The Pacific Day Surgery is designed for the comfort and safety of patients who require hospitalisation only for a short period of time.
The staff are here to give you support before, during and after your surgery.
Our nurses and visiting medical consultants will prepare you for surgery and provide you with information on safe management and care at home.
Parking is available underneath Pacific Day Surgery and patients may be dropped off and collected from outside the entrance. Please be aware that the roads outside our boundary are no parking areas, are patrolled regularly by the Council and may incur a parking fine.
Please arrive promptly at your advised admission time and check in at the reception desk. You will be given admission forms to complete and issued with an identity wristband.
Hospital payments must be made at the time of admission in order for your surgery to proceed. Pacific Day Surgery can claim directly from your health fund for you. However, the balance due is the patient’s responsibility. Please be prepared to pay your portion of the bill when you arrive for surgery. Cash, Cheque, Credit Card and EFTPOS are accepted methods of payment.
You will receive separate accounts from the Day Surgery; your doctor; the anaesthetist (if one is required for your procedure); and the Pathology laboratory (if specimens are required).
After you have been admitted the nursing staff with take your health history. You will change into a surgical gown and must remove any hairpins, jewellery, dentures, contact lenses or glasses. These will remain with you during the procedure. You will then be escorted to a waiting area before your surgery.
The staff responsible for your care will verify who you are, what kind of surgery you are having, and the part of your body on which surgery is to be performed. You may be asked these questions a number of times but these repetitive confirmations are being done for your safety.
Depending on the type of surgery you are having, the doctor who will perform your surgery will mark the correct location on your body on which your procedure is to be performed. Called “site marking” this is a critical step in ensuring your safety and preventing errors. If possible, the surgery site will be marked while you are awake and you can be involved in the process.
A nurse will accompany you to the operating theatre where, if you are having a general or neurolept anaesthetic, your anaesthetist will give you medication to put you to sleep.
Recovery times will vary depending on the anaesthetic used. Generally it is about 5 minutes for local, 1 hour for neurolept and 1.5 hours for general anaesthetic.
After your surgery your doctor and the nurses will ask if you are feeling pain. It is important to report any pain so that you can receive appropriate relief. If you have questions about any medications, ask your doctor or nurse.
Anaesthesia and surgical side effects will in most cases be minor and affect only a small percentage of patients.
Common side effects tend to include:
Once you have recovered sufficiently, you will be moved to a comfortable recliner chair and served light refreshments. At all times you will be monitored by the recovery nurses.
A friend or relative may join you in the sit up recovery room. Please note that only one person per patient will be allowed into the pre-operation and recovery area.
When you are ready to be discharged a nurse will advise you how to manage your dressing and medication and who to contact regarding any problems you may have. You will also be advised on follow-up appointments. You may then be taken home accompanied by a responsible adult.
