What to Expect Day of Surgery

This video will guide you through what to expect on the day of your surgery. We’ll explain the steps you’ll go through before, during, and after the procedure to help you feel prepared and at ease. You'll learn about check-in procedures, the role of the medical team, what happens in the operating room, and how we’ll take care of you as you recover.

Welcome to MUSC Health. Thank you for choosing us for your healthcare needs. We want to share some information with you so you will know what to expect on the day of your surgery.

You will be asked to arrive 1 to 3 hours before the start of your surgery. When you arrive, you will stop at registration. Please plan to provide your driver’s license or identification card as well as insurance information.

Please leave all other personal belongings at home. This includes valuables, cash, and jewelry including body piercings.

You will be directed where to report for surgery check-in. Please know that we do our very best to stay on schedule, but sometimes delays do occur. If there is a delay, we will keep you informed and work as quickly as we can to care for you.

A nurse will get you ready for your surgery in the Pre-op or Holding Area. You will be given a gown to change into, an IV will be placed, and your medical history will be reviewed. This process can last from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on your health condition and the type of procedure you are having. Two support people are invited to join you in Preop.

You may be asked to wash with special wipes that kill germs on your skin, even if you already did this at home.

You may also have hair around the area of your surgery clipped or trimmed. Please do not do this at home.

In Preop or Holding you will meet with your surgeon and an anesthesiology care team member. If needed, you will sign the surgical consent, and your body will be marked. In the operating room, the team will complete a “timeout” to confirm the correct procedure on the correct body part of the correct patient. You may or may not be awake when this occurs, but this is an added step to keep you safe.

One support person will be asked to stay onsite and provide their phone number to our team. They will be updated at least every two hours by an MUSC care team member. Also, some of our facilities may have a digital tracking board for updates during your surgery.

After the surgery is over, you will be transferred to the recovery area, and the surgeon will speak to your support person. They will be invited to join you when you are awake from anesthesia. Please note that sometimes space is limited so the number of support people invited back at one time may depend on this. You can expect to spend 30 minutes to 3 hours in the recovery area, depending on your surgery and condition.

Depending on your surgery and condition, your doctor may want you to stay in the hospital. Please understand there may be a delay in being transferred to a room, which means you could have an extended stay in the recovery area.

When it is safe, you will be sent home. You and your support person will receive instructions about how to take care of yourself at home, information about your medications, and instructions about your follow-up appointment with your care team.

Please rest assured that all MUSC Health care team members are working as safely and efficiently as possible to care for you and the other patients who need us. We understand that having surgery may be very stressful for you. Do not hesitate to ask us any questions and let us know if we can do anything to help you in any way. Thank you for partnering with us for your healthcare needs.