After Your Surgery

Following surgery, you will be taken to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Specially trained nurses will monitor your progress in recovering from the immediate effects of your surgery and anesthesia. Oxygen is routinely used upon arrival to PACU. You will be asked to cough and deep breathe and you will also be asked to assist the nurse in evaluating your pain.

Your recovery time will vary from one to three hours, depending upon the type of procedure you have had and the anesthesia used and how you respond to pain medication. Pain medications are given as needed. Although absence of pain may not be possible, we want to make you as comfortable as possible. Each patient responds differently to anesthesia so please do not be alarmed if you remain in PACU longer than the average time. The PACU staff may call a general telephone update to waiting family about two hours after surgery.

Some patients spend the night in PACU. To protect the privacy of all patients, there are no routine visiting hours in the PACU. Visiting can be arranged on an individualized basis for patients with special needs or who are staying overnight in the recovery room.