Patient Pre-Operative Checklist
Gary B. Schwartz, MD
Broward Institute of Orthopaedic Specialties, LLC
www.orthodoc.aaos.org/gbschwartz
The following are important items that will make your surgery proceed smoothly:
Do not eat or drink anything after midnight prior to your surgery. The purpose of this is to make sure
that you have an empty stomach when you have surgery. The anesthesia relaxes the muscles that keep
your stomach acids in your stomach. If you eat or drink anything, this can come out of your stomach
and go into your lungs. If you think you might forget, write yourself a note and put it where you will
see it. For your safety, surgery will be cancelled if you eat or drink anything after midnight prior to
your surgery.
You cannot drive yourself or take public transportation home from the surgical center or hospital (this
is a facility regulation). Please make arrangements for a responsible adult to drive you home. If you do
not make arrangements, the surgery may be cancelled.
Please inform me if you are taking any blood thinning or anti-inflammatory medication, aspirin, or
herbal medicines, or if you have any particular problems with easy bleeding or bruising.
Please remove all nail polish and acrylic, gel or similar nails on the both hands prior to the time of
surgery. This helps in decreasing the chance of infection.
Pre-Operative evaluation by an internist or family physician may be required prior to your scheduled
procedure. It is very important, for safety reasons, that this be performed. I will let you know prior to
surgery if this is required. My staff will make the arrangements.
If you notice any lacerations, cuts, abrasions, open wounds, or burns anywhere on the extremity that is
to be operated on, even though it is not in the exact site of the surgery, please let me know prior to the
day of surgery. If these are present, there is a chance that your surgery will be cancelled. This is done
to help decrease the chance of infection.
At the surgical center, the operative site will be marked by the staff, as well as initialed by myself. You
will be asked by a number of individuals your name, your surgeon’s name, the operation you are
having, and the extremity on which you are having the surgery. The staff, the patient, and the surgeon
must all agree on the proposed procedure and the site of surgery. This is a team effort.
Hopefully, I have answered all of your questions in my office, as we discussed the nature of the
operative procedure, it’s risks, complications, alternatives, and post-operative expectations. I will
speak with you again just prior to your surgery, in the pre-operative holding area. If you have any
questions about your surgery that you forgot to ask me, please write them down and ask me when I talk
to you at that time. I want to answer all of your questions and address all of your concerns. This is a
team effort, by both of us.
Gary B. Schwartz, MD
www.orthodoc.aaos.org/gbschwartz