Our Approach to Preoperative Evaluation
At Montefiore Einstein, we are committed to the comprehensive preoperative evaluation of each surgical patient to ensure the highest standards of patient safety. We have designed a thorough preoperative evaluation process to confirm each patient is prepared for their procedure and to provide referrals for any presurgical testing, if necessary. Our Preoperative Evaluation team works with patients scheduled to undergo a variety of elective surgeries and procedures, offering both telehealth and in-person visits with one of our world-renowned physicians or nurse practitioners.
Leading Multidisciplinary Care
Our goal is to optimize perioperative outcomes by ensuring patients are medically prepared for their surgeries. We collaborate with our surgical colleagues and use digital health tools to help us identify which patients require additional evaluation prior to surgery. This allows us to reach out to patients early on to determine if any further testing or consultations are needed prior to surgery. We work closely with primary care providers and medical subspecialists to help optimize patients’ medical conditions as needed. We also aim to avoid any unnecessary medical visits or testing that delay care without improving patient outcomes.
In addition, we have led Montefiore Einstein in an initiative to reduce same-day surgery cancellations. Surgery cancellations prolong patients’ untreated health conditions and often result in additional healthcare costs for the patient. In 2023, in collaboration with the Anesthesiology Digital Health Research Laboratory, our multidisciplinary team created a first-ever tool that determines which patients are at high risk of case cancellation. This tool was developed in collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Freda, Vice President of Surgical Services at Montefiore Einstein, Dr. Fran Ganz-Lord, Senior Director of the Montefiore Center for Performance Improvement and Dr. Richard Smith, Chair of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. It has allowed us to improve support and resources for those patients most at risk for canceling surgery, and has contributed to a significant reduction in same-day surgery cancellations.
Preoperative Anesthesia Televisits
Some patients may be scheduled for a televisit with our Anesthesia Preoperative Evaluation team. During this telephone visit, we will ask questions about your medical history and review information to prepare you for your upcoming surgery. This includes:
- Gathering information about your medical and surgical history
- Understanding previous anesthesia complications
- Assessing your current symptoms
- Reviewing recent labs and tests
- Providing medication instructions for surgery
During this visit, our team will determine whether any additional preoperative evaluation is needed prior to surgery.
Support Services
Anxiety related to surgery is common and can affect patients’ treatment and surgical outcomes. Montefiore Einstein Anesthesiology has partnered with our colleagues in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Parnes Clinic at Yeshiva University to provide additional support for patients experiencing anxiety about their upcoming surgeries. Patients are offered an optional telehealth psychology visit to help them prepare for surgery and ease their anxiety.
In addition, Surgical Services offers free round-trip transportation services for select patients on the day of their procedure. This ensures that patients with transportation limitations have the resources available to travel to the hospital and return home safely after their surgery.
Your Preoperative Evaluation Team
Carina P. Himes, MD
The Preoperative Evaluation team includes a multidisciplinary group of world-renowned physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists and nurse practitioners who collaborate closely to ensure the optimal safety of each patient. The team employs a range of proprietary digital technology to design a system that streamlines preoperative testing and facilitates preparedness for surgery.
