Information about your surgery

Pre-Surgical Information

To expedite your hospital or outpatient surgery center check-in process, we ask that you call Pre-Registration prior to the surgery date at if they have not contacted you. They will ask for your demographic and insurance information.

Prior to your procedure, you will need to have a pre-surgical interview with a hospital nurse. For most procedures, the interview can take place during a phone call. If any specialized tests or imaging studies are required, a separate appointment may be required. You will receive a phone call from the pre-surgery testing nurse at the hospital where your surgery is to take place up to 48 hours prior to your scheduled surgery. During the interview, the nurse will review with you your medical history, allergies, current medications, and go over any instructions for the day of surgery.

If you do not hear from the nurse 48 hours prior to the surgery, please call the PST (Pre-Surgery Testing Department):

Boulder Community Health Foothills – 303.938.5318

Foothills Surgical Center—Anderson Medical Center – 720.441.5757

What you can expect on the day of your surgery

For most surgeries, patients may not eat or drink after midnight. Please be sure to ask the PST nurse if you should take your prescription medications the morning of surgery.

On the day of surgery, you will need to check into the hospital or the Surgical Center 90 minutes before the scheduled procedure time to allow time to prepare for your procedure.

  • Check in:
    • If your surgery is schedule at Boulder Community Health Foothills, please check in at the Emergency Room at 4747 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder.
    • If your surgery is scheduled at the Foothills Surgery Center, 4743 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, Co, please check in on the first floor of the Anderson Medical Center, suite 101.
  • After checking in, you will be taken to an outpatient care unit where a nurse will prepare you for your procedure
  • Before the procedure, the anesthesiologist and one of our surgeons will speak with you to answer any questions about your care.
  • A nurse will escort you to your procedure room while your family will be escorted to a surgery waiting room.
  • Following the procedure, you will spend approximately one hour in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).
  • Your family will be able to join you when you are transferred from PACU to the Outpatient Care Unit or to your inpatient hospital room.
  • After meeting the discharge criteria, you will be able to go home with an adult family member or friend. You cannot drive if you are receiving anesthesia.
  • Your surgeon will see you back in the office 7-14 days following surgery for a post-operative visit. Please be sure to schedule an appointment at 303‑449‑3642 if one has not already been scheduled.

Surgical Assists: Many times a surgeon requires an assistant during surgery. If your surgery requires a planned or unplanned assistant to be present, you will receive a separate bill from his or her office.

Surgery Charges: The charges from Alpine Surgical are usually 20% of your total charges. The hospital fees, anesthesiologist, pathologist, surgical assistant, and lab often make up the rest. Alpine Surgical will bill you for the services rendered. You will receive a separate bill from the other offices for their services rendered.

Please visit our Online Forms section for additional Pre and Post-Operative Information.