The Day of Your Surgery

Where do I check in?

• Check in on the morning of your surgery at the Admissions Office, which is located on the first floor of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. If you enter at the main entrance of the hospital, proceed straight ahead and the Admissions Office is on the opposite side of the building, on the left.

Where will I go after I check in?

• When your admission process is completed, you will be directed to the Preprocedure Treatment Unit. This area is located on Level 2 of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, adjacent to the operating rooms. Only one person can accompany you to the Preprocedure Treatment Unit area. Anyone else with you should remain in the first-floor waiting area called Maddie’s Room.

What paperwork will be verified with me in the Preprocedure Treatment Unit?

• Surgical Informed Consent and Blood Transfusion Consent: If you have not already done so, you will need to sign these documents.
• Anesthesia Informed Consent: You will also be asked to sign an informed consent document for your anesthesia.
• It is hospital policy to perform a pregnancy test on females between the ages of 10 and 53 years old in the Preprocedure Treatment Unit.

When do I meet the anesthesiologist?

• On the day of your procedure, your anesthesiologist will go over your medical history and the anesthesia plan with you in detail and answer all of your questions. The anesthesiology department may call you the night before surgery, although this is not necessary for all patients.

Where will my family or friends wait during the surgery?

• The surgical waiting area, which is called Maddie’s Room, is located on the first floor of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. This area is designed to be a resource for your family and friends. Volunteer staff members are present from 7:30 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday.
• Please designate a primary contact person (or your personal coach) who will receive updates about your condition. Your designated contact person’s name and telephone number will be entered in your electronic medical record. All information will be directed to this contact person during your hospital stay. The designated primary contact person should check in with Maddie’s Room volunteers.
• All persons who accompany you on the day of surgery may wait in this area until you are discharged from the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. Staff will keep your designated contact person informed about how long you are expected to be in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit and when visitors can see you.

What happens immediately after the surgery is completed?

• After your surgery, you will either be transferred to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit near the operating room or you will be taken directly to the intensive care or neurosurgical units. Visitor access is restricted in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. Family and friends should remain in Maddie’s Room while you are in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit.
• Volunteer staff will keep your designated contact person informed as to where you will be going after your surgery. They will also provide discharge information and instructions if you are scheduled to go home on the day of surgery.
• If you are transferred to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit after your surgery, the length of your stay may vary depending on your medical condition and preparation of your room. It is not uncommon to spend the first night in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit.
• The volunteers working in Maddie’s Room will inform your family members of your inpatient room number assignment once you are discharged from the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. You can have visitors upon approval of your nurse.