If you or one of your loved ones has had surgery, you know how stressful it can be. Stress and surgery are not an atypical pairing, and many people deal with anxiety before their procedure. In fact, there’s even a word for the fear patients experience before their surgical procedure: tomophobia. While it’s natural to experience stress and some fear before surgery, receiving the care you need doesn’t have to cause you anxiety. This is certainly more easily said than done, but you can reduce your stress by following the advice of your care provider that will make your surgery experience as comfortable and easy as possible.

Surgery at Iowa City ASC

At Iowa City Ambulatory Surgical Center, our staff strives to provide patients with the highest quality of care while also putting their minds to rest about their upcoming procedures. We understand how confusing and stressful preoperative procedures can be for patients, so we prioritize informing our patients on what to expect. Our goal is to keep patients comfortable and provide them with a pleasant experience from start to finish. We believe that begins with informing patients on what to expect from pre-op all the way to post-op, because being informed often quells anxiety caused by misinformation or a lack of understanding. Of course, helpful, ease-giving information is different for each patient and every type of procedure. However, our team of healthcare providers strives to help every patient relax and take the stress out of their surgery by informing them on what to expect from their surgical experience. If you or your loved one has a surgical procedure coming up, rest easy knowing you’re in good hands with our team at Iowa City ASC. Our team will take the necessary time to explain what to expect before, during, and after your procedure.

Our goal for each patient and their respective procedures is the same, regardless of who they are and what type of care they require. For all of our patients, many of the steps for preoperative care are very similar. Such steps include:

• Consulting with your care provider about your procedure and any medications you take
• Bringing all insurance and pharmacy cards to your procedure
• Make sure you have a responsible adult to look after you and drive you home after your procedure

Of course, for your surgical procedure, your care provider at Iowa City ASC will provide you with more unique information to help you prepare. This information is necessary for helping patients follow guidelines that will ensure they have a safe and comfortable procedure. To prepare for surgery, it’s important that patients take care of their bodies beforehand. Patients can do this by following these steps:

• No alcohol or cigarettes 24 hours prior to surgery
• No aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) for 1 week prior to surgery
• Notify your care provider if you develop a cold, sore throat, or infection

If you find these tips helpful or reassuring, you can find more information on how to prepare for surgery at Iowa City ASC by checking out our resource on surgery preparation as well as our resource that provides other preoperative information. For more peace of mind, though, it’s important to note again that feeling stressed about an upcoming surgery is natural. Many patients have at least some anxiety about their surgical procedure, but listening to advice of your care providers and following their checklists for surgery preparation can help to ensure your surgery experience goes smoothly. No matter what your procedure is, your care providers prioritize helping you and making your experience as comfortable as possible. So, if you have concerns or questions about your upcoming surgery, asking your care providers questions is of the utmost importance. After all, the best tip for preparing for surgery is consulting your care provider and using them as your number one resource for information that can give you peace of mind.

SUMMARY

If you or one of your loved ones has had surgery, you know how stressful it can be. Stress and surgery are a natural pairing, and many people deal with anxiety before their procedure. At Iowa City Ambulatory Surgical Center, our staff strives to provide patients with the highest quality of care while also putting their minds to rest about their upcoming procedures. We understand how confusing and stressful preoperative procedures can be for patients, so we prioritize informing our patients on what to expect. Our goal is to keep patients comfortable and provide them with a pleasant experience from start to finish.