Information for Family and Friends
After your friend’s or family member’s surgery, he or she will initially recover in South Shore Hospital’s post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), also known as the recovery room. Patients typically remain in the recovery room for three to six hours, depending on the type of operation and each individual’s response to anesthesia. Patients who will remain in the hospital for one or more days are admitted as soon as they have initially recovered and as soon as an appropriate inpatient bed can be prepared for them.
Our recovery room is staffed by registered nurses who are expert in caring for post-operative patients. Visits to the recovery room are discouraged, so that our nurses may focus on monitoring each patient’s health condition. Restricting visits also respects the privacy of other PACU patients, who are each in various stages of surgical recovery.
Our nurses understand, however, that you will want to know how your loved one is feeling as soon as possible after surgery. The following guidelines have been established to keep you informed about your loved one’s condition, while providing an optimal recovery process.
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The surgeon will notify you when your loved one has been admitted to the recovery room. We will page you, if you’d like to leave the hospital or the surgical waiting room. Please see the surgical waiting room receptionist to borrow a pager for this purpose.
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Recovery room visits are prohibited during the first two hours following a patient’s surgery. (Note: patients younger than 16 may be visited in the recovery room by one parent/guardian, after an initial nursing assessment.)
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After the first two hours, please speak with the surgical waiting room receptionist or call ext. 8336. The nurse will advise you at that time whether a brief, five-minute recovery-room visit may be arranged.
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You are encouraged to have other family members and friends call Patient Information at 781-624-3400 for an update on your loved one’s condition and for information about visiting hours.
