Surgery

Mauston Surgical Services

Mile Bluff's Surgery Department has a trained operating room team that provides scheduled and emergency surgical care. Mile Bluff employs general surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, podiatry (foot) surgeons, gynecology surgeons, and has many visiting specialty surgeons.

Some of the surgical services Mile Bluff provides include:

• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology
• Gynecology
• Gastrointestinal
• Urology
• General surgery
• Orthopedic
• Podiatry (foot)
• Easy-Access Colonoscopy
• More

Preparing for Surgery

When you are scheduled for a procedure, you will be given information about your surgery and the necessary steps that you will need to complete before your procedure. The folder includes forms for your primary healthcare provider to fill out during a pre-surgical physical, 'Hibiclens' soap packets to wash with before your procedure, and additional information to help you prepare.

One to four days prior to your scheduled procedure, a representative from the surgical department will call to inform you of your arrival time on the day of surgery. When you arrive, the surgical staff will obtain a health history, fill out consent forms with you, perform necessary skin/site preparations, possibly start an IV, and administer any medications you may need before surgery. This will be done in the privacy of your own room.

It may be necessary for you to complete lab work and/or imaging studies after you register for your procedure. The registration representative will inform you of any needed testing, and direct you to where you need to go to receive the tests you need.

If you are having a colonoscopy, there are a number of things to do leading up to your procedure. Use this video or handout as a reference to help you prepare.

What to Bring

Clothing

Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that can be changed easily. Shoes should be easy to slip on and off.

Jewelry

Remove all jewelry, including wedding bands and piercings before coming to the hospital. Do not wear any hairpins, barrettes, and wigs.

Personal items

Bring a case for dentures, eye glasses, contacts or hearing aids. If you are staying overnight, bring your personal grooming products, such as toothbrush and paste, hair care products, make-up, and/or deodorant.

If you use a CPAP machine and will be staying overnight, please bring the machine and all the accessories with you.

If children are undergoing surgery, they can bring their favorite blanket, teddy bear, drinking cup or bottle.

Arrival Time

A nurse from the Surgery Department will call to inform you of your arrival time one to four days prior to your surgery. Please be sure to provide a current phone number. If you do not have a phone, or do not hear from us by the day before your surgery, please call the Surgery Department before 4 pm at 608-847-1031. Times are not given out sooner due to frequent changes in the surgical schedule.

Your arrival time will be 1-2 hours prior to your surgical start time to give us time to prepare you for your surgery. We will keep you informed of time delays as they occur. We do our best to respect the surgery start time we give you, but unforeseen delays can happen in the procedures that are scheduled before yours. We apologize for any delays that may occur.

Visitors

There is a waiting area in the Surgery Department for family and friends. There are free drinks and a television in the waiting area.

The allowance and number of visitors in the patient room will be at the nurses’ discretion. Our primary concern is caring for you, the patient, and making sure that we are able to care for you effectively. Visitors will be allowed as soon as possible/requested.

We recognize that having a support team present during surgery is very comforting and healing to our patients. Visitors, including supervised children, are welcome; however, please note that there are limited options available to keep young ones occupied in our facility. You can expect to be with us for a minimum of three hours. It is recommended that arrangements be made for children to be cared for away from the medical center. Waiting in a hospital for an extended period of time can be hard on little ones. ​​

Food & Refreshments for Visitors

Mile Bluff Cafe is located on the second floor of the hospital and is open during the week. Vending machines are located in the main hospital lobby.