The operating room (OR) nurse, or an Operating Room Aide (ORA) will take you to the Operating Room. It is common for different members of your OR team (surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurses) to ask you similar questions regarding your health and surgery. This provides you with safe and high-quality patient care.
- In the operating room, staff will help you move from the stretcher to the operating room table. A warm flannel blanket is provided to keep you warm and comfortable before the surgery.
- An intravenous line (commonly referred to as an IV) must be inserted before starting your anesthetic. If an IV was not started in the surgical preparation unit, the anesthesiologist will start one.
- For all surgeries, monitoring equipment is applied to assess your vital signs during surgery. An automatic blood pressure cuff will be put on one of your arms. Electrodes will be placed on your chest to monitor your heart. A probe similar to a clothes peg will be placed on your finger to measure the oxygen levels in your blood.
- Your anesthesiologist may ask you additional questions at this time related to your health history.
- You will be introduced to the nursing team in the operating room. The circulating nurse will coordinate the necessary supplies and equipment for your surgery. There will also be an OR scrub nurse, wearing a sterile gown and gloves, setting up the sterile supplies for your surgery.
- London Health Sciences Centre is a teaching hospital. It is common to meet nurses, physicians, and others, in ‘student’ roles as they further train and learn from the experts.
- Your anesthesiologist will prepare you for surgery by placing a mask over your mouth and nose and giving you some medication in your IV.
- Once your surgery has been completed, you will be moved onto a stretcher or a bed and transferred to the Post Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU) or a specialized monitoring unit.
- Your surgeon or a member of the team will try to speak to your family member(s) at this time if they are in the waiting area.
