tract essentially shut down and needed to restart. I internalized the importance,
and appreciated the difficulty, of getting out of bed and walking as soon as pos-
sible in order to resume those vital processes. As a patient, I appreciated being
informed by regular visits from my doctors and their staff. My family and friends
also benefited from the professional and informative communication provided
by both the physicians and nurses.
Upon discharge, although you and your surgeons are available by phone,
patients might have a sense that they're alone in their recoveries. I now have a
better appreciation for the fact that a patient discharged and left to her own
devices may not find comfort in relying solely on discharge checklists and nar-
ratives about what to expect post-operatively. Here is where reaching out is key
and a post-op support structure becomes critical. It's essential to keep the lines
of communication open, even after they leave your facility. Let them know that
they should see marked improvement in their condition each day, and must
immediately contact their surgeon or your facility when setbacks occur, no mat-
ter how minor they might seem.
Lesson No. 5: Form partnerships of care
During the transition from pre-op to the OR, the onus of care is completely on
your staff and surgeons. In post-op, however, patients begin to share the respon-
sibility, and must take an active role in their recovery. They must get up and
move as soon as possible, even though they hurt and may not want to. I was
uncomfortable after my procedure, but also knew that I'd ultimately feel better
the sooner I ambulated.
Your patients don't have the same knowledge base we have, so it's our
responsibility to educate them on the partnership of care. The more they
know about what to expect, the quicker and easier their recovery will be.
Even though I'm a surgeon, I felt better when the nurses updated my condi-
tion and informed me of the next steps on the road to discharge.
January 2015 O U T PAT I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 1 1
