FAQs

Surgery is an invasive procedure that carries inherent risk. Prior to obtaining your written consent, your surgeon will discuss the surgery’s risks, benefits and alternatives.Risks related to anesthesia will be addressed by a member of the anesthesia team. Please speak with your surgeon or a member of their team if additional clarification is necessary.

Preparing for surgery is, to some extent, personalized and will depend on the procedure being performed, as well as on your medical condition. Some patients will need to obtain medical clearance from their primary care provider before surgery. To ensure safety, some patients will need to obtain additional clearance from relevant specialists . Preoperative testing—including blood work, EKGs, urine tests and chest X-rays—may also be necessary. Your surgeon or a member of their team will explain everything that's necessary in advance of surgery.

Please do not eat or drink after midnight on the evening before your surgery. Consuming food or liquids prior to anesthesia can be dangerous and, due to safety concerns, may result in the postponement or cancellation of your procedure.

Speak with your surgical team regarding your instructions. If you have been instructed to take certain home medications on the morning of surgery, it is safe and allowed to do so with a sip of water.

Some patients are allowed to drink clear liquids until two hours before their hospital arrival time. If you were told to take any medications, you may take them the morning of surgery with water. 

Clear liquids include only the following:

• Water
• Apple juice
• Clear Gatorade®
• Clear Powerade®
• Plain tea, no cream or sugar
• Black coffee, no cream or sugar

Pediatric patients may be allowed to have clear liquids, such as water, up to three hours prior to surgery. Milk and other non-clear liquids can’t be consumed after midnight on the evening before surgery. Please speak with your surgeon or a member of their team if additional clarification is necessary.

You will be prescribed medications to take two days prior to your surgery to help with your pain. Do not take those medications on the day of surgery. There are medications that need to be continued the morning of surgery, and there are medications that must be discontinued. Prior to surgery, our nurses will advise which medications you should or should not take before your procedure. Please speak with your surgeon or a member of their team if additional clarification is necessary.

If you have digital files of your preoperative imaging, please bring them with you on the day of surgery. It is also helpful to bring a list of medications you are currently taking. We recommend you bring something to read or occupy yourself with while you wait. For your own safety, we require that a friend or family member (care coach) accompany you home following the surgery.

Please bring these items with you:

• Legal, government-sponsored photo ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.)
• Insurance card
• Healthcare proxy form, completed
• Flat, nonslip, supportive walking shoes
• Comfortable, loose clothes to go home in
• Eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures (if necessary)
• Up-to-date medication list or your medications
• Sleep apnea machine (if necessary)

Please leave any jewelry, watches or other valuables at home for safekeeping. Remove contact lenses and wear eyeglasses, if applicable. Remove all makeup before surgery. Nail polish should also be removed. Although cell phones and clothing are kept in locked storage during surgery, we strongly recommend against bringing valuables and other nonessentials with you.

Montefiore Einstein has multiple surgical sites. The location will vary from patient to patient, depending on the type of surgery being performed. Prior to surgery, your surgeon’s office will provide you with specific instructions on where to go and when to arrive.

Generally, patients are required to check in one-and-a-half to two hours prior to surgery. The night before surgery, our staff will call to inform you at what time to arrive. If surgery is scheduled for a Monday, you will be contacted on the Friday before surgery. If surgery is scheduled following a national holiday, you will be contacted on the last day the hospital is open prior to your surgery. If you do not receive a call by 4:00 p.m. on the relevant day, contact your surgeon’s office or Ambulatory Care Registration at 929-263-3477, as directed.