Have a Positive Surgical Experience

Right Choice Index

Page Contents

Simple steps

Marking the site

Patient identification

Anesthesiologist

Herbal supplements

Be assertive

More information

Site Contents

Patients & visitors

Medical professionals

Yale-New Haven
Children's Hospital

Yale-New Haven
Psychiatric Hospital

General information

Calendar

Online resource

Press information

Phone Numbers

Directory assistance
(203) 688-4242

Patient Information
(203) 688-4177

Adult emergency
(203) 688-2222

Children's emergency
(203) 688-3333

Admitting
(203) 688-2221

Children's admitting
(203) 688-3331

Psychiatric admitting
(203) 688-9907

Mailing address:

Yale-New Haven Hospital
20 York Street
New Haven, CT 06510-3202

Simple Steps You Can Take

If you must have surgery, you want it to be a positive experience. Of course any surgical procedure carries an element of risk, but you and the surgical staff can reduce that risk by as much as 100 percent when you take some simple steps.

A growing emphasis on patient safety is making a difference. Now surgeons and other professionals have specific protocols designed to make surgery, in particular, safe and successful. As a patient, you should be as involved and informed as possible about these protocols and your surgery. Never be afraid to ask questions or do your best to ensure that your health care team has the information it needs to make the best decisions about your care.

Marking the Surgical Site

Make sure you and your surgeon agree on exactly what will be done during the operation.
Make sure the consent for surgery form specifies what type of surgery you are having and the location of surgery. For example: knee replacement, right side
Ask to have the surgical site marked with a permanent marker in the presence of the surgeon. This is routine in many hospitals.
Every member of the health care team should be able to confirm with you the location of the surgical site. You can also point it out to them.

Identifying the Patient

Expect various members of your health care team to check your name and the medical record number on your ID band. Two patients can have the same name, but no one else will have your medical record number.
Ask members of your health care team to tell you your name before surgery starts. Take the initiative and clearly state your name before surgery.
Hold your identification band out for inspection as a reminder to any staff member with whom you come in contact. Insist that the band be replaced if it is removed for an IV or other reasons.

Work with Your Anesthesiologist

While any anesthesia carries some risk, the drugs and techniques used today are safer than they've ever been. Technological advances are giving anesthesiologists quicker access to information about allergic reactions and the adverse effects of certain drugs. You can help by providing complete information about your medical history.

Talk to your anesthesiologist about any concerns you have. Anything you say is confidential, and the information you provide may affect important decisions made in administering your anesthesia.
Bring a list of your allergies and medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, nutritional supplements, vitamins and herbal products whenever you visit your physician or the hospital.
Remember to mention tobacco habits, and hard drug and alcohol use. These can affect your body even more than doctor-prescribed drugs.

Speak Up about Herbal Supplements

Anesthesiologists and surgeons have reported significant changes in heart rate or blood pressure in some patients who take certain herbal products. You may be asked to stop taking certain prescribed medications or some herbal products before surgery so they will be cleared from the body. Beware of even the most popular herbs. For example:

St. John’s Wort may prolong or intensify the effects of some narcotic drugs and anesthetic agents.
Ginko Biloba may interfere with blood clotting
Ginseng is associated with episodes of high blood pressure and rapid heart beat.

Be an Assertive Patient

While hospitals collect as much important information about you as they can before the operation begins, your health care team will welcome any additional information you want to share about the following:

Allergies, bad drug reactions or bad drug interactions that you have experienced.
The medications or herbal supplements you are taking.

Do not hesitate to ask:

How long will the operation last?
What will happen after surgery?

Additional Information

Yale-New Haven Hospital also offers other “Making the Right Choice” fact sheets that may be of interest if you are facing surgery or anticipating a hospital stay. Call (203) 688-2000 or toll free (888) 700-6543 for a free copy of "Patient Safety: Staying Safe in the Hospital," "How to Avoid Medication Errors," "Second Operations: What You Should Know" or "Overly Sensitive to Pain? Your Choice of Hospital for Surgery Can Reduce Your Pain." Information is also available from:

The American College of Surgeons (ACS)—Free series of pamphlets on “When You Need an Operation.”
American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) or the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA)—Free booklets on what you should know about anesthesia are available. For copies, write to the ASA at 520 North Northwest Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068-2573, or call (847) 825-5586; or AANA at 222 S. Prospect Avenue, Park Ridge, IL 60068-4001, or call (847) 692-7050.

Yale-New Haven Hospital would like to acknowledge that some of the material in this fact sheet came from the American College of Surgeons, the National Patient Safety Foundation and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.

Call (203) 688-2000 or toll free (888) 700-6543 to speak with a health information coordinator or request an appointment. You can also get physician information or request an appointment on this web site.

Last revised: March 8, 2004 (cfs)