Day Before Your Procedure

• Do not drink alcohol at least 24 hours before your procedure.
• If you take blood thinners such as aspirin, Coumadin, Elequis, NSAIDS (i.e. Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen or aspirin), you must speak to your doctor at least 5-6 days before your scheduled procedure about which medications to hold prior to your procedure.

Colonoscopy:

• Don't eat solid foods. Instead, consume only clear liquids like clear broth or bouillon, black coffee, tea without sugar, clear juice (apple, white grape), clear soft drinks or sports drinks, Jell-o, popsicles, etc. Nothing red, blue or purple in color!

• Follow the "bowel prep" instructions given to you by the doctor. If you have any questions regarding the prep, please contact the doctor's office.

Upper Endoscopy:

• You may have a normal diet a day before your procedure, but do not drink or eat anything after midnight.

Day of Your Procedure

Things to Do on the Day of Your Procedure

• Please arrive at least 1 hour before your procedure. If you arrive late your procedure could be cancelled.

• Please be sure you have someone to drive you home and care for you after your surgery.

• Please take any medication you normally take in the morning, especially blood pressure medications, anything for your heart, or seizure medications unless instructed otherwise. If you usually take medications in the evening, please take as usual.

• Please be sure to bring one form of picture ID (i.e. driver's license, passport) and your medical insurance card(s) on the day of your procedure so that our front office staff can validate your identity as required by California law.

• Do not wear any makeup, nail polish, or lotions on the day of procedure or you will be asked to remove them, which could cause a delay.

• Wear comfortable clothes that are easy to slip on and off. When you arrive, we will give you a garment bag for your shoes and clothes. You will be asked to remove your clothes and put on a patient gown with the opening in the back. We will also ask you to wear a hair cover during your surgery that we will provide.

• Leave your valuables at home (i.e. jewelry, money, watch) or with the person who is driving you to our surgery center.

• If you wear glasses, contacts, or hearing aids, bring along a case to store them in during your procedure.

• If you wear dentures, removable bridgeworks, etc., you may be asked to remove them before the procedure.

• If you have a cold, a fever of 100° F or higher, a skin rash, or an infection of any kind, notify your doctor immediately.

• Smokers should not smoke for 24-48 hours before your procedure, to enhance breathing.

• Bring all of your prescription medications with you on the day of your procedure. If you are taking any over-the-counter medications or herbal substances, please bring them as well.

After Your Procedure

Remember, you must have a responsible adult to accompany you in a rideshare and/or drive you home.

• After your procedure, you will be taken to a recovery room. From there you will be cared for by our trained staff, given a light snack and will be assisted to get ready for your return home.

• For your own safety, a responsible adult MUST drive you home and should stay with you for the first 24 hours.

• A PACU nurse will call your family or friend once you have gotten settled in PACU to provide an update and to arrange for discharge pick up. The nurse will also go over any discharge instructions with both the patient and the loved one at discharge.

• Because sedation and/or anesthesia may temporarily impair your judgement or sensory-motor skills, we recommended you do not drive or operate any heavy machinery or make any important decisions for the remainder of the day.

• You will recieve a follow up phone call from one of our nurses 24-48 hours after your surgery.

Day Before Your Surgery

• Do not drink alcohol at least 24 hours before your surgery.
• If you take blood thinners such as aspirin, Coumadin, Elequis, NSAIDS (i.e. Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen or aspirin), you must speak to your doctor at least 5-6 days before your scheduled surgery about which medications to hold prior to your surgery.

Night Before Surgery

What you CAN do:

• You can eat a normal meal the night before your surgery.

• Your stomach needs to be completely empty to avoid any risk of aspiration (stomach fluid backing up into your lungs during your surgery).

• You may bathe or take a shower on the morning of your surgery. Wash from your neck down with an anti-bacterial soap.

What you should NOT do:

• Do not eat, drink, or chew anything after 12:00 a.m. (midnight). This includes gum, mints, and water.

• Do not remove any hair from the surgical site.

Day of Your Surgery

Things to Do on the Day of Your Surgery 

• Please arrive at least 1 and half hours before your procedure.

• Please be sure to bring one form of picture ID (i.e. driver's license, passport) and your medical insurance card(s) on the day of your surgery so that our front office staff can validate your identity as required by California law.

• Do not wear any makeup, nail polish, or lotions on the day of surgery or you will be asked to remove them, which could cause a delay in your surgery time.

• Do not remove any hair from the surgical site.

• Bring all of your prescription medications with you on the day of your surgery. If you are taking any over-the-counter medications or herbal substances, please bring them as well.

• If you take medication for your blood pressure, take early but with as little water as possible.

• If you take insulin, please make sure to notify us so we can alert your anesthesiologist and surgeon.

• Leave your valuables at home (i.e. jewelry, money, watch) or with the person who is driving you to our surgery center.

• Wear comfortable clothes that are easy to slip on and off. When you arrive, we will give you a garment bag for your shoes and clothes. You will be asked to remove your clothes and put on a patient gown with the opening in the back. We will also ask you to wear a hair cover during your surgery that we will provide.

• On the day of surgery, all women of childbearing ages (10-55 years) will be asked for a urine sample so we can perform a urine pregnancy test prior to your surgery. If you suspect you are pregnant, please notify us immediately.

• If you wear glasses, contacts, or hearing aids, bring along a case to store them in during your surgery.

• If you wear dentures, removable bridgeworks, etc., you may be asked to remove them before the surgery.

• If you have a cold, a fever of 100° F or higher, a skin rash, or an infection of any kind, notify your doctor immediately.

• Smokers should not smoke for 24-48 hours before your surgery, to enhance breathing.

• Bring all of your prescription medications with you on the day of your surgery. If you are taking any over-the-counter medications or herbal substances, please bring them as well.

Day After Your Surgery

Things to Do After Your Surgery

Remember, you must have a responsible adult to accompany you in a rideshare and/or drive you home.

• After surgery, you will be taken to our post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) where our nurses will make you comfortable and monitor your condition as you become more awake.

• We ask family members to be patient during your time in our PACU.

• A PACU nurse will call your family or friend once you have gotten settled in PACU to provide an update and to arrange for discharge pick up. The nurse will also go over any discharge instructions with both the patient and the loved one at discharge.

• Because sedation and/or anesthesia may temporarily impair your judgement or sensory-motor skills, we recommended you do not drive or operate any heavy machinery or make any important decisions for the remainder of the day.

• Please make arrangements to have someone with you for the first 24 hours. We will provide you with specific discharge instructions.

• We will provide post-operative supplies (i.e. bandages/tape) for the first 24 hours.

• You will receive a follow up phone call from one of our nurses 24-48 hours after your surgery.