The month before surgery

• Eat a healthy diet:
  • Include more plant-based foods in your diet.
  • Make at least half of your grains whole grains.
  • Eat 3 to 4 ounces (25-30 grams) of lean protein 3 times per day.
• Exercise 30 minutes per day (continuous or broken up into multiple sessions), and do strength training 3 times per week.
• Prepare your home:
  • If you have stairs in your home, it may be helpful to set up a temporary bedroom and bath on the main floor.
  • Tools like a reacher can help you pick up objects from the floor.

1-5 days before surgery

• A nurse will call to confirm your surgery date and provide pre-operation instructions.
• If you have questions, call your surgeon's office.
• Five days before surgery, start drinking 3 cartons of Impact AR every day between meals, for a total of 15 cartons.

The night before surgery

• Plan what you will be taking to the hospital. It is best to keep valuables at home if possible.
• Take a shower using Hibiclens soap.
• Nothing to eat or drink after midnight. A sip of water with your medications is OK.

The day of surgery

• Take another shower with Hibiclens soap.
• Do not eat or drink anything before surgery. A sip of water with your medications is OK.
  • If a doctor has asked you to stop taking certain medications before surgery, don’t take those medications.
• Plan to arrive at least 2 hours before surgery. Arrive earlier than that if you have a planned nerve block, or if your nurse has told you to.

Arrive at the hospital

At OHSU Marquam Hill:

• Park in the surgery parking lot, Parking Garage K. Parking is free for patients and visitors.
• Go to the 9th floor of the main hospital and check in at the information desk in the main lobby.
• You will be directed to surgery check-in and a waiting room where you will wait until a staff member comes to escort you to the PACU (post-anesthesia care unit).

At OHSU or Hillsboro Medical Center:

• Your support person will only be able to join you in the PACU if you have developmental delay or are a minor.
• If you have valuables with you, please leave them with your support person.

In the PACU

• A nurse will check you in, and any personal items still with you will be secured by staff.
• You will be asked to use anti-bacterial wipes to clean your body again, and then change into a sterile gown.
• The anesthesia and surgery teams will each come to prepare you for surgery.
  • An IV may be placed and, if you have a uterus, you may be required to take a pregnancy test.
• You should urinate just before surgery to reduce the risk of having difficulty urinating after surgery.
• When it is time for your surgery, the anesthesia team will take you to the operating room.

In the operating room

• There will be several people in the room to take care of you.
• The team will help you get comfortable in the operating room when you arrive, and get you ready for your surgery.
• Your surgery team will perform the procedure.
• After surgery, the anesthesia team will wake you up and take you back to the PACU.

Return to the PACU

• Your support person will be notified that you are in the recovery room.
• Your nurse will monitor you while you recover from anesthesia and surgery.
• Your team will treat any pain or nausea you have.
• Once you meet your post-surgery milestones in the PACU, you will either be discharged home or admitted to the hospital.