dr. Pigott will talk with you about your operation, let you know what to expect, and answer all of your questions. On this day, you will also visit the Pre-Admit Testing area on the 3rd Floor of Tulane Hospital for lab work, x-rays if necessary, and a visit with the anesthesiologist. Again, plan to spend half a day at Tulane. Day of Surgery On the morning of your operation, you may take some of your medicines with a sip of water. Dr. Pigott will tell you which medicines to take. Otherwise, do not eat of drink anything after midnight before your surgery. Dr. Pigott will see you and your family briefly before your operation. Your family will be notified in the Surgery Waiting Room on the 3rd Floor of Tulane Hospital when your operation begins. Your family will also be notified periodically throughout the operation. At the conclusion of the operation, Dr. Pigott will come out and speak directly with your family members. Post-Operative Details After your surgery, you will usually be taken to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) on the 3rd Floor of Tulane Hospital. Your family will be able to visit you after the nurses have settled you in your room, and you are stable. In the immediate post-operative period, you can expect to have several tubes and IV lines. These are used to monitor your progress and deliver medications. Almost all of these devices will be removed in less than 48 hours. Don’t be surprised – Many of our patients are sitting in a chair the evening after their operation! You can help your progress after surgery:
You will usually spend 2 nights in the SICU and then be moved to a hospital room on the 5th Floor. You can expect to be ready for discharge 2-5 days after surgery. When you are ready to go home, Dr. Pigott will sit down with you and your family. He will review the medicines you will take at home, recommend an appropriate activity level for you, and answer any questions. Instructions for a follow-up appointment will be given to see Dr. Pigott in clinic. Before discharge, you will be given a card with several telephone numbers where Dr. Pigott can be reached for any question or problems.
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On your first clinic visit, Dr. Pigott will perform a complete history and physical and meet with you and your family. He will discuss the results of any tests which have been performed and schedule any further tests that are needed. After all tests have been reviewed, Dr. Pigott will discuss options for treatment. If surgery is planned, you and Dr. Pigott will select the date for your operation.