What To Expect When You Arrive
Here we explain a general idea of what to expect when you come see us the day of surgery.
ON THE DAY OF SURGERY
Patients will be picked up at the San Diego Airport right outside the baggage claim doors. As soon as you exit the baggage claim area, look around, and you will see a number of green signs that have various letters, such as N, O, P, these are the zone signs.
When the driver contacts you to pick you up, he will ask you to stand by one of these zone signs, let him know the letter of the sign you are standing next to, so that he can easily locate you at the airport.
Once the driver has picked you up, and any other patients that are having surgery that day, he will then drive you across the U.S./Mexico border to our Surgical Center.
Once You Arrive At Pompeii Surgical Center
You will be shown to your private patient room, and given a gown to change into. The nurse will be in shortly to take your blood for your pre-op tests and insert your IV. After the blood work is collected, Dr. Quinones will meet with you to go over the procedure, and answer questions you may have before the surgery.
If Dr. Quinones is performing more than one surgery that day, you will be informed of the order you will have your surgery. Each procedure lasts approximately 1 hour. If you are not the first for surgery, feel free to settle into your recovery room and enjoy our complimentary cable and Wi-Fi.
When it is time for your surgery, you will be escorted to the surgical room, and introduced to the anesthesiologist and surgical nurses assisting with your procedure. They will ask you various questions, as well as answer any questions you may have for the anesthesiologist. After all questions have been answered and you are ready, they will then put you under anesthesia and proceed with the surgery.
After your surgery you will be moved to the recovery room. Our staff will monitor you closely while the anesthesia wears off. When you are coherent, Dr. Quinones will check back with all patients to examine and answer any questions.
You will spend the next 2 nights in a private patient room at the Surgical Center. Our nursing staff and doctors will monitor you regularly and administer your I.V. medications, as well as attend to your needs bandages, drain. You will not be given fluids to drink for 24 hours after the surgery. We encourage all patients to try and walk periodically, as soon as possible after surgery, to help eliminate any excess gas, which can cause discomfort after the surgery.
On Your Last Day At The Surgical Center
You will be given your leak test. During the leak test you will be given water with a purple tint do drink...don't worry, it tastes like water. Dr. Quinones will follow up shortly after, and examine your for discharge.
Once he has insured there are no leaks with your new stomach, and determined that you are cleared to be discharged, he will go over your post op information, and answer any questions you may have.
Our patient liason will then escort all patients to the Hotel, where you will spend your final night in Mexico. The next day our driver will escort you back across the U.S./Mexico border, back to the San Diego Airport the very next morning as close to your flight time as possible.
