Where do you wake up post surgery? (Outpatient)

[GoldenOldies]

Scheduled to have a hysteroscopy & a laparoscopy in two weeks time. I’ll be going under general (which terrifies me), but as I’ve never had surgery before, I don’t really know what to expect.

Like where do I wake up after the surgery? Is it in a recovery room or a ward? Am I alone (aside from medical professionals) or is it mandatory to have a loved one in the recovery room with me despite being an adult? Is it even an option to have a loved one in the room with me (rather than in the waiting area) if I want it? If I want to be alone with just medical professionals, do they wait until I’m awake to allow my loved one to see me?

These are probably dumb questions but I’ve just never experienced surgery before 🙈

I don't expect your DH will be in a waiting room, he will be expected to go off and entertain himself. My DS (only just 19) had a day op on his knee this year and I wasn't even allowed to wait with him before he went in for surgery or for the pre op stuff. I dropped him off at 8am, he hung around in a waiting room by himself until 1pm for his Op and then they called me at 4pm to come and see him and collect him from the ward.
There's not much space for people to wait around in the hospital, so only those with additional support needs are allowed relatives hanging around.
It was the longest day of my life waiting around for him! In hindsight I should have gone home, but I hung around in town for hours as I didn't want to be far away from him.
But as others have said all hospitals are different. Perhaps contact your consultants secretary to ask if you are nervous, to understand the set up ahead of time.
I hope it all goes well for you.

Just medical professionals. Then when I was a bit more with it DH was rung and came to fetch me.

Had a GA yesterday. Woke up in the recovery room with a nurse next to me, no loved ones allowed there but the nurse offered to call my partner to let him know that I’m awake and well. Also told him that he can meet me in about half an hour on the ward. That’s where they brought me once I was fully awake, had pain medication and a cup of tea. Met my DH on the ward and he could stay there with me until I was able to leave about 2h later. (I also was scared of the GA but actually it felt like a really lovely sleep).

Had a small gynae procedure last month. No one allowed in the waiting room with me, and I had a very long wait to go to theatre because I was last on a list that lasted all day.
I woke up from the general in recovery, then they moved me back to the ward. After some tea and toast, I had to have a wee to check all was working, then I rang DH to pick me up.

No relative is allowed in recovery unless you are sub 16yo. They'll wait on the ward until you're awake enough to be returned from the recovery unit.

youll be woken from the anaesthetic by the anaesthetist in theatre, but most are too groggy to remember this so from your pov you'll remember waking in recovery

Not necc.healthy young fit people for routine surgery often don't need preassessing. We will just do an on the day assessment

Encourage them to go to the restaurant and get food and drink..the nurses will call them when you're back on the ward (they can go home if live nearby they dont have to just sit there

I phoned DP when I was back on the ward and the nurse told me roughly when I'd be ready to leave, so minimal sitting in the waiting room.

Surgery, recovery etc. is like a conveyor belt process, lots of Patients being wheeled in and out, absolutely no room for family members, in my experience you won't be in a private room until you get to your operating theatre.

I had this procedure a couple of months ago, DH dropped me off at midday, I had the anaesthetic around 2pm and I came round in a recovery room with a nurse next to me.
Then I went back to a ward to get dressed and called DH to collect me about 4pm
I had a pre-op assessment the week before to do height/weight/BP etc