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Breast Surgery – Day of Surgery

Parking at ACC

  • Parking is available in the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) on 102 Mason Farm Road at a cost of $1.50 per hour with a maximum of $10 for a full day.
  • If having a procedure before surgery, you will park at the ACC, leave your car in that lot, then take the shuttle from the ACC to the cancer hospital. More details below.

Parking for surgery at the main hospital:

  • Parking is available in the Dogwood Parking Deck (across from the hospital) at a cost of $1.50 per hour with
    a maximum of $10 for a full day. Valet Parking is available in front of the Children’s Hospital and the Manning
    level of the Cancer Hospital for $12 a day.
  • UNC employees having surgery must obtain a valid parking pass from the Parking Office to avoid being ticketed.
  • For any questions on Hospital parking, please call (984) 974-1031.

Registration

  • You will register at the Ambulatory Care Center registration desk at the check-in time given to you the day
    before surgery. You will be asked for your insurance card and driver’s license. You are not required to make
    a copay when you check-in for surgery.
If you are having a procedure before surgery

If you are having a procedure in mammography before surgery, such as SAVI SCOUT, sentinel lymph node injection, or needle localization please be aware you will check-in at the ACC first.

We will escort you to the Mammography department at the main hospital via the hospital shuttle. The responsible adult may accompany you to this procedure.

Afterward, Mammography will escort you back to the ACC. Then you will wait to be taken back to the pre-operative holding room. Please be aware that on rare occasions patients may experience a delay between the end of the mammography appointment and scheduled start of surgery.

If a delay occurs, it is related to an unplanned event beyond our control. We will do everything possible to move quickly through the delay. Your patience is appreciated in advance. We work to ensure all patients have a safe, satisfying and successful surgery at UNC.

Surgery Preparation

  • After registration, you will be taken to a pre-operative holding bay. You are allowed to have 2 visitors with
    you in the holding area.
  • You will be in the preoperative holding room for about 1.5 hours. It may take this long to prepare you
    properly for surgery.
  • You will meet with a nurse who will review your medical history, medicines and ask you many other questions to help ensure your safety.
  • The nurse will place an intravenous (IV) catheter in your hand or arm. IV fluids will be started to keep you hydrated. If you have restrictions, your surgeon will help your nurse decide where to place the IV.
  • We will check your vital signs. If you are diabetic, we will also check your blood sugar. If your blood sugar is abnormal, you will be treated by your medical team prior to your surgery. If you are given medicine for your blood sugar, we will check it again before you go home.

Your Surgery Team

  • You will meet with your anesthesia team to discuss and give consent for your anesthesia during surgery. The anesthesia team is responsible for keeping you safe, comfortable and pain-free while you are in surgery. She/he will put you to sleep, monitor your breathing, and give medicines through your IV to keep you comfortable and out of pain.
  • You will meet with your surgeon and the surgical resident prior to your surgery. They will review your consent, mark and initial the surgical site (please do not do this at home), and answer any questions. If you are having breast reconstruction, you will also meet with the plastic surgeon.

During the Surgery

  • Immediately before being wheeled back to the OR, you will be given IV antibiotics and medicine to help you relax.
  • When it is time for your surgery, we ask your family or responsible adult to return to the waiting room and wait there until the surgery is over. There is a café in the parking lot of the ACC and your family or friends may go there for a break while you are in surgery.
  • If your family member or friend leaves the building, we ask that they please notify the waiting room staff. We need to be able to find them and communicate with them at any time. If they leave the area, they may miss the opportunity to receive updates from the surgeon when the surgery is over.
  • Your surgeon will tell your caregiver how long the surgery is expected to last. Your caregiver will be given updates while you are in surgery by a volunteer who is tracking the timing of your surgery.