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Overview

The Surgical Day Care Unit is an area where over 75% of all surgical admissions to hospital originate whether they be day care surgeries, surgical day care overnight stays at the Civic campus only, or same day admit surgeries. Day Care surgeries are for patients who require a surgical procedure without an overnight admission to the hospital. There are many advantages to a Day Care admission:

  • Less time spent in the hospital
  • Less time lost at work
  • The ability to return to a familiar setting for your recovery

* Some Day Care surgeries performed at the Civic Campus require patients to stay overnight in the Surgical Day Care Unit; the patients are then discharged home at 8 a.m. the following morning.

Same Day Admission surgeries are for patients who require a surgical or medical procedure and a subsequent overnight admission to the hospital. The advantages of coming to hospital the day of your scheduled surgery are:

  • Less time spent in the hospital
  • Less time lost at work pre-operatively
  • The ability to remain in a familiar setting pre-operatively

The following information will provide you with a description of what you can expect before, during and after your procedure. Information specific to your procedure will be presented to you by your surgeon and by the nurses in the Pre-Admission Clinic and Surgical Day Care Unit.

Note: If you develop a cold, flu or infections prior to your surgery, contact your physician. If you cannot reach your physician, contact the Surgical Day Care Unit.

The afternoon / evening before your procedure, you will be contacted by :

  • Admitting Department at the General Campus
  • Surgical Day Care Unit at Civic Campus
  • Patient Registration at the Riverside Campus

with your admission time. The admission time is the time you must arrive at the hospital; it is not the time of your surgery. Your surgical time will be provided when you arrive in the Surgical Day Care Unit.

  • Do not eat or drink anything except for water (this includes coffee, tea, chewing gum, hard candies), from midnight the evening before. You may drink water up to 3 hours before your surgery. If you take regular medications, you will receive specific instructions at the time of your pre-admission visit as to which ones you should take on the day of your surgery. If you have questions, please phone the Surgical Day Care Unit the day before your surgery.
  • Stop smoking as long before your surgery as you possibly can. Smoking affects your heart and lungs and adds to the risks of surgery.
  • If you are asthmatic bring your inhaler(s) (puffer) with you.
  • If you are diabetic, bring your insulin with you.
  • Please bring a list of your medications with you.

The day of your surgery:
Leave all money and valuables at home (including jewellery and keys). Take a shower or bath before you come to the hospital. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Remove all make-up and nail polish. For those patients being discharged home post-operatively a family member or friend must be available to take you home after your procedure. These arrangements must be made before you come to the hospital. For those patients being admitted to hospital post-operatively, a  bed will be assigned and your belongings will be sent to your room from the Surgical Day Care Unit.

It is important to be on time the day of your surgery. If you are late, your surgery could be postponed or cancelled. The time between your arrival and the actual time of the surgery allows the nursing staff to completed necessary paperwork, administering of pre-operative medications, test, and or the starting of an intravenous if required. Family may wait for you in a nearby waiting room or may return to home or work and we will call them. It is important to share all medical information with the Surgical Day Care Unit nurse (i.e.: reaction to medication, anaesthesia, difficulty hearing).

After the procedure:
We will contact your friend or family member and let them know when and where they can pick you up at the:

  • General Campus: Main entrance
  • Civic Campus: Main Entrance (Section A) or Carling Entrance (Section C)
  • Riverside Campus: at the Surgical Day Care Unit

When your friend/family member arrives:

  • At the General Campus, they will use the phone inside the Main Entrance to tell the Surgical Day Care Unit staff that they have arrived. A hospital porter will escort you out in a wheelchair.
  • At the Civic Campus there are two designated phones to the Surgical Day Care Unit: one at the Main Entrance and one at the Carling Entrance. The friend or family member picks up one of these phones that rings right to the Surgical Day Care Unit and lets the staff know that someone has arrived to pick the patient up. A Patient Care Assistant will escort you out in a wheelchair to the appropriate entrance.
  • At the Riverside Campus, they may go directly to the Surgical Day Care Unit on the Main level.

On leaving the hospital:
You will be discharged from the hospital as soon as it is advisable. A responsible adult must accompany all patients even if you are traveling by taxi. You are advised not to perform any tasks requiring skill, coordination or judgement, or make any legal decisions with 24 hours after your operation. For 24 hours following anaesthesia and/or while taking pain medication, you are advised not to consume alcohol, since it will increase the effects of your anaesthetic and /or pain medication. You will be given specific instructions in regards to wound care, pain control, follow-up, nourishment, activity, and regular medications prior to your discharge.

For your personal safety it is highly recommended that you have somebody staying with you the first 24 hours after surgery.

Making an Appointment

Physician Referral Needed

Civic Campus: Mon. – Fri., 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. (except overnight patients)
General Campus:
Mon. – Fri., 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Riverside Campus: Mon. – Fri., 7 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Contact Us

Civic Campus:
3rd Floor, Section D
Admitting – 613-761-4718

General Campus:
Critical Care Wing (CCW), 2nd Floor
SDCU – 613-737-8407 ; Admitting- 613-737-8200

Riverside Campus:
Main Level
Admitting – 613-738-8531

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Last updated on: December 9th, 2016