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Before Your Surgery at Duke Eye Center
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After you discuss treatment options with your surgeon and decide on surgical treatment, there are a few steps that you must take before surgery.
- Day Before Surgery
- Medications
- Instructions on Eating and Drinking Before Surgery
- Things to Remember the Morning of Surgery
- Where to Check In for Surgery
- What to Expect at Check-in
- After Surgery
- Escort and Transportation
- Our Goal
Day Before Surgery
Please call 877-385-3393 between 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. the day before your surgery to receive your arrival time. For surgery on Monday, please call the Friday before surgery.
Medications
Follow your surgeon's instructions about eye drops, aspirin, or other blood thinners prior to surgery.
Please inform the nurse of changes in your medicines or health condition since the pre-op visit.
If you are diabetic, do not take your insulin or diabetic pills on the morning of surgery unless you are directed to do so by the family nurse practitioner (FNP) or physician assistant (PA).
Instructions on Eating and Drinking Before Surgery
The following guidelines are very important for your safety. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in delay or cancellation of your surgery. Remember that fasting time is before arrival -- not surgery time.
Adults
- No solid food, dairy products, broth, Jello, orange juice, or grapefruit juice after midnight
- Small sips of clear liquids (water, apple juice, black coffee, tea) are allowed up to two hours before your arrival time
- No gum, mints, or hard candy
Children
- No meals or solid food after midnight the night before arrival time
- May have milk or formula up until six hours before arrival time
- May have breast milk up to four hours before arrival time
- May have clear apple juice, clear (white) grape juice, or water until two hours before arrival time
Things to Remember the Morning of Surgery
- Please leave all valuables (money and jewelery) at home. To prevent having your glasses, contacts, and dental appliances from being lost, please give them to the designated family member who accompanies you to the Preoperative Holding dressing room.
- You may prefer to take a bath or shower the morning of surgery.
- Brush your teeth, but do not swallow the water.
- No gum or hard candy.
- Please do not wear any makeup, lipstick, fingernail, or toenail polish.
- If you have long hair, braid it or tie it back with a rubber band. Hair should be free of sprays or gels.
- Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
- You do not need to bring pajamas -- patient gowns are provided.
Where to Check In for Surgery
When you arrive for surgery, report to the third floor of Duke Eye Center and check in at the registration desk.
What to Expect at Check-in
- Please bring a valid photo ID card.
- Please bring your medications with you.
- Please bring another adult to stay and drive you home.
- If guardianship or power of attorney applies, documentation must be available.
- You will be taken to the preoperative area where the nurses will prepare you for surgery.
Adult cataract patients only: May wear clean loose-fitting clothes (elastic waistband, sweat-pants) to the operating room. Please bring an extra pair of pants and underclothing.
Children: Bring along your child's favorite security object (stuffed animal, blanket, pacifier, toy, etc.)
After Surgery
- Leave your dressing in place until you see your surgeon the day after surgery, unless instructed otherwise.
- Keep the dressing dry.
- Avoid heavy lifting or straining (five pounds or greater) for at least one week.
- Do not get tap water or soap in the operated eye. You can take a shower, but do not get the area or dressing wet.
- Use a pair of glasses during the day to protect your eyes (any pair with which you are comfortable will do).
The above instructions may be adjusted by your surgeon. If you have any questions, contact your surgeon or the on-call doctors
Report any of the following:
- Severe pain
- Fever
- Increased redness or swelling around the surgical site or IV site
- Decreased vision
- Excessive bleeding
- Rapid pulse
- Injury
- Other concerns
If you experience any of the problems listed above call 919-681-3937 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
After 5:00 p.m., call 800-422-1575 and ask for the on-call eye doctor. You may also call Duke University Hospital at 919-684-8111.
Escort and Transportation
You will not be allowed to drive yourself home or take public transportation alone on the day of surgery because you will have received sedation.
If prior arrangements are not made, the surgery will be canceled.
A person 18 years or older must remain at the Eye Center with you during your surgery and take responsibility for you at discharge.
If no such support is available, please have your provider call our social worker at 919-684-2477.
Our Goal
Our goal is to provide the best care to all of our patients. We make every effort to stay on schedule and hope that patients will understand when unexpected delays occur.
To help us measure how well we have met our goals, you may receive a survey. It is our hope that we will have met our goal to provide you with “very good” care.
Thank you for choosing Duke Eye Center.
