Hernia Surgery Transportation
One important detail that you should be thinking about in advance of your hernia surgery is who you would like to drive you to the hospital for your hernia surgery and then take you home after surgery. Hopefully a close family member is available and capable of helping you out on the day of your surgery, but if not you may have to talk to a trusted friend for your hernia surgery transportation. The vast majority of hernia operations are outpatient procedures where the patient is allowed to go home soon after they wake up from the anesthesia and demonstrate a few signs that they it is safe for them to leave.
Most Important: Responsible and Reliable Hernia Surgery Transportation
A couple of traits that you should consider mandatory when thinking of asking someone to transport you to and from your hernia surgery is that they should be responsible and reliable. Responsible and reliable people keep their word and will make sure that they are on time to pick you up and will stay at the hospital during your procedure in case the staff needs to talk with them for any reason. This trusted friend should also make sure that your needs are being met on the day of your surgery to help to the best of their abilities to ensure a full recovery. You may have a best friend that is a lot of fun to hang out with, but if they have shown a habit of being late or forgetting about appointments they have set, they may not be the best person to ask for help on this day. For example, many hernia operations are scheduled in the morning and if you have any doubt about your family member or friend being able to get up on time and make sure you get to the hospital on time, it might be best to find someone else you know will deliver to help you. You may want someone to take you that is comforting and will make you feel at ease about your upcoming hernia surgery, but it is important to be able to get to the hospital on time for your schedule operation. The person should also be responsible enough that you know they will be able to get you home safe and sound. You will still be pretty dazed from the anesthesia after hernia surgery, and it will be your driver’s job to make sure the drive home goes according to plan and your make it back to your house without any problems.
Know where the hospital and check-in location are
It is important that you know exactly where to go the day of your operation. And we do not just mean knowing what hospital you are going to. Yes, some hospitals are very small and easy to navigate and if you do not find the right location to check-in at first, and you may be able to ask around and figure it out. However, other hospitals and outpatient facilities are very big with multiple wings and different locations, parking garages, etc. If you show up to the hospital but cannot find the correct location to check-in at first, you will more than likely find it eventually. But is that really how you want to start the day off before your hernia surgery? You should try to be as relaxed as possible when going in for our operation and having to run around and try to find the right location will add unneeded stress to your day. While there are some things you cannot control about your hernia surgery and recovery, knowing where to go is not one of them. You should get detailed instructions about the time and location from the nurse when your hernia surgery is scheduled, but make sure you know exactly where they are referring to. Some helpful location questions include: 1) what is the address of the facility 2) what parking garage should I use 3) what is the room number of where I will check-in 4) if I can’t find the location, what phone number can I call for help. Sometimes it even helps to go to the facility a few days in advance and do a dry run. By being fully prepared before your surgery, your mindset will be in a better condition for your recovery afterwards.
Will you be able to get in and out of the vehicle after surgery?
The type of vehicle you are driving/riding in to the hospital for your surgery does not matter. However, you need to be thinking about whether or not you will be able to get in and out of this car after your hernia surgery? Factors affecting what kind of cars you will be able to get in and out of include: age, height, weight and assistance needed. Some shorter people may be better suited to get in and out of a sedan. Some taller people may be better suited to get in and out of a smaller SUV so they don’t have to get down so low. You should know what types of cars you can most easily get in and out of and make sure your driver has access and is capable of driving that car. Hopefully either you or your driver has this type of car or SUV. If you are average height and weight, we would recommend staying away from an extremely low/small care or tall SUV/truck though. When you are leaving the hospital after surgery, the hospital staff should use a wheelchair to get you out to your transportation and assist you in getting into your car, but it helps if you can make this as easy as possible with an accessible car.
What if neither my driver nor me have a car?
Not everybody has a car these days though, so what do you do then? One option is to get a rental car for they day, but then the person driving you has to go get the rental car and then return it because you will not be able to drive for at least a few days after surgery. This seems like a lot of work to us but it certainly is an option. If the person that is going with you to the hospital on the day of your surgery does not access to a car, we recommend using a car service to get you to the hospital and home after surgery. There are car services in most major cities that will be available to you. You should ask check with the hospital where you are having your operation to see if they have a transportation service you could use. If they do not offer a transportation service, they should at least be able to recommend a service for you to use. While it may cost a little more, we think it is worth it to use a car service that the hospital recommends so that you know it will be a smooth ride home after surgery. The last thing you will want to do after your surgery is wait on a taxi to show up to take you home.
Will I need someone to go with me if I’m going to take a car service home?
Yes, you should have someone go with you even if you are using a car service that will take you to and from the hospital the day of your surgery. First, it is comforting to know that someone that cares about you is there with you and making sure you are being taken care of. But it is also important that they are there in case any complications occur during your operation.
Most importantly, they will make sure that you get home safe and sound. While a car service may get you to your front door that does not ensure that you will get tucked into bed safely. You will still have some anesthesia in your system after surgery and it is important that you have a trusted family member or close friend there to make sure you make it all the way inside your house without any problems. Recovering from hernia surgery is a long process and getting home safely after surgery is step #1 in the process.
