Surgery at Sky Ridge Medical Center

Surgical center in South Denver

When you or a loved one needs surgical care in South Denver, our surgeons at Sky Ridge Medical Center are here for you. From minor procedures to robot-assisted surgeries, our board-certified surgeons have experience with a wide range of surgical procedures to help you heal.

Our medical teams and clinical staff provide you with compassionate, high-quality care from check in to recovery.

For more information about surgical procedures at Sky Ridge Medical Center, please call (720) 225-5DOC.

Our surgical specialties

At Sky Ridge Medical Center, we employ a multidisciplinary team of surgeons who collaborate to accurately diagnose and effectively treat your condition. Our expert surgeons have experience performing surgical procedures encompassing a wide range of specialties, including:

• Bariatric surgery
• Ear nose and throat (ENT) surgery
• Gastrointestinal surgery
• General surgery
• Gynecologic surgery
• Neurological surgery
• Orthopedic surgery
• Pediatric surgery
• Plastic surgery
• Spine surgery
• Urologic surgery
• Vascular surgery

Surgical procedures we offer

Our surgeons are experienced in performing a wide range of procedures, including:

Endovascular thrombectomy

Sky Ridge Medical Center was the first hospital in South Metro Denver to offer endovascular thrombectomy for the treatment of stroke. Thrombectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that is used to remove the clot that is preventing blood flow to the brain. Patients who undergo the endovascular thrombectomy early enough often recover with little to no long-term damage. That is why selecting the right hospital for stroke care is so important.

During this procedure, a small incision is made to access the artery so that our doctors can effectively remove the obstruction that is blocking blood flow, dramatically reducing the damage certain types of stroke can cause.

Our average time from diagnostic testing to confirm a stroke to the completion of endovascular thrombectomy is less than one hour. We are able to have a blocked artery open in less than 20 minutes with patients only needing light sedation.

Specialized robotic surgery

At Sky Ridge Medical Center, our goal is to be on the leading edge of technology so that we can provide you with safe and effective treatment options to help get you back to what you love. That is why our Center for Robotic Surgery offers state-of-the-art, robot-assisted surgery platforms, allowing our specially trained surgeons to operate with extreme precision and accuracy.

Robotic surgery is an innovative type of minimally invasive surgery, combining human intelligence with the precision of a robot. With the aid of the surgical robot, our experts can operate through very small incisions, which leads to less damage to surrounding healthy tissue and, often, a faster recovery with less pain.

Our expert surgeons perform robotic surgeries across numerous specialties, including:

• Bariatric surgery
• Colorectal surgery
• General surgery
• Gynecologic surgery, including hysterectomy
• Thoracic surgery
• Urologic surgery, including prostatectomy and nephrectomy

Benefits of robotic surgery

Besides providing your surgeon with optimal precision and a crystal-clear view of the surgical site, robot-assisted surgery offers numerous benefits to patients, including:

• A faster return to normal daily activities
• A shorter hospital stay
• Fewer complications
• Less pain and scarring
• Less blood loss
• Reduced risk of infection

Robotic surgery treatments

Our surgeons offer a variety of robot-assisted surgical procedures, including robotic:

• Cholecystectomy
• Gallbladder surgery
• Hernia surgery
• Hip replacement
• Hysterectomy
• Kidney surgery
• Knee replacement
• Myomectomy
• Partial nephrectomy
• Prostatectomy
• Pyeloplasty
• Thymectomy
• Transoral robotic surgery (TORS)

Robotic Brain Surgery

We offer Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT), which is a minimally invasive robotically controlled laser thermotherapy that uses MRI-guided laser light to eliminate unwanted tissue in the brain where the lesion, or abnormal tissue, originates.

Unlike traditional brain surgery, a procedure with this system does not require a large incision. Instead, a neurosurgeon creates a small hole in the skull, about the diameter of a pencil. While the patient is in the MRI machine, the surgeon uses an MRI-compatible robot to precisely position the laser probe into the lesion. The probe delivers laser light energy that heats and destroys the affected tissue. Since the system is MRI guided, the neurosurgeon is able to visualize the specific area of the brain to be targeted. The precise nature of the procedure helps to lessen the likelihood of harm to nearby healthy brain tissue.

Spinal robotic surgery

We offer a robotic platform for spine surgery in our Spine and Total Joint Center. Our specialized technology provides preoperative and intraoperative guidance that allows surgeons to map out and perform simple and complex spine surgeries with exact precision.

Prior to back surgery, patients undergo a computed tomography (CT) scan to capture images of their spine and surrounding anatomy. The technology uses these images to generate a surgical plan that defines the exact locations to place surgical instruments, screws and rods. The software allows doctors to see a patient’s anatomy in 3D, so we can plan, visualize and personalize the surgery to the patient.

