Before Surgery

Pre-Registration 

A few days before your surgery, a Pre Certification representative may call you to obtain pre-registration information. For questions and concerns regarding insurance verification call the CareLine at 919-350-2273. Our Patient Account Representative will ask you for both personal and financial information. Please have all of your information available, including policy numbers and claims addresses for health insurance coverage. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may be asked for a deposit.

Pre-Op Appointment 

Your doctor will schedule your pre-op appointment within two week of your procedure. This appointment will either be an onsite visit in the preanesthesia assessment and testing clinic or a scheduled telephone interview by a nurse. Patients having robot-assisted surgery or being admitted to the hospital postoperatively should have a clinic visit. Patients with a complicated medical history, multiple medications or advanced age frequently benefit from a pre-anesthesia assessment and clinic visit. Exceptions : If you are having cataract surgery, you will be contacted by phone for your pre op visit. If you are having a minor procedure, that requires local anesthesia only no pre op appointment is necessary. Local anesthesia allows you to be awake during the procedure. Most outpatient surgeries require pre-operative testing such as blood and urine tests. Some require chest X-rays or EKGs (Electrocardiograms). You may have these tests completed within 14 days prior to your surgery. Depending on your procedure, the testing may be done on the day of surgery.

Allow up to two hours for the pre-op visit and lab studies. During your scheduled pre-op visit, you will meet with the pre-op teaching nurse and a member of the anesthesia team. Always bring your current list of medications including dosages and frequencies to the pre-op visit. It is not necessary for you to fast before your pre-op visit, unless your physician requires you to do so.

If you have had blood tests within the last three months or a chest X-ray, EKG (electrocardiogram), heart stress test, heart catheterization, or lung function tests within the last two years, please bring a copy of the report to your pre-op visit. You may also FAX it to 919-350-2562.

All Patients 

Please notify your surgeon if you take aspirin or blood thinners and talk to your cardiologist or primary care physician before you stop any of these medications before surgery. Examples of blood thinners include, but are not limited to Coumadin (Warfarin®), Dabigatran (Pradaxa®), Enoxaparin (Lovenox®), Clopidogrel (Plavix®) and Prasugrel (Effient®).

• Discontinue alternative medicine therapies such as herbal medications and weight loss supplements two weeks prior to your surgery.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages or smoke for 24 hours prior to your surgery.
• Call your doctor prior to surgery if you have a fever, cold, flu or other illness.
• The night before your surgery, do not eat or drink anything between midnight and the time of your surgery, unless instructed to do so by a WakeMed Pre-Op nurse. This includes water, juice, coffee, chewing gum or breath mints, smoking and alcohol. It is dangerous to be sedated or put to sleep with food or liquid in your stomach.

Advance Directives

Federal law requires us to inform every adult patient about advance directives. WakeMed has policies in place to honor advance directives made in accordance with North Carolina law.

At registration, you will be given written information about state laws regarding advance directives. We can provide copies of the living will and health care power of attorney forms. You may also request copies of our hospital policies regarding living wills and health care powers of attorney.

If you have an appointed health care power of attorney, please bring legal verification.

Organ and Tissue Donation

When you make the decision to donate organs and tissues, you are giving the most generous gift you can give: the gift of life. Recent medical advances make it possible to transplant many types of tissues and organs successfully. If you would like to become an organ donor, ask your nurse or physician for a Uniform Donor Card.

For further information about organ and tissue donation, please call Carolina Donor Services at 1-800-252-2672.

Cancellations 

Surgery may be canceled when:

• Food and drink guidelines are not followed.
• No responsible adult is available to drive you home or stay with you for 24 hours after surgery.
• There are unexpected changes in your medical condition.
• You arrive late on the day of your surgery.

If you need to cancel your appointment for surgery, please contact your physician

Billing & Insurance

Estimates Inquiry: Patients can contact the automated number at 919-350-7808, at least three business days prior to your surgery, between 8 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. You will be asked to provide your name, phone number, the type of surgical procedure, date and length of time scheduled, and the surgeon’s name. We will call you back with an estimate for your hospital bill, but please be aware that this is only an estimate. Your actual bill will be determined by the services your physician orders for you.

View a list of insurance plans accepted by WakeMed and learn more about Billing & Insurance.