General information to help you prepare for a conversation with your clinician.
Your neighbor can pick you up after work. Your sister can stay the night. You could get a rideshare at any hour. Before you decide which favor to ask for, call the surgery center. There are two jobs to plan for: getting home with someone who can look after you, and having help after you arrive.
Who needs to come inside?
A booking on your phone gives you a driver. It doesn’t tell the discharge nurse who will hear the instructions, help you get settled, or know whom to call later. Hospital for Special Surgery, for example, requires an escort after ambulatory surgery. Ask your own center whether a friend can accompany you in a taxi or rideshare, whether they must come inside, and when the team will call them.
What happens after the ride?
The anesthesia plan matters. The American Society of Anesthesiologists recommends having someone with you for at least the first 24 hours after general anesthesia. If you’re having sedation or a different kind of anesthesia, ask the team for its instructions for you. Getting a ride and having someone stay can mean asking two different people.
If your neighbor can drive but can’t stay, tell the nurse exactly that. “Sam can sign me out and drive me home. My sister can meet us there at six. Would that work, and what if I’m ready earlier?” It’s easier to change the plan now than to discover a gap while someone is waiting at the curb.
If you don’t have an escort
Call the surgeon’s office or discharge planner before the day of surgery. Ask what arrangements the center accepts and whether they can help you find one. Once you have a plan, give the center your escort’s number and give your escort the pickup instructions. Follow the center’s guidance about driving yourself.
Sources
Hospital for Special Surgery · Getting home after ambulatory surgery
American Society of Anesthesiologists · Recovery after anesthesia