Patient Paperwork

To ensure a smooth check-in, we provide our patients with all of the necessary paperwork to be completed at home before your scheduled procedure. Please complete these forms in advance of your scheduled procedure and bring them with you to the facility.

Prior to Your Surgery

As your surgery date approaches, there are several important things to keep in mind and prepare for:

• Financial responsibility. If you have a financial responsibility due for the facility fee and anesthesia charges, our business team will contact you approximately one week prior to your surgery to collect payment. Payments can be made by credit card or debit card. We also accept CareCredit and have financing available to those who qualify.
• Arrange for a responsible adult to escort you home after your surgery. It is required for your safety and by law that Park Avenue Surgery requires patients to arrange for a responsible adult, over the age of 18, to escort them home following any procedure. Your surgery will be canceled or delayed if you do not have a confirmed escort. Taxi cabs, busses and Uber/Lyft services are acceptable only if you have an adult companion with you.
• Pick up your medications. Some surgeons prescribe medications the day before surgery. Please consult with your surgeon’s office to see if you have any prescriptions. Picking up your medications the day before surgery gives you one less thing to worry about. If your surgeon prescribes you medications for your surgery, please bring them all with you on the day of your surgery.
• Pre-surgical nurse consultation. You will receive a phone call from the pre-admission nurse the day before your procedure. The nurse will discuss the following:
  • Your arrival time at the facility
  • Contact information for your escort home
  • When to stop eating and drinking
  • The medications you are currently taking
  • Your medical and surgical history
  • The medications your surgeon prescribed to you for your procedure
  • Your post-operative instructions from your surgeon
  • Items to bring with you to your surgery

Prior to your surgery, if you need to contact Park Avenue Surgery for any reason, please feel free to call us at 212-433-0737. Our team is always available to assist you with any questions.

The Night Before Your Surgery

• DO NOT EAT OR DRINK AFTER MIDNIGHT. This includes water, juice, coffee, chewing gum, mints or hard candies. If you are advised by your physician to continue any medication, please take it with the smallest sip of water. Failure to follow these instructions may result in the cancelation or postponement of your procedure.
• SHOWER WITH ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANSER. Please shower the night before surgery with an antibacterial wash or soap.

Important Items To Bring the Day of Your Surgery

• A responsible adult over the age of 18.
• A list of all medications you are currently taking, including dosages and frequency. Please include vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies.
• Heart and/or blood pressure medication(s), in their original containers.
• Any medications prescribed by your surgeon for this surgery.
• Your driver’s license or a government-issued photo ID and insurance card(s).
• Facility paperwork (Demographics, Health Survey, Medication Form).

The Day of Your Surgery

• Please DO NOT wear make-up, body lotion or dark nail polish.
• Please remove all valuables (jewelry, piercings, etc.) and leave them at home. Park Avenue Surgery does not accept financial responsibility for lost valuables or personal belongings.
• Please wear glasses. If you only have contact lenses, please bring your container for your lenses, as you will have to remove them prior to surgery.
• Please wear loose, comfortable clothing that you can change into easily and that will not bind at the site of your procedure. Tops should be button or zipper closures and not items that have to be pulled over the head.
• Please shower the morning of surgery AND the night before surgery. Your surgeon may have recommended using an antibacterial wash or soap.

Arrival For Your Surgery

Everyone entering the facility must wear a face mask at all times.

When you arrive at the facility you will be greeted by reception, who will do your COVID-19 screening and take your temperature. They will ensure all of your personal information is correct, verify the contact information for the responsible adult escorting you home, and will register you for your procedure.

Patients will be brought into the pre-operative area by a nurse. The nurse will review your personal information, health history, medications and allergies. The nurse will also prepare you for your surgery.

Once you are prepared for your surgery, your surgeon and the anesthesiologist will talk to you. The anesthesiologist will review the anesthesia portion of your procedure and your surgeon will review your surgery. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions about your surgery to the surgeon and/or anesthesiologist.

After Your Surgery

After your procedure, you will rest in the recovery area under the care of our nursing team. When you start waking up and getting ready to be sent home, the nurse will bring your escort back to the recovery area to be with you. You may be sleepy at this time.

Before you leave the facility, your surgeon or the nurse will answer any questions you may have, review discharge instructions with you and your escort, and provide follow-up guidelines.

Leaving the Surgery Facility

For most procedures, you will be ready to leave the facility within one to two hours following the completion of your surgery. You must have a responsible adult, over the age of 18, drive you home or accompany you home if you use a taxi, bus or Uber/Lyft services.

We encourage patients to have someone stay with them through the night.

DO NOT drive or return to work on the day of your surgery. Consult your surgeon for return to work recommendations.

When You Get Home

• When you get home, review the discharge and post-operative instructions carefully.
• For 24 hours following your procedure DO NOT drive or operate machinery, sign legal documents, drink alcohol or use recreational drugs.
• Minor side effects following anesthesia include drowsiness, nausea, muscle aches, a sore throat, headaches and dizziness. These will decline over the next several hours, following your procedure, and may take several days to completely resolve.
• Most patients will feel better the following day, however, remember to move slowly and carefully. For the best recovery, we recommend plenty of rest.
• It is common to experience constipation after surgery from anesthesia and pain medication.
• Contact your surgeon if you have questions about what you can and cannot do, when to return to work, and how active you can be.
• If you experience unexpected pain, severe bleeding or a temperature greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, contact your surgeon immediately or proceed to the hospital emergency room.