Undergoing surgery on an outpatient basis has many benefits. The most important benefit is allowing the patient to return home the same day. Other benefits are shorter waiting times, first-rate personalized one-on-one care, and a more “at home” feel to our waiting rooms and holding areas.

After you and your surgeon decide on outpatient surgery, your surgery date will be scheduled through our scheduling department. Prior to your surgery date, one of our nurses will call you to conduct your pre-op assessment. This is a 10-15 minute phone conversation that will cover the following: medical history, surgical history, any problems/reactions to anesthesia in past surgeries, and current medications (including dosage, route, and schedule). You will be asked if you are currently taking any blood thinners, aspirin, or aspirin products on a daily basis. We will document these medications on our medication reconciliation form. Please be patient in allowing us to gather this information. We realize that you have given most of this information to your surgeon’s office already. We are an entirely different facility and require this same information. Gathering this information is for your added safety and our promise to deliver complete and competent care.

Your surgeon may also require additional blood work/tests to be done prior to your surgery date. Please be prompt in getting this pre-op work completed in a timely fashion. These results will be faxed to our office for your records, and are a vital part of the surgical process. If you have additional questions after the phone interview has been completed, please feel free to call us. If you decide to cancel your surgery for any reason, please contact our office at least 24 hours in advance or as soon as possible.

Below is a checklist of the proper steps that are to be taken prior to your procedure.

1. Be sure that your pre-op phone interview has been completed by a member of our staff. If it has not been completed, please call us as soon as possible.843-347-9587.


2. Remember to have nothing to eat or drink after midnight on the night before your procedure, unless otherwise instructed by your physician or the nurse.


3. Make sure to complete the liquid diet and bowel prep the day before your surgery (for all colonoscopy and Lap-Band patients) or your enema (for all prostate biopsy patients) as instructed.


4. Take only the medications the pre-op nurse instructs you to take with a small sip of water on the morning of your surgery date. (These medications usually include any blood pressure or heart medications and/or an oral antibiotic.)


5. Make sure you bring your insurance cards, social security card, and any co pays you may have discussed with our insurance/billing clerk. If there are monies due at the time of your procedure, you will receive a phone call from our insurance billing clerk explaining this prior to your procedure date. If you have an advanced directive i.e. living will, healthcare power of attorney please make sure to bring in a copy of these documents for our records. 


6. Make plans to have a driver that can bring you here and take you home. If this driver is a person with whom you would NOT like your healthcare information to be shared, please notify the nurse when you are brought to the pre-op holding area. It is against our policy to allow patients that have undergone anesthesia to drive themselves home or to be driven home by a cab or cab company.


7. Wear loose comfortable clothes and leave all jewelry/valuables at home. 

When you arrive at our facility you will check in at our front desk. Here they will review all your personal records, verify any changes of address or phone numbers, verify correct spelling of names, verify correct insurance companies/ID numbers, have you sign any consents for pathology, and collect any co-pays due. You will be given a copy of patient rights and responsibilities as well as a patient satisfaction survey.

A nurse will then come get you and bring you to the pre-op holding area. At the discretion of the pre-op nurse, a maximum of (2) family members/friends will be allowed to accompany you. You may be asked what procedure you will be having that day. Please be aware that this is only a safety measure set in place to verify that you, the patient, understand what services will be provided for you that day. Our staff is fully aware of what surgery you are scheduled for.

We use a medical doctor to administer the majority of our anesthesia, and rarely use a CRNA. This is a higher standard of care than what you will find at other local hospitals and medical facilities.

There you will sign an operative consent form for surgery. A nurse will obtain a set of vital signs and start your IV. Our anesthesiologist or nurse that will provide IV sedation will also conduct an interview with you at this time. Also, the nurse that will be with you during the surgery will speak with you and explain what you can expect while in the operating room.

Rivertown Surgery Center has a set standard fee for each procedure that we perform. This fee will not be altered due to minor variations in medical supplies that are used.

Our standard fee includes cost of the following: procedure, supplies, operating room, equipment, medication, and recovery care. The Surgery Center fee does not include your treating physician’s fee. You will need to contact your treating physician’s office to discuss his or her fee. Depending upon additional services needed to ensure that you receive the highest level of care, you will also receive additional bills for secondary charges such as anesthesiology and lab work.

Rivertown Surgery Center has an on-site billing clerk that will be happy to assist you with you insurance questions. Please feel free to contact us at 843-347-9587.

Our billing clerk will contact you prior to your date of service to discuss your insurance coverage and estimated cost of services. Please note that sometimes treatment plans change from the time of admission to the time of discharge, so there may be additional fees added to your bill after you are discharged.

Prior to surgery, you may be responsible for payment of your deductible, co-payment, and co-insurance payment as determined by your insurance provider. We will submit your claim to your insurance company after services have been received. After your insurance claim has been processed, we will then send you a statement outlining your charges, and what additional charges are due. The remaining balance may include deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, or non-covered charges.

Please keep in mind that your insurance is a contract between you and your insurance company. Any unpaid balance becomes the responsibility of the patient, or the person who signed for financial responsibility for your account. As with any bill, we expect and appreciate prompt payment.

Please remember to bring your insurance cards with you to your appointment. We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express) We also accept Care Credit.

*0% payment plans and financing are available through Care Credit for approved customers. Please visit www.CareCredit.com for more information.