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Post Anesthesia Care (PACU)
The Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) is also called the recovery room. After your surgery, all patients are first admitted to the PACU for monitoring regardless if you are having surgery as an outpatient or if you will require admission to the hospital following more extensive surgery. Our Staff
Our staff is composed of all Registered Nurses (RN) who are supported by your anesthesiologist and your surgeon. All of the PACU nurses are certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support for adults and pediatrics. Our nurses pursue continuing education on a regular basis. Nursing goals in the PACU are to assist patients to a safe return to consciousness without complications or adverse reactions to drugs and treatments.
The PACU Patient Experience
Upon arriving to the PACU you are connected to our monitors for the nurse to continually monitor your. The PACU nurse will frequently check blood pressure, respiration (breathing), and heart rate and rhythm. The nurse also checks dressings (bandages), regulates intravenous (IV) fluids, and begins pain medication as necessary. Patients vary in the time it takes to fully wake up from anesthesia. The average length of stay in the PACU is 1-3 hrs. If you have to stay longer than expected, don’t be alarmed! A longer stay may be necessary to ensure that the patient receives the very best of care and is comfortable before being discharged.
The surgeon typically will call your designated family member or significant other after the surgery via cell phone. After the patient is stable and awake enough, our PACU nurse will call and update the family member as well. The staff makes every effort to allow visitation the patient, even if just for a quick hello given the time and space constraints. Goals for Discharge
Patients must reach certain criteria before discharge from PACU, whether if staying the night in the hospital, or going home. If the patient is to go home after surgery the nurses must be thorough in making sure that you will be OK under just a loved one’s care.
Criteria for discharge to home include: - awake and alert
- tolerating liquids without nausea or vomiting
- pain controlled with oral pain medications
- vital signs return to PreOp values
- stable walk safely
- able to void (urinate) before discharge
Rules to Follow After Being Discharged Home
The responsibility for your discharge is the decision of the anesthesiologist and your surgeon. At the time of discharge, the nurse will review written discharge instructions with you and the person who accompanies you. We will give you a copy of these instructions to take home with you. Please ask questions. It is important that you, and the person responsible for taking you home, both understand these instructions.
As the patient, you should have another adult with you for the first 24 hours after surgery. You should not drive, operate machinery, drink alcoholic beverages, or make any important decisions, while you are taking narcotic pain medication. You also should avoid any drugs other than those prescribed by your physician for at least the first 24 hours Follow-up
If you are discharged home from the PACU, we will contact you the next day after surgery by phone to see how you are feeling. You are also encouraged to contact us at any time with any questions you may have.
In a few weeks, you will receive a patient satisfaction survey as part of our ongoing quality improvement program. Please take time to share your comments regarding your experience at Vail Valley Medical Center. We are interested in your comments and share them with our staff in our efforts to continue to provide the highest quality of care. We are looking forward to meeting you and providing your surgical care.
Post Anesthesia Care (PACU)
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