Same Day Surgery Services
A growing number of surgeries are now performed on an outpatient basis, and patients are reaping the benefits. The Same Day Services Center at Methodist offers all the advantages of minimally invasive outpatient surgery:
- smaller incisions
- less pain and scarring than with conventional surgery
- a shorter stay in the hospital
- a faster return to normal living
Methodist Medical Center has one of the highest percentages of board-certified physicians in this region, backed by an experienced staff of nurses, technologists, and other health care professionals.
Same Day Procedures Offered At Methodist Medical Center
Board-certified surgeons on the medical staff routinely perform minimally invasive outpatient procedures such as:
- Knee and shoulder repairs
- Hernia repair
- Gallbladder removal
- Cystoscopy and removal of bladder tumors
- D&C, thermal ablation, and laparoscopic tubal ligation in women
- Sinus surgery and other ear, nose, and throat procedures
Patients may also have the following outpatient diagnostic procedures:
- Myelograms for diagnosis related to back pain
- CT-guided biopsies of the lung and liver
- Heart caths to identify problems in the heart
- Cardioversions to restore the heart’s normal rhythm
- Arteriograms to diagnose problems in the arteries
- Blood transfusions
- I.V. therapy
The Same Day Services Center is centrally located at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge.
A Patient’s Guide to Same Day Services
Before having outpatient surgery at Methodist, patients undergo pre-surgery testing through the Same Day Services Center. They should bring the packet they received from their doctor to their pre-testing appointment. During this visit, they receive information about the time that they should arrive for surgery.
Planning
The staff asks patients to:
- Shower and shampoo their hair the night before surgery
- Avoid eating or drinking anything, including water, after midnight on the surgery date
- Avoid alcoholic beverages for at least 24 hours before surgery
- Check with their doctor before taking any medications in the hours before surgery
- Leave personal items at home, except for clean socks, a toothbrush, glasses or contacts lens case, and other items they might need during their hospital stay
- Avoid wearing jewelry, lotion, make-up, or nail polish on the day of surgery
Guidelines for Visitors
The Same Day Services staff encourages patients to:
- Bring one or two family members or friends to the hospital. The presence of these visitors may be reassuring, and patients must have someone drive them home after surgery.
- Ask family and friends to remain in the appropriate waiting area until the patient returns to Same Day Services. The number of visitors for each patient is limited because of space limitations in this area.
Having Surgery
Following is a brief description of the surgery process:
- After initial preparation and assessment in Same Day Services, patients are taken into the pre-op holding area. There they will start an IV and may receive medicine to help with relaxation.
- Patient is taken from the holding area into surgery when an operating room is ready.
- Patients go to a post-anesthesia recovery area after surgery, where they remain until they are awake and in stable condition. Patients who have local anesthesia may go directly to a room or the Same Day Services unit for a short time.
- The surgeon meets with the patient and their families to report on the outcome of surgery and to answer questions.
After Surgery
Same Day Services patients should expect to:
- Receive instructions for the first few days after surgery
- Possibly receive prescriptions from their doctor. They should keep the instructions and follow them at home.
- Hear from a member of the Same Day Services staff, who checks on patients 24-72 hours after surgery.
- Avoid drinking any alcoholic beverages, making any important decisions, and driving or operating machinery within the first 24 hours after surgery.
Same Day Services at Methodist Medical Center
990 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
