COVID-19: Preparing For Your Surgery
The LoVerme Center for Plastic Surgery will be performing elective surgeries for existing and new patients. Please note: we are slowly beginning to open up surgical and non-surgical services to all patients; patients with canceled surgeries will have been contacted by our staff to schedule new surgical dates. New patients: please contact us to make a telehealth visit to assess your condition and develop a treatment plan customized to you. Please request an appointment online, or call us at (973) 857-9499.
For all patients and their caregivers: Safety for all is our top priority as The LoVerme Center for plastic surgery begins to expand access for non-COVID patients.
To address this priority, we have put new and robust health screening processes in place in our office and ambulatory center. All surgical patients will be tested for the presence of COVID-19 before surgery, and all our staff and patients are being screened daily to ensure that they are free of symptoms.
We are also following the state of New Jersey’s health order to limit the number of visitors who can accompany our patients in order to create safe distances within and around our facilities. This is all taking place to limit risk of exposure to COVID-19 within our office. We look forward to the time when this will not be necessary!
For those patients, whose planned surgeries have been postponed and rescheduled, we would like to make you aware of our revised pre-operative guidelines and our visitor restrictions.
Step 1: Preparing for your surgery
To help minimize risk of asymptomatic spread of coronavirus during your procedure we ask that you:
- Continue to shelter in place to protect yourself from others in the community.
- Follow physical distancing and handwashing guidelines. This applies to the person who will be bringing you to and from surgery as well.
- Avoid contact with others or leaving the home as much as possible prior to surgery.
- *** Pre-surgery COVID-19 testing: We want to perform your surgery in the safest possible circumstances to give you the best chance of a smooth recovery. One of our healthcare members will reach out to ask you about symptoms and will schedule you for coronavirus testing even if you do not show symptoms consistent with the virus. We are doing this as a precautionary measure so that we have all of the information we need to provide you with the safe care.
- Check for the symptoms daily prior to surgery and notify us if you have any of the following:
- Fever ≥ 38.0 C (100.5 F) last 24 hours
- New respiratory symptoms (e.g. Cough, Trouble Breathing, Shortness of Breath, Severe Wheezing, Fever, Chills, Repeated shaking with chills, Muscle pain, Headache, Sore Throat, Loss of Smell or taste or change in taste)
Step 2: Stay flexible
Your surgery is currently scheduled to proceed on the planned date and time, but we also must be flexible to deal with any potential changes regarding the capacity of our facility, providers and government regulations. We would appreciate your understanding if things change, and in return we promise to keep you informed with up to date information with what is happening here at The LoVerme Center for Plastic Surgery, as well as keeping your best interests at the forefront.
Step 3: Understand what to expect day of surgery
Under the authority of state of New Jersey Department of Public Health Order, we have some strict guidelines in place that you will see immediately upon arriving at our facility.
- Please have your designated person drop you off 1 ½ hour prior to your surgery start time at the main entrance and alone, proceed to the office waiting room unless otherwise instructed.
- Upon entering our facility, you will be health screened by one of our staff in the waiting room.
- As an extra layer of protection, you will notice our entire staff will be wearing surgical masks. You will be required to wear a mask as well.
- You will then be escorted to the surgery pre-operative area to be checked in and sign appropriate paperwork.
- Please be sure to include the contact information of you designated point person.
- Our surgical staff will keep your designated point person informed of your progress.
- After you have recovered in our post anesthesia care unit (PACU) we will take excellent care of you until you are ready to go home.
- Your designated person will receive a phone call to pick you up.
- As soon as you are ready to go home, we will coordinate teaching instructions and pick-up with your designated person.
- We are happy to assist you with options on how to stay connected to your loved ones throughout your stay. If necessary, we can schedule a separate call to go over digital connectivity options (Zoom/Facetime) so that you will be all prepared the day of your surgery.
Please know we genuinely care about you and will do everything we can to provide you with the safest and best possible care experience. If you have any questions or concerns prior to that day, please do not hesitate to contact us (973) 857-9499.