Discharge Process and Instructions

For safety and regulatory reasons, a reliable caregiver must be with you for 24 hours following your surgery.

Medications administered during surgery may cause you to not clearly recall events and/or instructions. Therefore, on the day of surgery your driver/caregiver will be verbally instructed and provided with copies of written instructions related to your care. This information will be placed in a blue folder.

The Blue Folder

The blue folder will contain the following:

  1. Andrews Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center Home Care Instructions
  2. Your Surgeons’ Discharge Instructions
  3. Prescription(s) (if you were not provided them preoperatively)
  4. Crutch walking instructions (if applicable)
  5. Regional block instruction and anesthesia contact information (if applicable)
  6. Physical therapy prescription (if applicable – this must be given to Physical Therapy on your first appointment)

The day after surgery, please read all of your discharge instructions. Bring your blue folder with you to Physical Therapy and your follow-up appointments.

Information/Documents

The information/documents listed below should be obtained from your surgeon’s office:

  1. Prescriptions for post-operative pain, nausea and refills.
  2. Handicap parking application (if applicable).
  3. Work excuse.
  4. Disability paperwork (this is completed by your surgeon’s office).
  5. Insurance/AFLAC paperwork is completed by your surgeon’s office.
  6. For foot/ankle surgery, you can obtain information regarding ordering a scooter from your surgeon’s office.
  7. Game ready ice therapy machine or ice cube.
  8. CPM (continuous passive motion) machine (if applicable).

Contact Information

In the event of an emergency situation please call 911.

  1. Questions concerning your surgery and post-operative care should be directed to your surgeon’s office. After hours and on weekends, your surgeon’s answering service will communicate your need to the on-call physician.
  2. Andrews Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center is open Monday-Friday, 5:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. We are closed on weekends and on holidays. The Surgery Center nurses will call you the next business day following your surgery. For questions, you may contact one of our nurses by calling (850)916-8505.
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