Center for Preoperative Care

The team at the Center for Preoperative Care helps you prepare for your surgery or medical procedure. We ensure that your individual needs are addressed in advance to enhance your safety and to help you have a smooth recovery. We work with you to make your preoperative visit as informative, convenient, and comfortable as possible.

A preoperative visit with our team may be required before a scheduled surgery or procedure. Typically, an anesthesiologist or member of your surgical team reviews your medical chart and decides whether you need a preoperative visit. We recommend that you bring along a family member, a loved one, or a friend who can help you answer questions and take notes for you to review later. 

During your appointment, we ask questions about your health and medical history. We also talk with you about what to expect during and after your procedure. At the end of the appointment, we provide you with written medical information. We encourage you to keep this in a safe place and read at home in advance of your scheduled procedure.

Before your appointment, you can eat and take all your medications as usual. This is the case unless your surgeon or physician has told you otherwise or you have any other appointments scheduled for the same day that require you to fast. If you are abstaining from food or drink, please let us know so we can monitor your health and expedite test results, if necessary.

Scheduling Your Preoperative Care Visit

Your surgical team may instruct you to call us to schedule your preoperative visit. When you call, please let us know about other appointments you may have in preparation for your upcoming procedure. Our goal is to schedule your appointment at a convenient time, so you don’t have to make more trips than necessary.

Let us know about any special needs you may have. These include the use of a wheelchair, a stretcher, oxygen, or Access-A-Ride. If you or anyone accompanying you to your appointment prefers to communicate in a language other than English, we are happy to provide a professional medical interpreter at no cost to you. Sign language interpreters and other communication services are available for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, also at no cost.

Please feel free to advise us if you have cultural beliefs or practices that may affect your medical care.

Online Preoperative Care Visits

Depending on your procedure or medical history, we also offer preoperative visits through the NYU Langone Health app. The app is a secure and confidential platform that allows our team to conduct your preoperative review online from the comfort of your home or at another location that is convenient for you.

Confirming or Canceling Your Appointment

Your in-person visit takes place at one of our three testing locations. Your surgical care team can help you confirm where your appointment is scheduled.

One to two business days before your in-person appointment, you receive a phone call informing you what time to arrive at our office, as well as how long your appointment is expected to take. The length of the visit depends on the type of procedure you are having and your health history.

When our staff member calls you, he or she also reviews any instructions for your appointment and asks you a few questions about your health, medications, and medical history.

If you are scheduled for an online visit, you receive a text message 20 minutes before your appointment to remind you of your upcoming visit.

Please be on time for your appointment. If you need to cancel your appointment for any reason, please call us and we can reschedule for another time that is convenient for you.

What to Bring to Your Preoperative Care Appointment

When you come for your appointment, we ask that you bring the following items:

• a list of all prescription and over-the-counter medications you are taking, including vitamins and herbal supplements of any kind, as well as the dosage and how often you take each one
• your complete medical history, including all illnesses you’ve had, as well as all treatments, hospitalizations, and surgeries or procedures you’ve had
• a list of all your allergies, including allergies to food and medications
• copies of any recent blood test results, electrocardiogram (EKG) results, X-rays, or other radiology reports that are no more than one year old by the date of your surgery or procedure
• your insurance card or cards
• a photo ID
• the name, phone number, and fax number of your primary care physician
• a copy of your healthcare proxy or living will if you have one

If you do not already have a healthcare proxy, our staff can give you information about advance care planning. A nurse can help you fill out the form. If you prefer, you can fill out the form at home and bring it with you on the day of your surgery or procedure.

During Your Visit

You meet with a nurse during your appointment. You may also meet with a member of the anesthesiology team, a nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant. They ask you questions about your health and your medical history. You may be asked the same questions more than once—please understand that this is for your safety.

Please arrive with any laboratory test results, EKG results, outside test results, and doctor’s clearances obtained before your visit. Getting necessary clearances as advised by your surgeon’s office before your appointment is important for a robust visit.

Lab work must be done within 90 days of the day of your procedure. EKGs and chest X-rays must be done within one year of the day of your procedure, and clearances within three months of the day of your procedure. Additional lab work or clearances may be requested by a member of your preoperative care team.

If required, you may have tests done that your surgeon has requested. These tests may include blood tests, urine tests, an EKG of your heart, and X-rays. Before your appointment, you can talk to your surgeon to find out which tests you need and why.

Your surgeon or anesthesiologist may ask your primary care physician or specialist for medical clearance for your surgery or procedure. You need to make an appointment with your doctor to get this done.

Our preoperative care staff does not medically clear you for a procedure.

Certain patients will qualify for a video visit with an anesthesiologist to further review your health history. Patients who qualify will be contacted with information on how to complete a video visit.

Pediatric Tours

Our child life specialists are available to give you and your child a tour of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone or NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital. To request a tour, please call 212-263-1100.

Please make sure to bring enough diapers and formula if your child is an infant. The appointment and tour may last several hours.