Urology

Upon arriving at AdventHealth Medical Group Urology at Calhoun, you will be welcomed by our caring staff and physician. Our goal is to ensure that we provide you a compassionate environment with a thorough, professional and complete evaluation. If you are a new patient of Dr. Lee's, we request that prior to your appointment, you provide the following if applicable:

• History and physical and/or office notes from referring physician (if not a member of AdventHealth Medical Group)
• Radiology reports (must include disk if not performed at AdventHealth Gordon) including ultrasound, CT, MRI, bone scans or any scans of abdomen
• Other health screenings, if applicable, including EKGs, chest x-rays, stress tests, echo tests, pulmonary function tests (if not performed at AdventHealth Gordon)
• Pathology reports from previous biopsies, if applicable (if not performed at AdventHealth Gordon)
• Recent lab work (if not performed at AdventHealth Gordon)

Reports can be faxed or mailed to:

AdventHealth Medical Group Urology at Calhoun
1035 Red Bud Road, Suite 201
Calhoun, GA 30703-7013
Phone: Call706-879-4700 | Fax: Call706-879-4701

On the day of your appointment please bring the following with you to this appointment:

• Insurance card(s)
• A list or the bottles of all medications that you are currently taking including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements

Our goal is to ensure that we provide you a compassionate environment with a thorough, professional and complete evaluation. Dr. Lee will provide you information regarding your surgical options for you to make an informed decision.

If robotic surgery is an option that you are considering, you may also at that time meet with our Robotic Clinical Coordinator, who will personally navigate you throughout your surgical process.

Once you decide to have robotic surgery, AdventHealth Medical Group Urology at Calhoun will make every effort to schedule the surgery at the earliest time available, also taking in consideration what is best for you and your family. A pre-op appointment will usually be scheduled within a week before your scheduled surgery.

Dr. Lee's office will give you an information sheet with your pre-op appointment date and time. The purpose of the pre-op appointment is to complete your hospital registration for your surgery and to meet with a clinical nurse to go over important information regarding your surgery. During this visit, there may be tests (lab work, x-rays, etc.) ordered that must be completed prior to your surgery.

Also at your pre-op appointment, the nurses will give you specific instructions regarding preparations for the day of your surgery. Our Robotic Clinical Coordinator may also be present during your pre-op to answer any surgery questions that you may have. You will also have their phone information so you can contact them at any time should any questions or concerns arise.

• Arrive at the scheduled time you were given for your surgery without any food or drink since midnight.
• Please enter AdventHealth Gordon through the East Entrance, and follow the signs to the Outpatient Surgery Department.
• Wear comfortable clothes, and leave all jewelry and valuables at home.
• Bring any advanced directives for health care information if you have it (living will, power of attorney for health care or advanced directives for health care).
• For your hospital stay, you may wish to bring slippers, comfortable lounging clothing and personal care items. Clothes to wear home should be very loose-fitting and comfortable. Oversized sweat pants or shorts are a good choice.
• Leave non-essential valuables (such as watches, rings, etc.) at home to reduce the chance of misplacing or losing them in the hospital.
• If you wear glasses, contact lenses, false teeth or related personal items, bring a case to store them during surgery.
• Do not put on any lotion, cream or deodorant after you have showered the morning of surgery.
• If you have sleep apnea and utilize a CPAP at home, bring it with you.

After surgery, you will go to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU or recovery room). Specially-trained nurses will monitor you closely while you recover from anesthesia. You will stay in PACU for about an hour; after which, you will be taken to your room.

Patients are typically taken to our progressive care unit (PCU) and not ICU. You are placed on a telemetry monitor until Dr. Lee discontinues it. All rooms are private rooms and have a fold-out couch for a family member if they stay with you during the night.

Catheter: You will have a catheter that goes into your bladder to drain urine. The catheter is placed in the operating room while you are asleep. Depending on the type of surgery you have, the catheter will removed as soon as possible.

Drain: You may also have a soft rubber drain called a Jackson Pratt or “JP” drain that goes into your abdomen to drain excess fluid from the surgical area. This is usually removed before you go home.

Incisions: There will be five to six small incisions on your abdominal area. These are where the surgical instruments were inserted. There are generally no staples or stitches to remove. Bruising and discoloration around the incisions are common but should resolve over time.

Nausea: Nausea is not uncommon after anesthesia, but medication will be given prior to surgery to help prevent nausea and will be available if needed postoperatively.

Diet: You will start with ice chips immediately after surgery. If tolerated, you will advance to a clear liquid diet later in the day. The day after surgery, you will advance to a regular diet as tolerated. It is very important to only eat small portions after surgery until normal bowel activity is resumed.

Ambulation: After your surgery, it is very important to get out of bed and begin walking with the supervision of your nurse or family member. Early ambulation is imperative for the prevention of blood clots, as well as it helps with pain control. You can also expect to have SCDs (sequential compression devices) along with tight white stockings on your legs to prevent blood clots from forming.

Length of Stay: Most patients go home within one to two days after surgery.

When you are discharged from the hospital, you will have your scheduled follow-up appointment with Dr. Lee, which is usually 10 to 14 days after your surgery. You will also go home with a prescription for pain medication and a stool softener. Once you go home, you will be contacted daily by our robotic coordinator to ensure your recovery at home is going as expected. You will also have her number so you can contact her if any questions or concerns arise.

We understand that facing surgery is a difficult time. We are as sensitive to your emotional state as we are your physical well-being. Being as well-informed as possible prior to your surgery is our goal. Our best advice is to encourage you to focus on healing and maintaining a positive attitude. Our robotic coordinator will be available to assist you throughout your surgical experience at AdventHealth Gordon. Please do not hesitate to contact her or any of our experienced staff to discuss your questions or concerns.