Will They Throw Me out of the Hospital Too Early?

QUESTION: It looks like I must have a surgical procedure that I have been
trying to avoid for months. It's not the operation that concerns me, but what
happens afterwards. I hear that the new insurance rules require that people
be thrown out of the hospital long before they are ready to go home. What
happens if something goes wrong? It's the stuff that nightmares are made of.
Can you give me some clues?
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ANSWER: Your description "thrown out" is a bit strong, but chances are that
you will return home a few days earlier than you would have several years ago.
It is all done in the name of cost cutting, but there are still many rules
that protect your well being.
To start with, after the surgery and general anesthesia, you will awaken
in a special unit called the "Recovery Room" where you will be closely
monitored to be sure all goes well. Specially trained nurses and the most
modern equipment assure close supervision, and an early detection of even the
slightest variation from normal. Once you are awake, breathing normally, and
over the effects of the anesthesia, you will be moved to another unit. If the
surgery was complicated, as may be the case for cardiac and neurologic
procedures, your next move will be to an "Intensive Care" unit (ICU), where
the level of care is high and the facility is equipped to handle any
emergency. With less complicated surgery, or when your condition in the ICU
permits, you will once again be moved to a general care unit. There your care
may be less intense, but you will be encouraged to begin moving about, taking
the first steps back to normal movement and your food will begin to resemble
your usual fare (well, almost!). When it is clear that the possibilities of
complications are past, you will be discharged, to continue your convalescence
at home. You may still require some help, a home health aide, or a special
diet. Surely you will have a scheduled visit to your surgeon within a few
days of your hospital discharge, when further directions for your
rehabilitation will be provided and your recovery will continue. All in all,
the time from surgery to the return to work will be about the same today as in
the past, but the proportion of time spent in the hospital will be less.