Preparing for Surgery
Pre-registration
To help ensure your surgery registration and check-in are as smooth as possible, please pre-register for your surgery online or call 301-754-8300. If you have any questions about you health insurance coverage, please contact you health insurance company.
Pre-operative Work
Per your surgeon’s instructions, you may need to schedule a pre-operative physical with your primary care physician, cardiac clearance, and/or lab work or other tests, within 30 days of your scheduled procedure. Thoracic surgery will require COVID testing on the day of your surgery. Be sure and plan ahead so you are not trying to arrange these requirements at the last minute.
Who Will Call You Before Your Surgery
Pre-arrival Services will call you to inform you of your out-of-pocket expenses prior to surgery as well as update your registration information.
A pre-surgical nurse will call to discuss your procedure. If you do not hear from this department by 24 hours prior to your procedure, you can call 301-754-7856, or 301-754-7267 for Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring and 301-557-6827 for Holy Cross Hospital in Germantown.
Financial Assistance Program
Holy Cross Health provides financial assistance to individuals who cannot pay for necessary care or do not qualify for programs that would provide coverage such as Medicaid, MCHP, etc. The financial assistance application is available online in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin. For more information, call 301-754-7195 at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring or 301-557-6195 at Holy Cross Hospital in Germantown.
The Day Before Your Surgery
Review again your doctor’s pre-operative or pre-admission instructions and follow them carefully.
If you are having a procedure that requires you to fast, do not eat or drink anything after the time specified. Remember that when the instruction says, “nothing to drink,” this includes water, coffee, and juice. You may brush your teeth, but do not swallow the water.
If you are taking aspirin products or any other medications, discuss with your surgeon whether these medications should be discontinued prior to surgery.
Try to get a good night’s sleep the day before surgery. If you feel ill or develop a fever, call your surgeon. Your surgeon will decide if it is safe to proceed with surgery.
Download our guide to help you prepare for surgery.
Post-Operative Recovery
A Focus on Exceptional Patient Care and Comfort
At Holy Cross Health, exceptional care, and your safety and comfort are our top priorities. Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring and Holy Cross Hospital in Germantown offer spacious pre-operative areas for patients and families and Post Anesthesia Care Units staffed with specially trained critical-care nurses. For patients staying overnight after their surgery, post-surgical recovery takes place in our comfortable and modern private patient rooms which can also accommodate the overnight stay of a loved one for added support. For highly complex surgeries, Holy Cross Hospital offers one of the few dedicated surgical intensive care units in the area.