SEATTLE UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATES
Surgery and Scan Scheduling
Merisa
Contact information:
Phone 206-292-6488 Hours 8-4:30 Monday - Friday
Fax 206 267-2193
Email
surgschedule@seattleurological.org
Surgery and Scan FAQs
Steps to Scheduling surgery?
What
days can I schedule a surgery?
Where
do I send my consent?
Where
do I check in?
When
do I check in?
How
do I schedule my autologous blood donation?
What
if I wish to donate blood somewhere other than
Seattle?
How
do you define a “clear liquid”?
What
type of anesthesia will be used?
How
long will I be in the hospital?
Can I
drive myself home after surgery?
What
is the expected recovery time for my surgery?
How
much will my surgery cost?
How
do I get approval from my insurance?
What types of surgeries do you do??
Merisa
surgschedule@seattleurological.org
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Steps to Scheduling Surgery:
- You must first
discuss any surgery in consultation with your doctor.
- Come up with some
dates and times you might prefer. It is helpful if you give us a couple of
date preferences as it is necessary to coordinate your surgery with the
hospital and your doctor’s schedule.
- Contact the surgery
scheduler. Please understand that orders must be completed by your doctor
in order for me to set up your surgery. If you doctor has not yet filled
out orders I will contact him with your surgery request.
- The surgery
scheduler will contact the hospital and coordinate a time for your case.
- We will contact you
and let you know you check in time/date information.
- A package including
your date, time, and location of surgery, dietary restrictions,
preparations, consent forms, and health information forms will be mailed or
faxed to you. The consent form must be sent back to the office and the
health information forms sent back to the hospital.
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It is imperative that we receive
your consent form here in the office prior to your scheduled surgery date.
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Please read and follow ALL
instructions in your surgery package.
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Dr. Gottesman does
surgery mainly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Dr. Weissman usually does
surgery on Wednesdays.
Dr. Gasparich’s surgery
days vary.
Dr. Lilly does surgery on
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Dr. Mullen’s surgery days
vary.
Longer cases (3+) hours
or AM Admit procedures are usually scheduled for the first three days of the
week ( Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday). This helps to ensure that the doctor will be in town immediately after
your surgery should you need him. Kidney stone surgeries are usually on Mondays
and Thursdays as that is when the equipment is available at the hospital.
Smaller cases may be scheduled on the doctor’s surgery days or throughout the
week. The doctor’s usually prefer not to schedule surgeries on a Friday. If
you need your surgery on a Friday you must first get clearance from your doctor.
Where do I send my consent?
Please mail or fax your
consent form back to the office prior to your surgery date.
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Where do I check in?
If you are scheduled for
surgery at
Swedish Hospital your check in is on the main floor of Swedish, 747 Broadway. Just as you
enter the main doors of the hospital to the left is an area called “Patient
Registration”.
If you are scheduled at
Seattle Surgery Center, please check in for your surgery on the third floor of
the Columbia Pavilion.
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When do I check in?
For Swedish Hospital you
will need to check in two hours before your scheduled surgery start time. You
are required to check in this far in advance. If you are late, your surgery may
start late or you may be rescheduled.
For Seattle Surgery
Center please check in one hour prior to your scheduled surgery start time.
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How do I schedule
my autologous blood donation?
Once your surgery date is
set, the surgery scheduler will fax your information to Puget Sound Blood
Center. They will contact you to schedule an appointment. If you need to
contact them for any reason such as rescheduling your donation appointment, you
can reach them at (206) 292-6588.
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What
if I wish to donate blood somewhere other than Seattle?
The Puget Sound Blood
Center has locations all over Western Washington and they are happy to schedule
your donation at the most convenient location for you. However, if you do not
live in an area that has a Puget Sound Blood Center and you wish to donate
locally this still may be possible. Contact the surgery scheduler with the
information for the location at which you wish to donate. Your information will
be sent to the facility of your choice. Please be aware, however, that since
you are going outside the local area for donation your insurance may not cover
your donation. Please contact your insurance company for questions regarding
coverage.
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How do you define a “clear
liquid”?
If you are having a major
surgery you may be required to do a bowel prep followed by a clear liquid diet
prior to your surgery. A clear liquid can be defined as any liquid that you can
hold up to the light and still see through it. Some examples of clear liquid
might be chicken or vegetable broth, apple juice, or Sprite. You may continue
to drink coffee or tea while on a clear liquid diet, just do not add dairy
products or non-dairy creamers to your beverage.
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What type of anesthesia will
be used?
