Before Surgery

• The patient or your physician’s office will call to schedule an appointment at our Preoperative Clinic. An appointment is necessary as walk-ins are not permitted at this time.
• Patients requiring assistance will be allowed one family member to accompany them to the Preoperative Clinic. All must wear a mask.
• Preoperative testing, including COVID-19 testing, is conducted on all patients having cath lab and surgical procedures. Your preoperative appointment will be set within the appropriate time frame for COVID-19 testing to be valid.
• COVID testing is completed within 72 hours of scheduled procedure. The patient’s provider will communicate instructions about when and where to go.
• Patients will receive guidance on how to limit their exposure to infection before the COVID test results are in, and if negative, before surgery, including how to self-quarantine, masking and proper sterilization at home.
• All patients with a positive COVID-19 test result will need to be rescheduled for surgery. Patients will be contacted about their positive results by a member of the hospital who will provide information on how to self-quarantine. The surgeon’s office will contact the patient on rescheduling their procedure.

The Day of Surgery

• Patients will report for their procedure to a designated screening area where they’ll once again be checked for symptoms, including fever.
• One person can accompany surgery patients, and they too will be screened for symptoms. The visitor accompanying the patient must wear a mask and wait in the surgery waiting room.
• Surgery patients will be treated by separate clinical staff than those designated for treating patients with COVID-19. Patients who are infected remain isolated and are treated in special areas set aside for their care.
• As additional precautions, specially trained team members frequently and thoroughly sterilize all operating rooms, treatment areas, waiting areas, and patient rooms using state-of-the-art processes.

After Surgery

• If the patient is being discharged the same day of surgery, the physician will speak with the visitor after surgery. The visitor will remain in the surgery waiting room until time to pick up the patient when discharged.
• If the patient is staying overnight following their procedure, the physician will provide an update to the patient’s visitor prior to the patient being transported to a patient room designated for surgical recovery. The visitor may not stay at the hospital after the patient is transported to a patient room.
• After patients are discharged, a team member will call them at home to once again screen for symptoms to help ensure a successful recovery.