Pre-Admitting Testing Center

The scheduling secretary in the Thoracic Surgery Office will give you a date and time to report for your pre-admission testing.

On the day of your appointment, you should report directly to the Pre-Admitting Testing Center (in the hall just across from the ambulatory lobby) where the following routine pre-admission procedures will be performed: electrocardiogram, urinalysis, and blood tests.

Next, you may have a chest x-ray done.

You can than expect to receive your pre-operative work up by Nursing, Surgery, and Anesthesia.

The nurse will review the Nursing History Questionnaire with you and will ask a few more questions. When the nurse has a good idea of your medical history and of your feelings about the upcoming surgery, we are better able to meet your needs while you are in the hospital. The nurse in Admitting will explain the pre-operative and post-operative routine to you and your family so that all of you will have a better idea of what to expect during your stay at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
A member of the Thoracic Surgery Service (either a resident or physician's assistant) will interview you and perform a physical exam. He or she will ask you to sign the Consent For Surgery after explaining the procedure and associated risks to you.
An anesthesiologist assigned to your case will also visit with you in order to obtain information about you that is pertinent to his or her role in your care. Once you have received an explanation of the anesthesia and its associated risks, you will be asked to sign the Consent for Anesthesia.
The chest physiotherapist will evaluate you if this was not previously done in the Thoracic Surgery Office.
The pre-admission procedure will take approximately three hours but may take longer. If the anesthesiologist is in the Operating Room doing another case, he or she may not be able to get away in order to see you promptly. We ask for your patience in this process, as work in a hospital is not always a predictable thing and delays do occur. You may want to take some time to have lunch prior to arriving at the Admitting Office.

In preparation for your surgery, you will be allowed to eat and drink until midnight, but after midnight you will not be allowed anything by mouth. NOTE: If you have been on medications at home, your doctor will determine which ones you will continue to take prior to surgery. If you need these medications after midnight, you may take them with a small amount of water.

We cannot assume responsibility for your propery. All valuables such as money, credit cards, and jewelry should be left at home or sent home with family members. If this is not possible, valuables can be stored in the Cashier's Office (in the main lobby) until you want them. Wedding bands must be removed prior to surgery. If you are unable to remove your band, it may be necessary to utilize a ring cutter to remove it.

You will know before leaving the hospital on your pre-admission day when and where to report on the day of surgery.

Comments to: KKee@partners.org

Division of Thoracic Surgery
Brigham and Women's Hospital
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: (617) 732-6824