How to Support Safe Surgery

Aim to choose a qualified surgeon from a safe hospital 

Unless it’s an emergency situation, you’re in the driver’s seat more than you know. Surgeons and hospitals have differing levels of expertise and success.

Every patient has the right to “shop around” because every surgery carries risk. Knowing how to minimize risks for best-case results will lend peace of mind that surgery  won’t be “a lemon”.

Urge your loved one to talk to surgeons who have done “thousands” of the planned surgery, not “hundreds.” (May mean traveling to a different city if affordable.)

Scheduling the Surgery

• If surgery is not an emergency, urge your loved one to schedule it on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (safest days for surgeries).
• If possible, avoid July, August, and major holiday weeks when senior hospital staff have earned time off.
• Schedule surgery for when the surgeon will be working and available to your loved one for several days afterward. (It’s OK to ask, “Planning a vacation?”)
• If the surgeon works at different hospitals, help your loved one find out which one has the best safety score.

How to help your loved one prepare for the day of surgery

A lot of care goes into getting ready for surgery, an anxious time for most patients. From tests, to showering properly, to gathering medications, you can help support these safe steps to a safe surgery.

• • Download all of our surgery checklists and take them to doctor visits. Go over them together. (If the surgeon objects to these safety checklists, consider finding another surgeon!)
  • Urge your loved one to talk to the surgeon about a screening MRSA test — a quick swab inside the nose. It’s a helpful test so the hospital will know to take some special steps if your loved one carries this germ.
  • Ask for the doctor’s advice about diet and exercise to prep for surgery.
  • Read the surgeon’s pre-surgery instructions. Help make sure your loved one follows these instructions “to a T!”
  • For 2 to 3 days before surgery, remind your loved one to shower with antibacterial shampoo and body soap, with a final shower just before going to the hospital. (Chlorhexidine soap is effective and available at most drugstores.)
  • If your loved one is having surgery on a “twin organ” (like kidneys or lungs), or on an arm or leg, help avoid confusion over which side requires surgery. Put a large piece of masking tape over the side that should NOT be cut. Write a big, bold “NO!” on this tape for the side that should not be touched by the surgeon.
  • Keep your loved one warm. In cold weather, warm up the car first. Make sure hair is dry. No matter what the season, bring an extra sweater or other soft, warm clothing; hospitals have some very chilly areas.

What to Do at the Hospital the Day of Surgery

Details to confirm:

• • Your loved one’s name
  • Procedure
  • Location of procedure (ask for it to be marked)
  • Current medications
  • Allergies
  • Last time your loved one had anything to eat or drink
  • Any other information the surgeon feels is important
  • How long the surgery will take
  • When you can expect updates during the surgery

Confirm the surgical team will:

Take a “Time Out” or “Huddle” just before the surgery to confirm correct patient procedure and …

• • Review your loved one’s medications, allergies and any other special conditions
  • Introduce team members to each other
  • Use a surgical checklist
  • Ask that nurse clip (not shave) hair that may need to be removed
  • Give an antibiotic on time (Who is responsible? What time?)
  • Keep your loved one warm
  • Provide additional oxygen

How to help as your loved one recovers

During the Hospital Stay

Because nurses typically care for up to 8 patients at a time in their units, it’s important for you to pitch in to help make sure your loved one doesn’t suffer any of the common complications that often add extra days to hospital stays. Our Hospital Stay Checklists make it easy to know what to look for, what to do, and what to ask.