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Welcome to the Cranmer Ambulatory Surgery Center
at Monmouth Medical Center, which provides a full spectrum of same-day
surgical services using the most modern technology available. The
facility includes four full-service operating rooms, three minor
procedure rooms and a three-tiered graduated recovery area, respecting
the individual needs of adult and pediatric patients.
The one-story, 19,000-square-foot building is equipped to perform
all types of same-day surgical procedures, including arthroscopic,
laparoscopic and laser techniques. Every aspect of the center has
been designed to provide the ultimate in efficiency and comfort
for patients and their families, while offering the highest quality
medical care.
Your care will be handled by a highly skilled team of specialists
headed by your surgeon. We are dedicated to working with your physician
to provide the finest surgical care in an environment that promotes
patient satisfaction and achieves optimal results for individuals
who are able to return home on the same day as surgery.
Conveniently located on the hospital campus just off the main
lobby, the center is easily accessible from the adjacent six-story
parking garage.
This website provides you with step-by-step information to prepare
you for surgery and recovery, as well as answers the most frequently
asked questions regarding the same-day surgical experience.
• You will be contacted by a member of the center’s
nursing staff to obtain a brief medical history, and to discuss
instructions, and to confirm your appointment and arrival time.
To speak to one of our nurses, please call 732-923-7830 between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at least one day before
surgery.
• If your insurance does not cover all charges related to
your procedure, you may be contacted by a financial counselor to
discuss payment arrangements.
• If any change occurs in your physical condition or if you
develop a cough, sore throat or fever, please contact your surgeon
immediately.
• If you currently are taking anticoagulants, aspirin or
products containing aspirin, please contact your surgeon for instructions.
You may be instructed to stop taking these medications before surgery.
• Arrangements for preoperative testing or medical clearance
examinations will be made by your surgeon’s office.
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You should carefully follow any instructions given by your surgeon.
In addition, to ensure your comfort and reduce the possibility
of complications, the following instructions should be followed.
• Do not eat or drink anything — including gum or mints — after
midnight.
You may brush your teeth, but be careful not to swallow anything.
(Patients scheduled for surgery later in the day, infants or patients
with diabetes or other special dietary restrictions may be given
special instructions to prepare for their procedure.)
• Do not take any medications after midnight unless instructed
by your surgeon, anesthesiologist or a member of our staff. If
you are diabetic, hypertensive or a cardiac patient, please obtain
specific instructions from your surgeon or contact the center.
• Abstain from smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages for
24 hours before your surgery.
• Bathe or shower either the morning of or the night before
your surgery.
• If you suspect you are pregnant, it is important to notify
your surgeon and the center.
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• Do not wear jewelry or makeup.
• Valuables — including cash, jewelry and fur or other
expensive coat — should be left at home. We cannot be held
responsible for lost or damaged property.
• If you wear contact lenses or glasses, please bring a case
for their safekeeping. We will provide containers for removable
dentures and bridgework. You may be permitted to keep your hearing
aids with you.
• Make sure you have arranged for an adult friend or family
member to drive you home after your procedure. We also recommend
that someone remain with you for the first 24 hours following surgery.
• Any patient under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent
or legal guardian, who is required to sign the consent for the
procedure.
• Plan on arriving at the center one hour before your procedure.
• Bring all insurance information with you to the center
and a form of identification, such as a driver’s license
or birth certificate. If arrangements were made for a deposit,
please bring the amount discussed in the form of cash, credit card
or certified or cashier’s check.
• Bring a list of your regular medications — both prescription
and over-the-counter. If you use an inhaler, please bring it with
you. Patients with diabetes should bring a supply of insulin and
any oral diabetic agents.
• We suggest you wear loose, comfortable clothes, such as
sweatsuits, and flat shoes.
• A nurse will provide you with a patient gown, robe, slippers
and a garment bag in which to store your clothing before you are
escorted to the operative area. A care provider will check your
vital signs — temperature, pulse and blood pressure — and
ask you to empty your bladder prior to surgery. The nurse will
review your medical history and ask you to sign a consent form
for surgery and anesthesia, if appropriate.
