A Guide to Prepare You for Your Surgical Procedure

Virtual Tours

Take a virtual tour to see where you will go, what you will do and what you can expect during your surgery. We have set-up a tour for our surgical facilities, as well as our Perioperative Evaluation and Preparation (PEP) team.

Click below for the tours most appropriate for you.

• Perioperative Evaluation and Preparation (PEP) Process and Team
• Christiana Hospital Surgical Procedure Unit and Operating Rooms
• Christiana Surgicenter
• Roxana Cannon Arsht Surgicenter (Wilmington Campus)
• Wilmington Hospital Surgical Procedure Unit and Operating Rooms

Pre-registration/Insurance verification

What to expect: A representative from Christiana Care's Admitting Department will contact you by phone to preregister you for your procedure. Please be prepared to provide your health insurance information. During this preregistration, you will also be scheduled for a telephone interview with a nurse from the Perioperative Evaluation and Preparation (PEP) team. This interview is a REQUIRED part of your surgical preparation and will take about 30 minutes. The PEP nurse will review your medical history and give you instructions for the day of your surgery. Please make every effort to schedule this interview and keep the scheduled appointment. The nurse will call within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

What you can do to be prepared: Be sure to make a list of your medications including dosages and when you take them. Please include any vitamins, herbal supplements and medications you take without a prescription. Have a list of previous surgeries and your medical history information available also. You will need a pen and paper to write down instructions from the nurse. You will be asked to repeat back your instructions. This phone call is a good time for you to ask any questions you might have. If you have any questions regarding your instructions after your telephone interview please call us at 302-327-7700 and ask to speak with one of the PEP nurses.

A helpful source of general information regarding your anesthesia can be accessed at www.christianacare.org/anesthesia .

Presurgical testing

What to expect: The type of procedure you are having and your medical history will determine what pre-surgical testing you will need. If your doctor gives you a form listing the tests you will need, please bring it with you for pre-surgical testing.

Note: A parent, guardian or authorized adult must be present when a minor patient has presurgical testing.

What you can do to be prepared: Please check with your insurance carrier to determine where you can have your presurgical testing. If you come to Christiana Care for your testing, bring all forms the doctor may have given you.

Christiana Care offers pre-surgical testing at Christiana and Wilmington hospitals.

Christiana Hospital lab hours are weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wilmington Hospital lab hours are weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
We no longer have Saturday hours.

No appointment is necessary. All testing needs to be completed within 30 days of the procedure, but no later than 7 days before your procedure. If you have your lab work completed at a facility other than Christiana Care, please notify the selected lab that all lab results must be faxed to Christiana Care - PEP at 866-360-7822.

The day of your procedure

Please follow all instructions provided by your surgeon and the PEP nurse.

Please arrive at the hospital at the time instructed by the doctor. If you are having your procedure in Christiana or Wilmington hospitals, you should arrive 2 hours prior to your procedure start time. If you are scheduled in one of our surgicenters, you should arrive 1 ½ hours prior to your procedure start time. Please do not arrive any earlier than 5 a.m. at Christiana Hospital or 6 a.m. at any other site.

Leave all valuables and money at home. Christiana Care is not responsible for personal property, valuables or assistive devices brought to the hospital and left with the patient.

A family member or friend may stay with you until you are taken to the operating room. They may then wait in the surgical waiting lounge. The surgeon or nurse will come there to update your family member or friend on your condition. A parent or guardian must accompany any patient under 18 to the hospital or Surgicenter and may not leave the facility while the child is in the operating room.

Please check with your nurse after surgery to learn about visiting policies. Please discuss any problems or concerns with your nurse.

Note: If you will be spending the night, private rooms are available for an additional charge over semi-private room rates (subject to availability).

Directions

Christiana Hospital
Park in designated lots near the hospital entrance. Look for the pink Junior Board shuttle for a quick, comfortable ride between the parking lots. The shuttles run weekdays from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Valet parking service is available at the main hospital entrance Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. Cost is $2 for one hour or $3 for the day. Please see the attendant at the information desk on off hours.
Go to the information desk and they will give you directions to the Surgery and Procedure Unit.

Wilmington Hospital
At the end of Jefferson Street, turn right at the stop sign. Turn left at the next stop sign and continue to the circle. You will enter the hospital through the patient entrance to the left of the valet booth. Take the elevator to the 7th floor and proceed right to the Surgery and Procedure Unit.

Valet Parking Service is available Monday - Friday, 6:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cost is $4 for the first two hours and $3 for each additional hour. Please see the attendant in the main circle. Patients and visitors may also park in the parking garage on the Wilmington Hospital campus.

Roxana Cannon Arsht Surgicenter
Turn left into the parking lot from Jefferson Street and park in the lot directly in front of the Surgicenter.

Christiana Surgicenter
Please follow the signs on the Christiana Hospital campus.

Important phone Numbers (all 302)

Admitting	327-3499
Patient Relations - Christiana	733-1340
Patient Relations - Wilmington	428-4608
PEP team	327-7700
PEP team fax	327-7574

Smoke-free campuses

All Christiana Care facilities are smoke free, both inside and outside, for everyone on our campuses. Thank you for sharing this message with any family members or visitors planning to visit you during your hospital stay. If you smoke, please see your physician for a prescription for a nicotine replacement therapy during your hospital stay.