Preparing for your surgery.
Once you and Dr. Lee decide surgery is the right step, here is what to expect, from scheduling through the day of your operation. Please always follow the specific instructions given to you by Dr. Lee's team.
Surgical scheduling
After you and Dr. Lee have discussed surgery, you will meet with his Surgical Coordinator, Esther Sanchez. Esther will assist you with choosing the proper time, date, and location for your operation. She will also provide any paperwork or medical clearance instructions.
Your coordinator will provide the documents you need, covering medical clearance, financial responsibility, and location-specific information. This is general information; our surgical coordinator will contact you regarding your specific instructions.
- Preoperative clearance forms
- Financial responsibility
- Surgicare of Manhattan information
- MEETH Surgical Center information
Pre-operative instructions
Below are general guidelines for the time leading up to your surgery. If you have any questions about the surgical scheduling process, please contact our Surgical Coordinator.
Aspirin and all products containing aspirin must be stopped one week before your surgery. If your Primary Care Physician or Internist has placed you on aspirin or medications containing aspirin for any reason, please alert them that you will be discontinuing aspirin.
Anti-inflammatory medications for example Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, etc. must be stopped four days before surgery. If you are unsure about what you are taking, please consult our office and speak with Dr. Lee or his Physician Assistants.
Dietary supplements / herbal supplements must be stopped one week before surgery. This includes Vitamin E, Echinacea, Turmeric, etc. These can potentially cause problems with bleeding. Please contact us with any questions.
Food must be discontinued eight hours prior to surgery. Please do NOT eat or drink ANYTHING, even water, after 12:00am (midnight) the night before your surgery. Even if someone from the hospital calls and says it is OK to do so, please do not. If you need to take medication the morning of your surgery, you may take a sip of water only.
Alcohol and other mind-altering substances must be discontinued 24 hours prior to surgery.
Medications If you take medication for hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, asthma, etc., please contact your Primary Care Physician regarding what you should take the morning of your surgery. If needed, the medication may be taken with a sip of water.
Braces, crutches, or other equipment Dr. Lee has given you must be brought to the hospital on the day of your surgery, please.
Imaging (MRI, CT, X-rays) Please bring all films or CDs that are in your possession with you to surgery. If your images are in our office, we will transport them.
Transportation Please make arrangements to have a family member or friend escort you home after surgery. You cannot drive or hail a cab yourself home after surgery. You will not be discharged after surgery without an escort.
Jewelry / hair accessories / piercings should be left at home on the day of surgery. This includes wedding rings and body piercings. You can wear a hair tie as long as it does not have metal in it. No barrettes, bobby pins, or hair clips are permitted.
Surgical locations
Dr. Lee is the Chief of Hand and Upper Extremity at Lenox Hill Hospital. The majority of surgical cases may be performed out-patient, which means you can go home the same day of surgery.
- Surgicare of Manhattan
- Manhattan Eye Ear Throat Hospital (MEETH)
- Lenox Hill Main Hospital
MEETH
A division of Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan Eye, Ear, & Throat Hospital (MEETH) is a specialized Joint Commission accredited ambulatory surgical center in Manhattan.
SurgiCare of Manhattan
SurgiCare of Manhattan (SOM) is an APEX Award winning and JCAHO accredited outpatient surgical center. It is a premier surgical center in Manhattan that provides exemplary medical care.
SurgiCare of Manhattan strives to consistently provide high quality health care rendered in a safe, professional, comfortable, and cost effective manner that meets or exceeds the expectations of the patient, physicians, and communities served.
Lenox Hill, Main Hospital
Already scheduled? Know what comes next.
Read the recovery instructions for your specific procedure, and review the nutrition guidance that helps you heal.