How to Prepare the Morning Before Surgery

The bullets below are a summary of what you’ll need to do the morning of your surgery to be ready. If you have any questions before surgery, feel free to call your care team.

• Make sure to take a shower with soap and water, and use the disinfecting soap, called chlorhexidine, we provided.
• After your shower, don’t use any lotion, powder, perfume. or deodorant. You also shouldn’t wear contact lenses or any jewelry at all, including watches and wedding rings.
• If you wear hearing aids and are unable to communicate without them, you should wear them and bring the storage container to put them in before going into the operating room.
• If you have diabetes, don’t take your insulin or diabetes pills. We’ll check your blood sugar at the hospital and give you any medication you need.
• If your doctor told you to take your other medications before coming to the hospital, take them with a small sip of water.
• Make sure to leave money and all other valuables at home.
• The only things to bring with you are your insurance cards, a photo ID, and the blood transfusion paper, if you have one.

The better prepared you are in advance, the more smoothly your hospital stay and recovery will go.