What to bring
Be sure to wear low-heeled, comfortable shoes and loose, comfortable clothing that can easily be stored in a locker. When you arrive at the hospital, you will be provided with a bathrobe, slippers and gown. You may want to bring a book or something to occupy yourself, as you could spend some time in the waiting room. If you are having local or regional anesthesia, you may want to bring a small CD/MP3/tape player with headphones.
What not to bring
Do not bring any valuables with you, such as jewelry, credit cards, checkbooks or large amounts of cash. The hospital cannot be responsible for your personal belongings. If you wear contact lenses, please leave them at home and wear glasses. Please do not wear nail polish or makeup.
Jewelry
We request that you remove all jewelry, including rings and body piercing . Swelling may occur in your hands during surgery. Your rings may become too tight which could affect the circulation to your fingers. Please notify the nurse in advance if you have any questions or concerns.
Advance Directives (Living Wills and Health Care Proxies)
Please bring a copy of your advance directives with you to the hospital if you have one. Patients and their families often have questions about advance directives. These legal documents describe your wishes about the type of medical care you would want to receive if you were unable to make those decisions for yourself. The documents also contain the name of the person you chose to make the decisions if you cannot make them yourself.
Please ask your primary care physician to discuss these documents with you. Additional information and forms are available online, or by calling the admitting staff at (617) 732-7453, or the Care Coordination Department at (617) 732-6469.
