Contact and Hours:


1580 Valencia Street Suite 703
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: 415-642-0707
Fax: 415-648-7988

Monday through Thursday:
7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Friday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Closed Saturday and
Sunday


Pre-Surgery

 Scheduling A Date For Elective Surgery
Once you and your physician have decided that you will need eye surgery, our surgical  coordinator  will be notified. For elective surgery, we will be calling you within 1-2 weeks  to schedule a convenient date for surgery. If you do not hear from us within 2 weeks please call 415-642-0707. Needless to say if this is an emergency our staff will make immediate arrangements.

Obtain Insurance Authorization, If Necessary
If your insurance requires approval or preauthorization, you will need to contact and notify them in order to obtain the necessary written authorizations. Our surgical coordinator will provide you with the necessary procedure codes, the name of the procedure and will, if needed, assist you in this process.

Schedule and Obtain Clearance for Surgery With Your Primary Care Physician
You will need a pre-surgical evaluation before surgery. While we will perform our own pre-surgical evaluation (see PAT below), you may need to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician for pre surgical evaluation and clearance particularly if you have any medical problems.

If you do not have a primary care physician we can refer you to one.

If your primary needs to be involved in clearance, we will need a written report of your primary physician's findings prior to surgery.

If you need assistance in obtaining this clearance, our surgical coordinator can assist you. Please have your primary care physician fax the results of this evaluation to the attention of our surgical coordinator so that the doctor can review the results and include the report in the medical record.

Presurgical Evaluation or Pre Admission Testing (PAT)
Our office will call to make arrangements for you to come in 1-2 weeks before surgery in order to perform an examination, discuss and obtain an informed consent and review your medical problems. You will be asked to see our physician assistant, Jim Buck. He will complete a history and physical examination and make sure that there are no contraindications for surgery. Please bring a list of all your medications and dosages. You will also see your doctor who will explain the benefits and risks of the procedure again.

If you take aspirin or other blood thinners (e.g. Persantine, Plavix, Coumidan ), you may need to stop 10 days before surgery. Check with your doctor for instructions.

If you have not obtained blood work, EKG or Chest X Ray with your primary care physician we may ask you to obtain the preoperative tests if they are necessary. If your primary care physician has already obtained this information we will need written documentation to place in the medical record.

The Day Before Surgery
You will be called the evening before surgery to confirm or change the time you are to report to the ambulatory surgery unit. If you do not hear from the hospital by late afternoon or early evening, please call Admissions at XXXXXXXX to confirm your surgery and obtain information about arrival time.

If your physical condition changes (you develop a cold, fever, etc.), call your physician (see phone numbers above).

Eat a light dinner that will not upset your stomach.

Do not eat or drink anything after midnight or the morning of surgery. While you may rinse your mouth and brush your teeth, you should not drink coffee, juice, water, gum or hard candy. Stomach contents during sedation or general anesthesia may result in serious complications. Eating prior to surgery may result in cancellation of the case.

Do not drink any alcoholic beverage for 24 hours before or after your operation.

Day of Surgery:
You may bathe or shower on the morning of surgery.

You should have nothing to eat or drink on the day of surgery.

A responsible adult must accompany you to the hospital and come to the ASU with you. It will be unsafe for you to drive a car home. If such a person is not with you when you arrive, your operation will be canceled.

Be sure to confirm with your doctor or our surgical coordinator the location of your surgery, that is whether it will take place in the Ambulatory Surgery Unit (outpatient surgery), or the Main hospital (in patient operating room).

The outpatient surgical unit is located one the third floor of the Monteagle building (1580 Valencia St.)

The inpatient operating room is located in the hospital. When you arrive, park in the hospital garage. Enter the hospital using the main hospital entrance and ask for the admitting office in the lobby.

Do not wear makeup, fingernail polish, perfume, hairpins, combs or clasps.

All removable dentures or bridges, contact lenses and glasses must be removed before going to the Operating Room.

Do not wear any jewelry, earrings, watches, medals, or rings to the hospital.

Wear low healed shoes and loose comfortable clothing.

Because of the limited size of the ASU, there should be one adult accompanying you on the day of surgery. Children are not permitted in the ASU unless they are undergoing surgery.

If you have any questions, please call the Ambulatory Surgery Unit at XXXXXXXX.

After Surgery:
Following surgery in the ASU, you will be taken to a recovery area where you will be watched carefully until you are able to be discharged home.

Following surgery in the inpatient operating room you will be taken to recovery and then sent upstairs to on of the hospital floor until discharge. Your family will be notified which floor.

You will be assisted in dressing and checked before discharge.

You will be given post op instructions, medications and follow-up appointment.

A nurse from the Ambulatory Surgery Unit may call you the day after surgery to ask you how you are feeling and to answer questions about your surgery.

If you have any problems or questions please contact our service by calling 415-642-0707.