Surgery Guide

Preparing for Your Surgery

Once you have completed your Pre-Surgery and Surgical Questionnaires in MyChart*, a nurse from Mallard Creek Surgery Center will call you prior to your scheduled surgery. We will review the information you have provided in MyChart including: current medications, including their dosage and time taken, allergies and your medical history. The nurse will also review any medications that you will need to take prior to surgery. Finally, we will go over what items to bring with you the day of your surgery. You will receive a call the DAY BEFORE your scheduled surgery with your arrival time.

If for some reason we have not spoken with you a few days prior to your scheduled surgery, please call (704) 548-5200. If it is after hours, we ask that you leave a message with the following information:

• Your name,
• Your date of birth,
• The best phone number to reach you
• The best time for us to call you back.

What to Bring

• A list of your current medications.
• Something to read or do while you are waiting to be called to the operating room.
• Photo ID and proof of insurance.
• If you have a Living Will or a Durable Health Care Power of Attorney, please bring a copy with you for your records
• If you use any of the following items, you should bring them with you on the day of surgery: inhaler, hearing aid, and glasses.

For Your Safety

• Each patient having surgery at Mallard Creek Surgery Center will require a responsible driver 18 years or older to take them home. You will not be allowed to drive, so you will need to arrange someone to bring you, stay with you, and drive you home. If you drive yourself, your procedure may be postponed or cancelled. If you plan to take a taxi, bus or other form of transportation, you will still need someone to stay with you at the center and on the ride home.
• Please wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes that are easy to change in and out of and that will not fit tightly over the area of your surgery.

What NOT to Bring

• In an effort to accommodate all patients and their families, we ask that you do not bring more than ONE family member on the day of surgery. 
• Please leave all valuables, including watches and jewelry at home. The staff will not be held responsible for any lost valuables.

Getting Ready for the Surgery

• Specific instructions will be given to you regarding eating and drinking. It is recommended that you do not eat, drink (not even water), smoke or chew gum after midnight the day before your surgery.
• If you have been instructed to take important medications prior to your surgery, your nurse will discuss this with you during your preoperative call.
• Do not wear makeup, nail polish, hairpins, contact lenses, watches, or other removable jewelry and body piercings.
• You may be asked to remove dentures and other non-permanent items upon arrival to the center.
• You will be asked to use a special soap to clean your surgical site. These instructions will be discussed and given to you during your preoperative phone call.

Day of Surgery

• Take any needed medications as instructed with a small amount of water. .
• Please arrive at the instructed time given to you by the preoperative nurse. If you are unsure of the time, please call (704) 548-5200.

What to do if You Get Sick Before Your Surgery

• When having surgery or anesthesia, it is important that you are in the best possible health. If you have a new illness or a flare up of an old condition around the time of a planned surgery, sometimes the safest practice may be to delay the procedure until you are well.
• Some conditions that may delay surgery include:
  • Have recently been placed on antibiotics or steroids
  • Have a fever
  • Have a stomach or respiratory illness
  • Have an open area of sore
  • Have recently been admitted to the hospital or been seen in the emergency room
• If you think you have an illness or other condition that might delay surgery, call Mallard Creek Surgery Center at (704) 548-5200.