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Preparing for Surgery

Hospital Information

There are several hospitals and facilities in the Albuquerque area where surgery is performed depending on your insurance coverage.  Please click on the hospital name for specific details regarding location, time of arrival etc.

• Lovelace Downtown
  
• Health South Surgical Center
  
• Presbyterian Day Surgery Unit
• Presbyterian Hospital (In-patient)
• Women's Hospital
  

What to Expect

In-Patient Surgery

You can generally expect to stay in the hospital more than 24 hours.  The time you will stay depends on the type of surgery you have and how quickly you recover.  Your physician can tell you how many days you can generally expect to be admitted to the hospital.

Out-Patient Surgery

If you are scheduled to stay in the hospital less than 24 hours your surgery is considered to be out-patient.   If surgery is performed in an out-patient surgical unit or surgical center you will likely return home the same day your surgery is performed.  For some out-patient surgeries you will be admitted to the hospital overnight but leave prior to 24 hours of hospital admission.

Laparoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopic surgery generally requires preparation of your intestines or bowels prior to surgery.  Carbon dioxide gas used during the surgery to inflate your abdomen can sometimes cause post-operative pain referred to the shoulders when the diaphragm is irritated by the gas.  The gas is not harmful and this pain usually goes away within 48 hours after surgery.

You should plan for a quicker recovery than for procedures with a large abdominal incision.  Your physician can tell you how many days your recovery back to usual activity will be.

Instructions for Bowel Preparation

Laparoscopic and sometimes abdominal surgery requires that you "clean" your bowel, or intestines the day before your scheduled surgery.  Cleaning your bowel requires that you drink a medication that causes emptying of stool from the bowel.  This process is slightly uncomfortable, but necessary.  You may experience mild nausea, abdominal cramping and gas.  Rarely does a vomiting episode occur and should not alarm you.  If you are having difficulties regarding your bowel preparation please feel free to contact us.

• Instructions for Bowel Preparation
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