Before Your Stay at UPMC Passavant

Before Surgery

A nurse will complete a phone assessment, 24 to 72 hours before surgery. Please have your list of medicines and medical history ready to discuss with the nurse.

Allow 20 minutes for the phone assessment.

The nurse will provide you with:

• Dietary instructions.
• What medicines to take the day of surgery.
• Any other information you need before your surgery.

The night before your surgery, do not drink any alcoholic beverages.

Advance directives

If you have not already done so, you may want to consider drafting an advance directive before your surgery or admission to the hospital.

An advance directive is a written document that expresses your wishes for medical care if you become incompetent or incapacitated.

These include:

• Living wills
• Health care agents
• Powers of attorney

Learn more about advance directives in UPMC's general patient resources section.

Day of Surgery

Please review the following guidelines for your day of surgery at UPMC Passavant:

1. If your doctor or nurse instructed you to take a medicine, do so with a small sip of water.
2. Shower or bathe with Hibiclens® or an antibacterial soap.
3. Do not apply hair spray, scented body lotion, or perfume.
4. Wear loose comfortable clothing; button-down shirts are best.
5. Remove all body piercings.
6. Do not wear nail polish or makeup.
7. Avoid chewing gum or candy the day of surgery.
8. Leave all valuables and jewelry — including watches, wedding rings, necklaces, and earrings — at home.
9. If you have sleep apnea, bring your CPAP machine with you.
10. If you wear dentures or a hearing aid, bring storage cases for them.

Please arrange for a responsible adult, over the age of 18, to:

• Accompany you to drive you home.
• Assist you at home for the first 24 hours after surgery.

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