Before you decide whether to have surgery through Northern Arizona Healthcare, you’ll set up a presurgical consultation. Afterward, if you choose to move forward with the surgery, you’ll make a preadmission appointment.
Here’s what to expect from both meetings:
Your presurgical consultation
Typically, when your primary care physician diagnoses a health condition that may be corrected with surgery, you’ll be referred to a surgical center at one of our Flagstaff or Verde Valley locations.
From there, you’ll meet with one of our board-certified surgeons. During this consultation, your surgeon will examine you, discuss your health conditions and goals, and determine whether surgery is a good treatment option for you.
If you and your surgeon agree on proceeding with the surgery, the surgery will be scheduled, along with any necessary preadmission appointments.
Your preadmission appointment
If surgery is scheduled, you’ll also be scheduled for an in-person or telephone appointment with the preadmission department to go over what happens during the procedure.
When you arrive for your preadmission appointment, you’ll check in with the surgical registration desk. If ineeded, our registration staff can assist you with insurance authorization.
Please allow one to two hours for this appointment.
Your preadmission appointment instructions
Bring a current list of your prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and vitamin and herbal supplements, including dosage amounts. You should also bring a list of any allergies.
Your preadmission nurse will complete your health and surgical history, make sure key tests are completed, go over instructions for the day of surgery and answer your questions.
The nurse will also need a copy of any prior heart tests, along with notes from your cardiologist. Some required tests can be performed at a facility close to your home. The results will need to be faxed to the preadmission office of your surgery center.
Do not stop using medication without your physician’s approval. Your nurse will instruct you about any medications that need to be taken the day of surgery.