Patient Information

Preparing for surgery

If you and your surgeon have elected surgery, your surgeon’s office will schedule your surgery at 4th Street Laser & Surgery Center for you.

One week before surgery

A representative from our billing office at 4th Street Laser & Surgery Center may contact you to ask for your insurance information or to notify you of any deductibles, co-pays or co-insurances that may be due upon admission. If you do not have insurance coverage, payment must be made in full on the day of your surgery.

Please fill out the pre-op assessment as soon as possible so that our pre-admissions nurse is able to review your health information prior to calling you.

One to three days before your surgery

Our pre-admissions nurse will follow-up to review your online preop assessment and provide instructions for dietary restrictions or prescription use. She will also confirm your arrival time and answer any questions you may have about what to expect. We make every effort to keep your arrival and surgery time as originally scheduled by your surgeon’s office. Changes in the schedule do occur. The 4th Street Laser & Surgery Center staff has the final determination. They will notify you of any changes.

Eating before surgery

Do not eat anything 6 hours prior to your scheduled arrival time. You may have a light meal 6 hours prior to arrival (light meal, dry toast, apple juice or cranberry juice). Patients may have clear liquids 4 hours prior to scheduled arrival time (clear liquids, water, black coffee or tea, no cream or sugar).

Medications

If you take regular medications, take them with a sip of water on the morning of your surgery. Hold any diuretics you may take. If you are diabetic, please consult with your physician on what dosage of oral medication or insulin to take prior to your surgery. Bring your insulin with you the day of surgery.

Day of your surgery

Whether your surgery will take place in the morning or afternoon, it is very important that you follow the pre-operative instructions on the day of your surgery. Failure to do so could cause your surgery to be delayed or cancelled.

Please arrive at 4th Street Laser & Surgery Center at the time given to you by our pre-admissions nurse. If you have not filled out the preop assessment online regarding your medications, please be sure to bring a complete, up-to-date list of the medications you are currently taking.

A responsible adult must accompany you to the Center on the day of your surgery – and be able to drive you home afterward. You will not be allowed to leave the Center without someone to drive you home. We offer convenient parking and easy access to the entrance of our building.

Do not wear makeup, perfume or cologne. Please wear a short sleeve button up shirt or blouse so that we can easily connect you to our monitors. Leave all jewelry and valuables, such as cell phones, watches and earrings, at home.

During Surgery

An anesthesiologist will assess your medical condition(s), provide safe intravenous sedation as indicated and monitor your vital signs during your surgery.

After Follow-up

One of the benefits of outpatient surgery is you return home the same day of your procedure. This way, your recovery continues in the comfort of your own home.

Upon discharge, we will provide written instructions for your recovery. If you have any questions, our nurses are available Monday through Thursday from 7am – 3pm. You may also contact your on-call physician.

Patient Bill of Rights

In recognition of the responsibility of this facility in the rendering of patient care, these rights are affirmed in the policies and procedures of the 4th Street Laser & Surgery Center, Inc.

All patients have a right to…

Be treated with respect, consideration, and dignity without discrimination.
Every consideration of his/her privacy.
Health care professionals and other staff to make reasonable attempts to communicate in the language or manner primarily used by the patient, when the need arises.
Patient disclosures and records which are treated confidentially, and, except when required by law, patients are given the opportunity to approve or refuse their release.
Be provided, to the degree known, complete information concerning their diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and prognosis before it is performed. When it is medically inadvisable to give information to a patient, the information is provided to a person designated by the patient or to a legally authorized person.
Be given the opportunity to participate in decisions involving their health care, except when such participation is contraindicated for medical reasons.
Refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of his/her action without coercion, discrimination or retaliation.
Expect that within its capacity, the Center must provide evaluation, and/or referral as indicated by the urgency of the case. When medically permissible, a patient may be transferred to another facility only after he/she has received complete information and explanation concerning the needs for and alternatives to such a transfer. The institution to which the patient is to be transferred must first have accepted the patient for transfer.
Refuse to participate in experimental research.
Know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service and expect competent, caring healthcare providers who act as your advocates.
Change physicians if other qualified physicians are available.
Expect that the Center shall provide instructions whereby he/she is informed of their continuing health care requirements following discharge.
Be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
Examine and receive an explanation of his/her bill regardless of the source of payment and to be informed regarding the fees for procedures performed at the Center.
Express grievances/complaints and suggestions at any time to: the Administrator of the Center at (707) 546-8100; call or email The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at (800) 633-4227 or; www.cms.hhs.gov/center/ombudsman.asp; call or write the State of CA Dept. of Public Health, District Manager, 2170 Northpoint Parkway, Santa Rosa, CA 95407, (707) 576-6775 or (866) 784-0703; or call or write the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, 5250 Old Orchard Road, Skokie, Illinois 60077 at (847) 853-6060.

Responsibilities of the Patient

The patient is responsible for:

Fully participating in decisions involving his/her own health care and to accept the consequences of the decisions if complications occur.
Providing the most accurate and complete information regarding present complaints, past illnesses and hospitalizations, medications (including over the counter products), any allergies or sensitivities, or any other matters pertaining to his/her health.
Following his/her doctor’s instructions, taking medications as prescribed, and asking questions concerning his/her own health care that he/she feels is necessary.
Providing information about, and/or copies of any living will, power of attorney or other advance directives that he/she desires the Center to know about.
Observing prescribed rules of the facility during his/her stay and, if instructions are not followed, forfeiting the right to care at the Center.
Being considerate of other patients and personnel, for assisting in the control of noise, and limiting the number of visitors.
Respecting the property of others and the facility.
Providing a responsible adult to transport him/her home after surgery and to have a responsible adult available to them for the first 24 hours after surgery.
Promptly fulfilling his/her financial obligations to the facility.

Additional patient information

The physician has the right to refuse care or to dismiss a patient from care in the event he/she is disruptive, uncooperative, belligerent or physically threatening to the physician, staff, other patients, or visitors.
4th Street Laser & Surgery Center does not provide after-hours or emergency care; individuals in need must call their individual surgeon.
4th Street Laser & Surgery Center is not responsible for any lost or stolen valuables.

Our Policy on Advance Directives

Advance Directives allow each patient to make their own decisions regarding the care they would receive if they were to develop a terminal illness or suffer a life-threatening injury. A patient can also designate someone to make decisions about their medical care if they become unable to do so.

Unlike a hospital, a surgery center does not routinely perform high-risk procedures on patients with life threatening conditions. We expect our patients to have their procedures and to return home the same day. Therefore, 4th Street Laser & Surgery Center will always attempt to resuscitate a patient, activate the emergency medical system and transfer the patient to a hospital. We will be happy to send a copy of any Advanced Directive to the hospital if a patient transfer becomes necessary.