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The Trouble With Transvaginal Mesh - August 2016 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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2 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 6 Discharge Instructions Done Right For patients, surgery's a big step, but it's not the last step in the process. There's still recovery, which continues on their own watch after you discharge them from PACU. You're sending them and their family members off with some important responsibili- ties, but there are ways to ensure they'll understand and follow your post-op care instructions. — Compiled by David Bernard • Last things first. Patients aren't at their best when they're recovering from anesthesia. They're often groggy, to say the least. Their caregivers are under- standably distracted, as well. So you can't expect them to listen to and remember much of the post- op care instructions you're reciting in the minutes before they're discharged. That's why you should consider delivering discharge details before they're taken to pre-op. Patients and family mem- bers are likely to be more attentive and ask more questions dur- ing a quick sit-down ahead of time than in the post-anesthesia haze of PACU. • On-screen guide. You might even consider producing a short instructional video to have patients and families watch as part of the intake process. In a couple of minutes, one of your staff members can describe how to handle minor aches and pains, identify potential compli- cations, return to daily routines and take Innovative Ideas Ideas Work That

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