Patients
The Stay
The day of surgery
Reminder :
You must have taken a bath or shower and removed all your jewelry (chains, earrings, rings, “body piercings”) and hair ties, makeup, and nail polish. Also, remove your vaginal tampon and use a sanitary napkin if necessary. Do not apply deodorant or antiperspirant in the morning before breast augmentation surgery.
Medication the day of surgery
On the day of your surgery, do not take any medications including heart, blood pressure, and diabetes medications until you meet with the anesthesiologist. They will assess the medication to take or to avoid. If in doubt, you can check with the CMC nursing staff at 514 332-7091 extension 211.
Respiratory pumps must be taken the morning of surgery, even if you normally only take them as needed.
REMINDER: If your surgeon has told you to take your usual medication the morning of your surgery, you can take it with only a sip of water (about 15ml).
Where to go
You must go to the reception of the Complexe chirurgical CMC located at 999 De Salaberry Street, Montreal, QC H3L 1L2 for your admission. The main entrance is on Poincaré cross street. You should be there on the day and at the time designated by your surgeon.
! Please note that the time of your admission does not match the time of your surgery. Only one companion is authorized during your stay at the CMC.
Admission
You will be greeted by a member of the nursing staff who will complete your file with you and answer all your questions.
We will ask you:
- An up-to-date list of your medications;
- Your medications, they MUST in their original containers. We will not be able to accept drugs in a pod prepared by the pharmacist;
- Your health insurance card.
The consultation
The morning of your surgical procedure, your anesthesiologist and your surgeon will meet with you to discuss anesthesia and surgery, and they will answer all your questions.
Premedication
About two hours before your surgery, the nursing staff will give you a premedication in the form of tablets which will be used to reduce postoperative pain as well as the risk of nausea and vomiting.
Anesthesia
The anesthesiologist will meet with you before the surgery and it is with them that you will decide, based on your medical record and the planned surgery, which type of anesthesia will be preferred.
General: The anesthesiologist will give you the correct medication by intravenous infusion. You will be completely asleep.
Regional (spinal anesthesia): It is characterized by anesthesia of only part of the body. Medication will be used to suppress feeling and motor skills in that part of your body. You will not feel a thing while you stay awake. You may be given medication to relax you.
Local with sedation: Only the operated part will be affected following an injection of local anesthesia. You will be given medication and you will be semi-conscious and very relaxed throughout your surgery.
Local without sedation: For this type of anesthesia, the presence of the anesthesiologist is not required. Only the operated part will be insensitive to pain following an injection of local anesthesia by your surgeon.
In the operating room
A member of the operating room nursing staff will re-check your identity and medical records. Do not hesitate to ask questions if you have them.
The people present are usually your surgeon, an assistant if necessary, an anesthesiologist, a member of the nursing staff, a respiratory therapist, as well as an attendant.
Recovery room
Immediately after the surgery, you will be transferred to the recovery room. It is normal at this time to feel nausea and vomit. These symptoms are part of the side effects of anesthesia.
The time spent in the recovery room is approximately 30 to 45 minutes and will allow you to recover under the continuous supervision of the nursing staff.
Coming back from the recovery room
Day surgery
You will then be transferred to our day surgery unit for approximately 2 hours and your companion will be allowed to come visit you. To respect the rest of other patients, one person at a time will be allowed to come and visit you.
Hospitalization
If your surgeon has advised you to stay overnight at the CMC, you will be transferred from the recovery room to your room where a member of staff will help you move from the stretcher to your bed. Nurses will check your pulse, blood pressure, breathing, bandage, pain, etc.
Medical leave
You will receive your medical leave when your pain is well controlled, and you are able to urinate for the first time. At this time, you will be allowed to leave the CMC with your companion. Before your departure, you will receive your departure prescription as well as information relating to your postoperative care at home.
! You must be accompanied when leaving our establishment.
Pain
Be aware that the higher your pain, the more difficult it will be to relieve. The pain is often more severe for 48 to 72 hours after surgery. Unrelieved pain can slow your recovery and negatively impact sleep, digestion, and anxiety.
Here are the instructions to help you better control it.
- Make sure you take narcotic pain relievers regularly, and as prescribed by your surgeon, for the first 48 hours.
- You can also combine acetaminophen (Tylenol®) with narcotic pain relievers if the pain is not getting enough relief. See your doctor if your pain does not improve.
- After 48 hours, you can continue to take narcotic pain relievers or acetaminophen (Tylenol®) as needed if the pain becomes bothersome.
Always follow the medical prescription and refer to your pharmacist or attending physician as needed to ensure safe use of acetaminophen.
Drinking alcohol and driving a motor vehicle is prohibited while taking narcotic pain relievers.
Refer to the Guide to Narcotic Analgesics document that was given to you upon admission. It is also available on our website at: www.cmcmontreal.com
Food
Your diet will begin with a light meal. If you don’t feel nauseous, you can gradually return to a regular diet.
Mobility
Nursing staff will help you get up for the first time after your surgery. Thereafter, you will be encouraged to move very often to prevent circulatory and pulmonary complications.
Rest
In the days following your surgery, you will need to rest.
In order to respect the rest of other patients, please note that only one person at a time will be allowed to come and visit you. Also, we will ask you to avoid noise and loud conversations.
Our visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.