Pre-Operative Day
The Last Stop on Your Way to Surgery
You will be required to come to Dr. Ellner's office about a week before your surgery for your “Pre-Operative Day.” This day entails last minute testing, and an extensive visit with Dr. Ellner. Depending upon which hospital you are having surgery at, you may have a separate day of testing at that hospital. Your entire schedule will be sent to you ahead of time so you will know exactly what you need to do and when.
During your Pre-Op Day, we will review your history and current medical problems with together. We will discuss the plan with respect to managing any medical issues and we will once again discuss exactly how I will do the surgery. This is your opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. I do advise that you make a list of your questions, as many people forget them in the excitement of the day. I will demonstrate the steps of your chosen surgery with photos and videos and I will show you samples of the actual instruments that I use in surgery. After a full discussion and after answering all of your questions, I will perform a physical examination. Adult family members are welcomed to participate throughout the process, as it is important to have everyone’s questions answered. We ask that children under 12 years of age be allowed to enjoy San Diego with another caregiver, as the day can be extremely long for the young ones.
The details of the day of surgery and your experience after surgery are described in “The Toolkit” section of this website. You are required to bring a printed copy of your Toolkit to your appointment.