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SURGERY
Prince William Hospital's surgical suite provides outpatient and inpatient surgical care for patients of all ages. Open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., our Operating Room (OR) features four specially equipped surgical suites. Appointments are scheduled through the surgeons' offices. In addition to regular surgical appointments, emergency or urgent surgery is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Major, Minor and Elective Surgery
Surgery is used to treat injuries, diseases or other disorders, and it can be classified as major, minor or elective. The recovery time for major surgery may involve a stay in the critical care unit or another unit in the hospital. There is a higher risk of complications after these surgeries. The recovery time for minor surgery is short, and patients may return to their usual activities before long. Elective surgery is a procedure that may be considered helpful, but not necessarily essential to a patient's health. Types of surgeries performed include these specialties:
| | General Surgery (including vascular and thoracic) | | | Gynecology | | | Gynecological Oncology | | | Neurosurgery (brain, spinal cord and nerves) | | | Opthalmology (eye procedures) | | | Orthopedic Surgery | | | Otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) | | | Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery | | | Urology |
Surgical Nursing Care
Candace Kemper, RN, BSN, MHCA, CNOR, is the Director of the Operating Room and Central Processing at Prince William Hospital. With 20 years of surgical nursing experience, Kemper is committed to the absolute highest quality of healthcare, and her staff of skilled registered nurses is certified in perioperative nursing.
Perioperative nurses have expertise in preparing patients for surgery, providing family support and discussing how the patient will feel throughout the surgical experience. Their priority is patient safety, and they strive to make their patients comfortable before, during and after surgery.
Kemper herself is a member of AORN, the national organization that sets the standards and recommended practices for perioperative nursing. These standards were developed to guide the perioperative nurse in monitoring and evaluating the quality of patient care; the standards were modeled on the quality assessment and improvement standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. AORN supports registered nurses in achieving optimal outcomes for patients undergoing operative and other invasive procedures.
Central Processing
The first line of defense for patient safety is in Central Processing. These technicians are responsible for the sterile set-up of instruments and equipment needed for each operation. The technicians at Prince William Hospital are highly trained and dedicated to ensuring patient safety. In addition to working with the OR, Central Processing is responsible for supplying other hospital departments with sterile equipment needed to ensure infection control and patient safety.
Other Members of the Surgical Team
OR secretary schedules surgery as ordered by the surgeons’ offices.
Anesthesiologists monitor patients throughout surgery and administer medication to keep vital signs normal and control pain.
Anesthesia technicians check and set up equipment as well as restock anesthesia supplies.
Surgeons perform procedures with their respective specialties.
Surgical techs/scrubs assist with the instrumentation.
Preoperative, Intraoperative and Postoperative Stages
The preoperative stage consists of the time between the scheduling of the surgery and the patient actually being brought to the operating room. The intraoperative phase begins when the patient enters the operating room and ends when the patient moves to the recovery room. The postoperative stage lasts from the time the patient enters the recovery room up until his/her follow-up visits with the surgeon.
Under the leadership of Candace Kemper, our surgical staff provides skilled nursing and technical care. Our nurses and technicians work with other departments in the hospital to ensure timely diagnostic procedures and outcomes.
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