In the pre-op holding area, the team gets you ready for surgery and checks that everything is correct. You may be asked to change into a gown, remove jewelry, glasses, contacts, hearing aids, or dentures, and wear ID bands. Staff may also check your name, birth date, surgery, and allergies. Monitors may be attached to watch your heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen level, and an IV line, a small tube in a vein, may be placed for medicines and fluids.

You may also get medicine before surgery. This can include a pre-med to help you relax, pain medicine, antibiotics, or medicine to prevent nausea. Some people get numbing cream on the skin before a cannula, which is a thin plastic tube in a vein, is placed. The cream usually takes 30 to 60 minutes to work.

The area is usually kept calm and organized. Staff may limit foot traffic, reduce bright lights and loud noise, and use visual cues or comfort items when needed. You may be able to stay in your own clothes if changing would be upsetting. Verify the exact plan with your surgical or anesthesia team in case they want something different for you.