Preparing for Surgery

Check out these tips to ensure a successful operation

When it comes to surgery at Horizon Health, you are in safe hands with our exceptional medical providers. If you have any questions about preparation, please call 217-466-4724. The preparations that need to be made before your trip to the hospital for surgery include:

• Obtain any laboratory and X-ray studies at least 24 hours in advance of your admission.
• Stop smoking 2 – 6 weeks before your operation is scheduled.
• Collect any and all medication you presently take, or have taken within the past four weeks. Bring these medications with you to the hospital. If you normally take medication in the morning, consult your doctor for instructions on taking such medication the day of surgery. If you have taken any steroids within the past year, make a list of these and bring this list with you to the hospital.
• Make a list of all drug allergies. Bring this list with you to the hospital.
• Make arrangements for someone to bring you to the hospital and to take you home since you will not be permitted to drive yourself home.
• Do not eat any solid food after 8 pm on the evening before surgery.
• Bathe or shower thoroughly the night before and the morning of surgery, unless otherwise indicated.
• Do not drink anything, including water, after midnight before surgery.
• Do not eat or drink anything the morning of surgery. This includes before you leave home and before you arrive at the hospital. No water, coffee, juice, soda, milk, or candy.

Back to Preparing For Your Visit

Colonoscopy

• Five days before the procedure avoid taking aspirin, blood thinners, arthritis medications, diet medications and vitamin E.
• Two days before the procedure avoid cabbage, corn, dried beans, lettuce, seeds, and nuts.
• One day before the procedure follow a clear diet. If you have not been contacted by the hospital for an arrival time, please call 217-465-4141 and ask to speak to a surgery nurse.
• The evening before the procedure, take three tablespoons (45ml) of Fleet Phospho-soda Buffered Saline Laxative mixed with three tablespoons of water or clear liquid juice and drink at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. (This should allow excretion of the preparation before 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.) Continue to follow the clear liquid diet after this dose of Fleet Phosopho-soda Buffered Saline Laxative. You need to increase your fluid intake to equal a minimum of one gallon of fluid.
• Morning of the procedure again take three tablespoons (45ml) of Fleet Phospho-soda Buffered Saline Laxative mixed with three tablespoons of water or clear liquid juice and drink four hours before the time you are to report for your procedure. For example, if you are due for your procedure at 9 a.m., you need to take the medication at 5 a.m. Do not drink anything after this dose of prep.
• After the procedure, arrange for someone to drive you home and to stay with you for 24 hours.
• You may continue to take your prescribed medications, but avoid taking any medications while drinking the prep. All medications are reviewed at the time of scheduling your procedure. The scheduling secretary will instruct you when a medication change is needed.

Fleet Phospho-soda Prep is sold at any pharmacy and is available in ginger and lemon flavors well as plain. No prescription is needed. This prep induces diarrhea. Your stools will have a clear yellow color to them when the prep is completed. Enemas are not expected to be given if the prep is taken properly. If vomiting of the prep occurs and/or your stools are not yellow, call the Paris Community Hospital Emergency Room at 217-465-2606, Ext. 4243.

 Clear liquid suggestions:

• Broth/bullion
• Coffee/tea
  (no milk or cream)
• Carbonated beverages
• Clear fruit juice
  (no nectars, tomato/prune juices)
• Fruit ices
  (no sherbert)
• Popsicles
• Jell-O
• Water

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Upper Endoscopy

• Do not eat or drink after midnight the night before the procedure.
• Do not take aspirin or blood thinners 5 days before the procedure.
• Arrange for someone to drive you home after this procedure and to stay with you for 24 hours.