Preparing for surgery involves more than just following fasting instructions. Knowing what to wear to the hospital and what personal items must be removed is an important part of your pre-procedure routine. While the medical team provides a gown for the operating room, your comfort and safety depend on the clothing you choose for arrival and discharge, and on removing items that can interfere with monitoring equipment.
Practical Clothing for Arrival
Your attire upon arrival should prioritize convenience, comfort, and accessibility for the pre-operative team. Choosing loose-fitting clothes is advisable, as they are easy to remove when you change into the hospital gown. Items like sweatpants, drawstring shorts, or a simple, pull-over dress require minimal effort to take off and put back on.
Hospitals and surgical centers can often be cool, so dressing in layers is beneficial for maintaining a comfortable body temperature. A zip-up hoodie or a soft cardigan that opens in the front is preferable over a pull-over sweater, as these are easy to manage without disturbing an IV line. For footwear, slip-on shoes such as loafers or sandals are the best choice, eliminating the need to bend over to tie laces, which can be difficult after receiving pre-operative medications.
Consider wearing a top that offers easy access to your arm or chest, as this facilitates the placement of an IV line or other monitoring devices. Some adaptive clothing even features snaps or zippers designed specifically for medical access. Avoiding complicated closures like tight belts, numerous buttons, or restrictive elastic waistbands will ensure a quick change into your surgical attire.
Essential Items to Remove Before Surgery
The removal of certain personal items before surgery is mandated by safety protocols to prevent injury and ensure accurate patient monitoring. All jewelry and body piercings made of metal must be removed because of the common use of electrocautery devices during surgery. This equipment uses an electrical current to seal blood vessels, and metal objects can act as a conductor, potentially causing an electrical arc and a severe burn. Removing rings and bracelets beforehand also prevents them from constricting blood flow due to post-operative swelling.
Cosmetics like makeup and nail polish must be completely removed, as they interfere with medical monitoring. A pulse oximeter, a device clipped to the finger, measures the oxygen saturation in your blood. Nail polish, especially dark colors, can block this light transmission, leading to inaccurate oxygen readings and potentially delaying the detection of low blood oxygen levels. Similarly, makeup or tinted skin products can obscure the natural color of your skin, which doctors use to check for cyanosis, a bluish tint that signals poor circulation.
Other items like dentures, contact lenses, and eyeglasses are typically removed for safety during general anesthesia. Dentures and contacts are removed to prevent accidental dislodgement and aspiration into the airway during intubation. If you wear a hairpiece or wig, you may be asked to remove it depending on the surgical site and the length of the procedure.
Post-Operative Discharge Attire
The clothing you wear home should be prepared with the expectation of limited mobility and a need to accommodate post-surgical dressings or equipment. Choose soft, oversized clothing that will not rub against any incision sites or bandages. For upper body surgery, a button-down shirt or a blouse with a wide neck is the easiest option, as you can dress without raising your arms or stretching the clothing over your head.
For the lower body, loose-fitting garments like soft sweatpants or pajamas with an elastic waist are ideal, as they can be easily pulled over a swollen abdomen or hip. If your procedure requires surgical drains, make sure your clothing can accommodate the small tubes and collection bulb. Many patients use a safety pin to secure the drain bulbs to the inside of a shirt or waistband to prevent the tubes from being accidentally pulled.
Supportive, closed-toe footwear is a better choice than slippers for the ride home, as it offers better stability when walking and reduces the risk of a fall while you may still be groggy from anesthesia. Having a trusted person available to help you dress and manage your belongings will significantly ease the transition.