Preparing for surgery

The following guidelines and recommendations will help you prepare for your surgery at Sky Ridge Medical Center. If you have any questions, please contact your physician.

Pre-admission testing

To ensure a seamless process for patients, we conduct pre-admission testing before a procedure. We encourage you to schedule your pre-admission testing within two weeks of your surgery. Tests may include blood work, electrocardiography (EKG), X-ray and an obstructive sleep apnea screening. Our pre-admission testing nurse will also complete a full medical history and request a list of your medications.

Pre-admission testing appointments may be scheduled Monday through Friday between 8:00am and 5:00pm. Appointments typically last one hour.

To schedule your appointment, please call (720) 225-6188.

Preregister for surgery

Please preregister for your surgery at least 48 hours in advance of the procedure to give us time to process your information.

Checking in the day of surgery

Please arrive at our hospital two hours before your surgery, and check in with the admissions desk. If you already had your pre-admission testing, you will be able to check in via “fast pass,” which will make the preoperative process faster.

Preoperative and postoperative guidelines

Before your procedure, please do not eat solid foods for at least eight hours prior to your scheduled surgery time. Solids include milkshakes, protein drinks and anything that has particulate matter in it. You may have clear liquids (water, clear juices and clear soda) and black coffee or tea without milk or cream up to four hours before surgery.

Food consumed less than eight hours and liquids less than four hours prior to surgery can be dangerous and may result in cancellation of surgery. If your anesthesiologist calls you the night before your surgery and gives you instructions other than these, those instructions should be followed.

Additional instructions include:

• If you develop a cold or other illness prior to surgery, you must notify your surgeon before the day of surgery.
• If your surgery includes an overnight stay in the hospital, please leave your suitcase/bag in your car on the day of surgery.
• No smoking after midnight. No alcoholic beverages prior to surgery.
• Please leave all your valuables at home, including jewelry, electronic devices, expensive clothing, cash,credit cards or checkbooks. Only bring your copay, if required.
• Wear your glasses, and bring a case. If you wear contacts, you will most likely be expected to remove them prior to surgery, so bring a case and solution to store them.
• Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.
• You may shower, shampoo your hair and brush your teeth prior to surgery, but do not swallow the water before coming to the hospital. Do not apply lotion, perfume or makeup. Nail polish and artificial nails are acceptable.

Discharge and recovery

Our team wants to provide you all the information and tools you need to have a safe recovery at home following your procedure.

When you are ready to go home, your discharge and recovery nurse will review important details with you, such as:

• Infection prevention
• Nausea and vomiting management
• Pain management
• Postoperative bleeding

We have created a short video with one of our nurses that you can watch below, describing the discharge and recovery processes.

Keeping family informed during surgery

We understand that family and friends want to be kept informed during their loved one’s surgical procedure. Here is what you can expect while your loved one undergoes and recovers from surgery:

After surgery

The surgeon will visit with you following the procedure. During this time, your loved one will arrive in the post anesthesia care unit. We will call you as soon as we have your family member settled, and it is safe to allow the patient to use the phone. This is phase I of recovery.

Patients going home the same day

When the patient is settled, the nurse will call you so that you may visit during phase II—the time when the patient is almost ready to go home.

During phase II, the nurse will review discharge instructions and ensure that your family member is safe to go home. If the patient will be delayed going to phase II, the nurse will arrange for you to have a five-minute visit with your family member during phase I.

For patients staying in the hospital

For patients staying in the hospital, the family will be notified once the patient is in recovery phase I. The nurse will arrange for a brief family visit (except in the Spine and Total Joint Center). This visit will be for about five minutes and limited to two family members (no children please).

It is important to limit the visit so the nurse can continue to care for your family member during this crucial time. The patient will be sleepy and may have pain and nausea, so please maintain a quiet and calming environment for him or her. You will receive another phone call when the patient is ready to go to the hospital floor.

Visitor guidelines in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU):

• If you have a history of fainting, please inform the nurse.
• Place your cell phone on vibrate and limit use.
• Please understand that certain care situations in the PACU may take priority over family visitation. Your visit to your family member may be delayed for these reasons.
• The PACU is a large, open area with patients in various stages of waking. Privacy for all patients is paramount, so visitors must stay behind the curtains.

Waiting area amenities for family

While your loved one is in surgery, our comfortable waiting rooms (located on the main floor and in the Spine and Total Joint Center) offer a relaxing area to await updates. We offer televisions and complimentary coffee and internet access.

In addition, our patient tracking system will enable you to follow your loved one through his or her procedure. The Sky Ridge Medical Center café (our coffee shop with fresh brewed coffee), our gift shop and the Healing Garden are just a short walk from our waiting rooms.

We also offer hospitality pagers, similar to what you might find in a restaurant, to let family and friends know that the surgeon has completed the procedure. If you need to leave the campus, we are happy to ask for a cell phone number, so we can call you with updates.