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My Iredell
You don't have to travel far from home to find the latest advancements in surgery, including a wide range of robotic surgeries that most community hospitals don't have.
The surgical team at Iredell Health System is comprised of tenured surgeons, nurses and specialized technicians. They are trained in both traditional and minimally invasive surgeries.
Our core values of collaboration, compassion, integrity and respect guide our service. We're known for
Anesthesia: True or false?
Anesthesia, or anesthetics, blocks all feeling and can help you get through medical procedures without pain—and, often, without awareness.
While "going under" may be common, how much do you know about anesthesia?
True or false: Ether was the first anesthetic successfully used to put people under for surgery.
True. In 1846, a dentist demonstrated how ether fumes could be used to knock people out during surgery.
True or false: General anesthetics allow you to become unconscious and can only be delivered by gas.
False. General anesthesia does knock you out so that you have no awareness or sensations during surgery. But these drugs can be injected into your bloodstream or inhaled as a gas.
True or false: Getting anesthesia always means becoming unconscious.
False. Some anesthetics can be given with or without sedation, so you can stay awake. A local anesthetic numbs only a small part of your body, such as a tooth or a finger. A regional anesthetic helps numb larger areas and is delivered through a cluster of nerves.
True or false. General anesthetics that are inhaled wear off faster than those that are injected into veins.
False. Inhaled anesthetics take longer to wear off than those given through the veins. Intravenous anesthetics disappear from the bloodstream quickly, allowing patients to go home sooner after surgery.
True or false: Anesthesiologists are medical doctors.
True. Anesthesiologists have a medical degree. They also have to complete a four-year residency in anesthesiology.
Are you scheduled for a medical procedure or surgery? Ask your doctor what kind of anesthesia you can expect to have.
treating our patients and their loved ones like family providing personalized care.
Our advanced surgery center
Iredell's surgical team has embraced innovative surgical techniques, including:
Mako SmartRobotics. We were the first hospital in Iredell County to offer Mako SmartRobotics, robotic-arm assisted technology that transforms how total knee, partial knee and total hip replacements are performed by helping surgeons know more and cut less.
da Vinci Xi robotic surgery. Our surgeons perform many general, gynecologic and urologic surgeries using the da Vinci system, which offers enhanced operating precision.
The Mazor robotics system with computerized navigation. This technology allows the team to perform minimally invasive spine surgery using smaller incisions.
Our surgeons have the training and experience to offer a full range of simple and complex surgical procedures in most surgical specialties, such as:
- General surgery, including gallbladder, hernia, and colon and rectal surgeries.
- Orthopedic surgery, including total joint replacements and minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures.
- Gynecologic surgeries, including hysterectomy and hysteroscopy.
- Spine surgeries, including spinal fusion and discectomy.
- Vascular surgeries, including abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, carotid artery surgery and AV fistula placements.
- A variety of urology; ear, nose and throat; podiatry; and eye surgeries.
Our surgical services team offers many same-day procedures. This means you can go home later that same day. A smaller number of procedures may require a hospital stay of at least one day.
How we guide you before, during and after surgery
Having surgery is a big deal. At Iredell Memorial, we understand the emotional as well as the physical challenges each patient faces. That is why we take the time to educate you on what to expect before, during and after surgery.
This includes classes that we offer to help you prepare for total knee or hip replacement.
No matter which surgery you will be having, the following can help you understand how we guide you through the process.
- When surgery is scheduled, a preoperative appointment is also scheduled unless you meet criteria to be fast-tracked. (If your surgery is fast-tracked, a history will be completed via telephone and any necessary labs or diagnostic testing will be done the day of your surgery).
- The physician's office staff will let you know where to go and when to arrive for your preop appointment. Follow signs to Same Day Surgery and park in parking spaces close to the Same Day Surgery entrance.
- Check in at the registration desk. You will be asked to provide a copy of your insurance card and driver's license. You will sign a consent for treatment form and any other forms pertinent to your procedure.
- A nurse from the anesthesia department will speak with you to complete a questionnaire about your medical history for the anesthesiologist, including past surgeries and current medications. They will instruct you on medications to take the morning of surgery.
- The preop nurse will review your allergies, current medications including dosages and medical history; discuss your planned surgical procedure; and go over preoperative instructions including when to stop eating and drinking.
If you have questions or concerns, please call Outpatient Surgery at 704.878.4591.
- You will receive care in a private room in Same Day Surgery with TV and Wi-Fi for your comfort.
- You will be asked to change into a hospital gown and remove all undergarments. Please leave all jewelry and other valuables at home.
- The nurse will check your blood pressure, pulse and temperature and verify when you last ate and drank.
- You will have an IV (intravenous) line started in your arm if sedation or general anesthesia is needed. You may receive a surgical prep, such as betadine or Chloraprep scrub, on the operative area. You may also receive an antibiotic to prevent infection.
- You will speak to an anesthesiologist, the surgeon and the surgical team prior to your surgery.
- When you go into surgery, your family will wait in the surgery waiting room. Your family will be updated hourly as needed. We also offer a digital tracking board that allows your family to follow your progress.
- The surgeon will talk with your family when your surgery is finished.
Our surgical services department is a consistent winner of high patient satisfaction scores. Our experienced nursing team collaborates with the rehabilitation team and physicians to provide the care and equipment necessary to assist in your recovery.
If you are to go home on the day of surgery:
- You will return to a private room in the Same Day Surgery Department after you recover from anesthesia.
- The team will make you comfortable while providing discharge education to you and your designee as we prepare you to go home.
- We will make every effort to get you home in a safe and timely manner.
If you are admitted to the hospital:
- You will be transported to your private room following your recovery from anesthesia. Your private room offers all the amenities of home, including a television and Wi-Fi.
How to schedule an appointment with a surgeon at Iredell
You must have a referral from your physician to schedule a consultation with a surgeon. Appointments for surgical procedures are then scheduled through our surgeons' offices.
To schedule a surgery consultation, please call us at 704.878.4591.
We thank you for letting us take care of you and we wish you a safe and speedy recovery.