• Your anesthesiologist will talk to you before surgery to
review the information you have provided to the admitting nurse.
The anesthesiologist will explain to you the type of anesthesia
you will receive and the method through which it will be administered.
He or she also will review the risks involved with anesthesia,
and will ask if you or any family members have had problems with
prior anesthesia experiences.
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• When your procedure is completed, you will be taken to
the first-stage recovery area — the post-anesthesia care
unit (PACU), where you will be monitored for approximately 30 minutes,
depending on the type and length of your surgery and anesthesia.
As the anesthesia wears off, you will be transferred to a second-stage
recovery area, where you will be rejoined by a family member or
escort, if desired, until discharge.
• After you leave the PACU, you will be allowed to rest.
You will need assistance to get out of bed for the first time.
Most ambulatory surgery patients are able to go home within two
hours following surgery.
• In the unlikely event your recovery becomes unexpectedly
prolonged or complicated, your surgeon may arrange for you to be
admitted to the hospital.
• Before you leave the center, you will be given specific
written discharge instructions. A nurse will explain and demonstrate
any special instructions to aid in your home recovery and will
instruct you on when to call your surgeon for a follow-up visit.
If you have any additional concerns or questions, please call your
surgeon’s office.
• Although it is not necessary to have someone accompany
you upon arrival, a responsible adult must accompany you upon discharge.
Even if you plan to take a taxi home, please arrange for another
adult to accompany you.
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Be sure to follow your surgeon’s orders regarding medication,
diet, rest and activity.
• In the first 24 hours after your discharge from the hospital,
you should not drive, cook or operate machinery, and you should
abstain from smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages.
• If you experience dizziness or lightheadedness, it’s
important to sit or lie down.
• Avoid making critical decisions.
• Do not take any medication unless it is prescribed by
your doctor.
• A nurse from the center will call you the day after your
surgery to see how you are feeling and to answer any questions
or concerns you might have.
If you miss this call, please call the center at 732-923-7830
and tell the staff you are calling with a post-operative report.
If you feel that your recovery is not proceeding normally, call
your doctor or the Monmouth Medical Center Emergency Department
at 732-923-7300.
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Charges at the Cranmer Ambulatory Surgery Center consist of two
components — a base fee for each procedure performed and
an itemization of materials, such as supplies, medications, implants
and equipment. The base fee is used to estimate the amount of a
patient’s unmet deductibles or co-payments — amounts
that are payable on the day of surgery. If our costs are higher
than anticipated, you will be billed for the difference. Conversely,
if you have overpaid, you will receive a refund.
• Monmouth’s bill does not include the costs of the
services provided by your surgeon and anesthesiologist, or fees
for laboratory, radiology or cardiology tests. You will be billed
for these services separately.
• Prior to your surgery, we will contact you regarding
your insurance coverage and estimated amount of co-payment. Any
amounts not covered by your insurance will be collected on the
day of surgery. We suggest you contact your insurance company
with any questions you now have regarding coverage.
• After surgery, we will file your insurance claim for
you. We will ask you to sign an “assignment of benefits” form
so that the reimbursement may be sent directly to the center.
If you have any questions regarding fee or payment policies, please
contact our business office at 732-923-8882 weekdays from 8:30
a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Fees for cosmetic procedures — including payment to the
hospital and the anesthesiologist — will be collected prior
to or on the day of surgery. Cash, certified or cashier’s
checks, money orders and major credit cards are accepted as payment.
We are unable to accept personal checks.
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If your procedure is covered as a workers’ compensation
claim, we will need additional information, including:
• The name and address of your workers’ compensation
insurance carrier.
• Your claim number.
• The name of the agent or contact person at your place
of employment.
• The complete address of your employer at the time of
your injury, and the date and time of your accident.
Please contact your employer prior to your surgery if you do not
have this information. The center does not accept letters of protection
from attorneys, and reminds you that you are responsible for your
entire bill.
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The staff at the Cranmer Ambulatory Surgery Center is committed
to making your scheduled visit with us as pleasant as possible.
If you have additional questions or concerns, please call us Monday
through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at
732-923-7830.
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