Pre-Op Visit

Pre-operative Visit & Phone Calls

You may be scheduled for a pre-op phone call or visit to assist the hospital in gathering information before the day of surgery. If you are scheduled for a pre-op, pre-anesthesia visit, the visit will be at WakeMed Raleigh Medical Park, 23 Sunnybrook Road, Suite 110. Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time to register. If you are late, there may be a chance that you will be rescheduled or need to wait for an open appointment time if one is available.

Sign up for WakeMed MyChart

Once your surgery is scheduled, you will receive an email message that includes a MyChart activation code. If you are not a WakeMed MyChart user, please use this code to sign up. MyChart is a secure, online patient portal. You and your WakeMed providers can communicate through MyChart. Plus, you can use MyChart to request appointments and prescription refills, view information about any appointments you have before and after your procedure and see your test results. If you do not have a computer or cell phone, we will communicate with you in the way that you choose (home phone, etc.). Getting Started with MyChart

• 1. Visit WakeMed MyChart.
• 2. Click on “Sign Up Now.”
• 3. Enter your activation code, date of birth and zip code, and click “Next”. You will be taken to the next sign-up page where you will be asked to create a user name, password and security question.
• 4. Select your communication preference. Be sure to enter a valid email address so you can be notified when new information is available in your MyChart account.

If you have trouble signing up, please call 919-350-2288 or email us at mychart@wakemed.org. You can also access WakeMed MyChart by downloading the app from Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Heart Center Pre- & Post-procedure Care Area

You may be instructed to arrive at The Heart Center Pre- & Post-procedure Care Area. This is where patients go to prepare for and recover from an invasive cardiology procedure like a heart catheterization. The length of procedures and need to stay overnight in the hospital vary, so please follow the instructions provided by your physician’s office for the time you should arrive at the hospital for your procedure, your diet and instructions related to your medications. The phone number is 919-350-8880.

When you arrive at the Heart Center you will be able to register in the Heart Center registration area which opens at 5:45 am. You and your family will be accompanied to the Heart Center Pre- & Postprocedure Care Area. A waiting room is available for your family’s convenience. A nurse will help you get ready for your procedure.

After your procedure you will return to our department for post-procedure care and monitoring. Your physician and nurse will continue to monitor you closely following a plan of care to ensure you receive the highest quality and safest care.

Endoscopy

You may be instructed to arrive at Endoscopy in the Andrews Center for your procedure. The Endoscopy registration area opens at 7 am. You will need to arrive 90 minutes prior your scheduled procedure time. The length of time it takes to complete the type of procedure you are having varies, but you can expect to spend 30-45 minutes in recovery. The person taking you home should stay in Endoscopy.

Please be sure you have received instructions from your doctor’s office about the diet you should follow and anything you need to do for the 48 hours before your procedure. General information is available in this book, but your doctor’s office may have special instructions for you to follow as well. Check with your doctor concerning heart, blood pressure and blood thinning medications prior to the day of your procedure. Please call Endoscopy if you have a cold, fever, flu, or other illnesses at 919-350-8648.

Patient Registration

The Patient Registration entrance is located just past the Andrews Center. It opens at 5 am and closes at 9 pm. In Registration, you will be asked for your picture ID for verification and your insurance card. Parking is in the Orange Deck (P3) across from Patient Registration. Please bring your parking ticket with you to have it validated. This deck is to be used by you and your escort on the day of your surgery. WakeMed visitors will park in a separate parking deck. Please see the Raleigh Campus map for directions to Visitor Parking, Green Deck (P1).

Billing/Insurance

Payment for services will be arranged at Patient Registration. If you have questions about payment, please call the Business Office at 919-350-8359 between 9 am and 6 pm, Monday through Friday. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may be asked for a deposit. A picture ID is required at the time of registration. Please bring your insurance card and any claim forms required by your insurance company on the day of surgery so we can file claims related to your procedure.

If you have questions about your insurance coverage for your procedure, please call 919-350-2273. Remember to contact your insurance company prior to surgery to determine if pre-certification or a second opinion is required. You will be billed separately for the anesthesiologist’s, surgeon’s and radiologist’s services.

Advanced Directives

During your stay in the hospital, you will be asked about an advance directive, and if you have registered the directive with the State of North Carolina. This is a set of directions you can give ahead of time about the health care you want if you ever lose the ability to make decisions for yourself. There are different types of advance directives – the living will, the health care power of attorney, and the advance instruction for mental health treatment. If you have registered your directive with the State of North Carolina, you will be asked for your patient’s registry file number and password so that the file can be accessed and printed for your medical record. If you do not have one, your nurse will provide you with the appropriate forms to complete one.

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. Your nurse will give you written information about the state law regarding advance directives and can provide you with copies of the living will, health care power of attorney, and advance instruction for mental health treatment forms. You may also request copies of our hospital policies regarding living wills, health care powers of attorney, and advance instruction for mental health treatment from your nurse.

Organ and Tissue Donation

When you arrange 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. There are a number of ways an individual may make a personal anatomical gift designated by will, valid donor card and other valid document through the individual’s telegraphic, recorded telephonic, or other recorded message. It may also be designated through an Advance Health Care Directive and filed with the online registry with the state of North Carolina. If so, staff will ask for the patient’s registry number and password so that the file can be accessed and printed for the medical record.

Pre-Anesthesia Assessment & Testing

Please read this information carefully, and follow all the instructions for your scheduled procedure. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 919-350-4129 or your surgeon’s office.