Anesthesia is your
choice in some cases. In others, only certain types of anesthesia are
appropriate. You will have an opportunity to consult with the anesthesiologist
assigned to your case when you check in on the day of your surgery. They will
discuss your options and help you to select the anesthesia best for you.
How long will I likely be in the
hospital? (This varies tremendously based on the type of surgery
performed)
In Patient Stay
The typical length of stay for In Patient surgery
is two days. However, some surgeries do require stays of up to 10 days.
Certain health issues may also lengthen your hospital stay. Please talk to your
doctor about how long they think your hospital stay might be.
Out Patient Stay
When you are scheduled for an Out Patient surgery, you should be able to go
home the same day. Your length of stay cannot be predicted exactly beforehand.
It is a good idea to allow for four to five hours in the hospital if your
surgery is scheduled for one hour. Increase this allotment if your surgery is
scheduled for longer than one hour.
We cannot guarantee your
release time, as it will be dependent on your health after surgery.
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Can I drive myself home
after surgery?
No. It is the policy of
the hospital and surgery center that all patients must have a ride home after
surgery. If you do not have a ride, they will not release you. If you are
taking a taxi, you must have someone you know escort you.
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What is the expected
recovery time for my surgery?
Recovery time is based on
your personal health. Please discuss any questions regarding your recovery time
with your doctor.
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How much will my surgery cost?
This will depend on your
specific insurance coverage. If you are self-pay, or you need the current
surgeon fee for your particular procedure please contact the billing office at
206-267-2191. In order for them to answer questions you will need to get your
procedure and diagnosis codes from your doctor first. Please be aware that the
billing office will not be able to give you the total cost of the procedure.
The facility will also bill you for the room, anesthesiologist, and any other
services you may use during your stay. You will need to contact the facility
you are scheduled with for these costs.
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How do I get approval from
my insurance?
The surgery scheduler
will contact your insurance company prior to your procedure to make sure that
you have coverage. If there is a problem with your coverage you will be
contacted. If you need a referral please call your PCP and let them know so
they can send that to your insurance company. Insurance coverage is based on
medical necessity. You will be responsible for any amount not covered by your
insurance company.
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What types of surgeries do you
do?
The following is a list of surgeries performed by the physicians at Seattle
Urological Associates. This list does not contain every procedure performed and
not all of our physicians do every procedure. If you are interested in a
procedure not on this list, or to find out if the doctor you are interested in
performs a specific procedure, please contact our office for more information.
Circumcision
Cystectomy
Cystolithalopaxy
Cystoscopy with Stent
Greenlight Laser TURP
Lithotripsy or ESWL
Lymphadenectomy
Nephrectomy – Laparoscopic or Radical
Penile Prosthesis
Radical Orchiectomy
Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy
Spermatocelectomy
TURBT
TURP
TUMT
Ureteroscopy
Vaginal Sling
Varicocelectomy
Vasectomy Reversal
*Please note: Our doctors do not perform penile
enlargement or sex change procedures. If you are interested in these procedure
we recommend you consult a plastic surgeon.
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Steps to Scheduling a Scan:
- Contact the
scheduler with some times and dates you would like to schedule.
- An order must be
written by your doctor. If the order has not been received when you contact
the scheduler, a request for orders will be sent to your doctor. We can
schedule as soon as the orders are received.
- Scans are not done
in our office, but in an off site facility. We will contact the appropriate
facility and schedule your scan.
- You will be
contacted with the time and date of your scan. At this time if a follow up
appointment is required, the scan scheduler will be happy to set that up for
you.
- If you are seeing
the doctor on the same day of your scan or shortly thereafter, please pick
up a copy of your films to bring with you to your appointment.
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When will my results be ready?
Results times are slightly
different for each facility. However, you should be able to call one week after
your scan to find out the results. Please call and ask for your doctor’s
medical assistant when inquiring about scan results.
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How much does a scan cost?
We do not bill in our
office for scans. To find out the cost of your particular scan please contact
the facility you are scheduled with.
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What are my dietary
restrictions?
Dietary restrictions vary per type of scan and
location. Please contact the scan scheduler or the facility you are scheduled
with for questions about your dietary restrictions.
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What are the possible risks?
Risks vary per type of
scan. One of the most common risks is a reaction to Contrast often used in a CT
Scan. The risks of reaction are minimal but do increase if you experience an
allergic reaction to shellfish or you have diabetes. For more information about
possible risks of your particular scan, please contact the facility you are
scheduled with.
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Can I drive myself home?
Most scans do not require
that you have someone to drive you. However, in the rare event that you
experience an adverse reaction to anything during the scan you may need someone
to drive you home.
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