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Home > For Patients > Preoperative Instructions

Preoperative Instructions

  1. Morning blood pressure and heart medications should be taken with a small sip of water if these medications are usually taken in the morning. However, we do not want you to take any medication that is a diuretic or “water pill” such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) or lasix (Furosemide) or any medication that may be combined with these medications.
  2. If you are a diabetic and take oral medications or use insulin please do not take or use these medications the morning of your procedure. If you use insulin the evening before the procedure, please contact your primary medical doctor to determine if you should reduce the amount of insulin you use. Not eating in the AM and taking the regular dosage of insulin the night before surgery may allow the blood sugar to decrease to low levels.
  3. If you currently take aspirin, coumadin, ibuprofen or any other nonsteroidal anti inflammatory (NSAID) medication or blood thinners, please contact your primary medical doctor to determine if you should continue taking these medications. These medications decrease the clotting ability of the blood and therefore must be stopped prior to many surgical procedures.
  4. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight of the night before your procedure. This includes no gum, candy or mints. A small sip of water is only allowed for those patients taking morning medications.
    1. Exceptions to this rule include:
      1. Infants 6 months to 2 years old- These children may have:
        1. milk up to 8 hours before their scheduled arrival time
        2. breast milk up to 3 hours before their arrival time
        3. clear liquids, such as water and apple juice, up to 2 hours before their arrival time.(NO ORANGE JUICE)
      2. Children 2 years to 5 years old:
        1. clear liquids, such as water and apple juice, up to 3 hours before their arrival time.(NO ORANGE JUICE)
      3. Children 5 years to 9 years old:
        1. clear liquids, such as water and apple juice, up to 4 hours before their arrival time.(NO ORANGE JUICE)
      4. Children 10 years old and older:
        1. clear liquids, such as water and apple juice, up to 8 hours before their arrival time.(NO ORANGE JUICE)
  5. You are required to have an adult (someone over 18 years old) to arrive with you, stay during your procedure and then take you home. Public transportation is not an acceptable form of transportation home from the surgical center. If someone is not available to stay at the center during the surgical procedure, a ride by a friend or relative will be acceptable. Please come to the center with the name and telephone number(s) of the individual who will escort you home. This person will be contacted prior to your surgical procedure to confirm that they will be picking you up from the center. However, your procedure will be cancelled if your ride cannot be contacted.
  6. If arriving by car please park on the 7th floor (roof top) of the parking garage located adjacent to the Wills Eye Institute building. You may access this garage from 8th Street after crossing Walnut, 9th Street between Spruce and Walnut or from Walnut Street on the left before 9th Street and after the main entrance to the building.
  7. Please dress in loose comfortable clothing. Please wear a short sleeve shirt or tee shirt as this shirt may be left on during most procedures. Button down, pullover or zip-up is acceptable.
  8. Do not bring valuables and please remove all jewelry prior to arrival. We do not have any way of securing personal valuables while you are in surgery.
  9. Please wear no make-up, perfume, hairspray, body lotion or powders. The use of anti-perspirant or deodorant is acceptable.
  10. Please bring all medications currently taken with you on the day of surgery for anesthesia to review; this includes any eye drops currently used. Even those medications taken the morning of the procedure should be brought along for review.
  11. Remember to bring insurance cards and any other important documents, such as power of attorney, that you may need or were asked to bring. Also, if any paperwork was given to you to fill out prior to your arrival, please have it filled out and with you.
  12. If you wear eye glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids or dentures; please bring a personal carrying case to hold the item(s) during surgery. Wills Eye Institute cannot be held responsible for damaged goods not stored properly in a case.
  13. If you were previously contacted by your physician or his/her office about a co-pay due for services, please be prepared to pay that amount upon arrival at the time of registration. (Please be advised we currently accept cash, personal check, debit cards and all major credit cards.)

Please be advised, you will receive a call from one of our nurses the day before your surgery (Friday if you are a Monday case) between the hours of 11am and 5pm. Please note that this time may be left on your home or cell answering machine or voice mail. If you have any further questions or need clarification of which medications to take or if you do not receive a phone call with your preoperative arrival time, please call 215-928-3100. (This number is only to be used for the patients of Wills Eye Surgical Center of Center City. 840 Walnut Street)