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Post-Surgical Information

After surgery, patients are taken to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), located adjacent to the Operating Room Suite.

1. In PACU, nurses frequently take vital signs: pulse, respiration and blood pressure.
2. They also begin your post-operative exercises, which generally include turning, coughing, deep breathing and leg exercises.
3. Inpatients remain in the PACU until they are reactive (awake and moving). Once a patient is reactive, he/she is transported back to their hospital room.
4. Following an outpatient procedure, the patient will be transported to the Ambulatory Surgery Unit to complete the recovery phase. There the patient will receive a light snack and written discharge instructions.
5. If you are in pain, tell the nurse so he or she may provide you with medication ordered by your physician.
6. The physician will determine patient diet and level of activity.
7. It may be necessary for staff members from other departments at Mather such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Dietary Services to provide you with additional discharge instructions.

Before you leave the hospital, make sure that all of your questions are answered and that you understand all of the written discharge instructions you received from your nurse.