Out of State Patient: Surgery At Mayo/St. Mary’s - Tips

@trissy
It has been few years since had surgery at a Mayo's hospital, but can give you normal process for an outpatient.
You will check in at St Mary's admission desk and then be escorted to a surgical area. From waiting room, you will be taken to a room to change clothes. Depending on space and area, you mother may be able to stay with you during this time. From there you will go to pre-op. I doubt your mother will be allowed in pre-op, this is where you will have last chat with surgeon, anesthesiologist, have vitals taken, etc,,, This would be great time to ask anesthesiologist about wake up process and your concerns. From pre-op, you will be taken to surgical room.

The surgical area has process to keep your mother up to date during day. There is a patient cafeteria on main floor if your mother wants to get something to eat or cup of coffee.

After surgery, you will be taken to a post-op area to wake up. After stable and awake, you will be go to room to be observed and get ready to be dismissed. If need medications, your next stop will be the pharmacy in St Mary's. Then if taking a hotel shuttle, there is a waiting area where they will announce as shuttles arrive.

There are also hotels directly across the street from St Mary's. You also have option to take a Uber or taxi if do not want wait for shuttle.

Are you flying into Rochester or MSP? Do you know what hotel you will be staying at?

@trissy I have had outpatient surgery at the other Mayo Clinic hospital in Rochester (Methodist Hospital) and my husband has had two outpatient surgeries at St. Mary's. @roch provided you with information on check in and how the hospital will stay in contact with your mother throughout your surgery.

I suggest that if it's affordable that you and your mom stay an additional day even after your Mayo surgeon clears you to fly home. Why do I suggest this? In both my and my husband's cases we drive 1000 miles round trip to and from Mayo Clinic. We decided to stay an additional day in case of any complications or infections. We live in a rural area and there are no specialists to consult with in our area. It sounds like you already have a good relationship with your local surgeon so that may not apply to you.

When is your surgery scheduled at St. Mary's?

Hi @roch and @naturegirl5

I am flying into MSP, and shuttle it to Rochester. I have done this in my prior travels to Mayo, and it is the easiest for me and my traveling companion (which this return trip would be my mom).

The discussion on hotels is still ongoing as I much rather have a kitchenette as once surgery is over, I rather not go out unless I have to, and my mom has rather particular tastes. I am not sure how I feel about getting a room with a mini fridge and microwave. I am already flying into a “new-ish” area for me, and knowing my mom she will have me do all of the talking and coordinating throughout the whole trip. So my goal is to try and make it as easy on myself as possible.

I have had 3-4 surgeries on my wrist, and it had been a hard couple of years. So this surgery will give further insight into what is happening or going wrong as it lost all range of motion in large parts after different incidents in the year (if you focus on working with Mayo, over a year if you include the entire situation). We do know of a few areas (one definitely needs attention) that needs to be addressed.
After having a lots of tests, meetings with 5 different hand surgeons, multiple other specialists, and PT sessions…we are just left with conflicting information, where I don’t follow the norm.

Like so many people, Mayo is my last ditch effort after being told that I just have to live with a non-rotating and painful wrist. Which is SUPER hard as I am my mom’s care taker, and I am supporting the both of us in a job where I need two fully functional arms (on top of just daily living). My friend suggested I got to Mayo as he is from Minnesota, and said I needed a bigger hospital. My PCP got angry and yelled (highly unusual for her), “You do not need to live with this!” She helped me with the Mayo referral.

I am currently scheduled for near the end of August, on a Friday. Which is odd to me, as my surgeries are usually on a Tuesday or Thursday, but Mayo is definitely different from what I am used to… Everything feels very overwhelming and scary…anxiety is running rampant.

More information I can get to help plan, the better because it all falls upon me. Until we get back home, I need to be on point. When follow-up visits happen, I need to plan it all over again.

Thanks.

@trissy
I live in Rochester and use the shuttle to MSP often. It is very convenient way to get to and from MSP.

As far as day of week for surgery, Mayo surgeons are usually scheduled for alternative days in surgery. So one week they may do surgery Monday, Wednesdays, Friday and next week Tuesday and Thursday.

For help with lodging, you may want to contact Mayo's free Concierge services
https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/minnesota/concierge-services
By phone: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time, Monday-Friday: 507-538-8438
By email: concierge@mayo.edu
Online: Request Concierge Services: https://cdforms.mayoforms.org/mayocliniccom-ahbyn/pages/c9d36544cef4e41180d800155dcfc10f.html

@roch @trissy Thank you, trissy, for the additional information. And thank you, Laurie, for the local information in Rochester.

I have friends from California who travel at least 1-2 times per year to Mayo Clinic. They get a direct flight to MSP. They usually rent a car but others I know have taken the bus from MSP to Rochester/Mayo Clinic.

There are plenty of options for hotels that have kitchens. The free Concierge services that is recommended by Laurie, @roch, will provide you with ample information. We can make recommendations here based on our experiences however I think calling the Concierge Services may provide you with more options that we have not considered.

I can share the following. Aspen Inn and Suites, across the street from St. Mary's has kitchens. I don't recall if their kitchens have a full range with an oven. Some hotels have ample kitchen space with a cook top but no oven. I think Mayo Concierge Services will help with this because you can share what you are able to spend on hotels. Some are very pricey and others are not. All of the hotels near the downtown campus of Mayo Clinic including St. Mary's have shuttles. If you decide to stay outside of the downtown area you can find less expensive hotels that have frequent shuttles.

I have had one inpatient surgery and one outpatient surgery at Methodist Hospital/Mayo Clinic. My husband has had two outpatient surgeries at St. Mary's. Everyone I have encountered at Mayo in outpatient clinics and in surgery have been informative and compassionate. You know this already as you've already been to Mayo Clinic outpatient care.

I don't know what your prior surgical experiences have been like closer to home. Mine have been good to just OK. None have the excellence in care and outcome that I received at Mayo. I think you will find, as we did, that many of your anticipatory anxieties will melt away once you are there for surgery. I have a long history of anxiety and I will tell you that I felt so little anxiety that it was actually surprising to me. I am hopeful you will have similar experiences to mine. I realize that you have the added worry of your mother. I hope she can occupy herself with food and cooking while you can focus on you.

@trissy, in addition to the great tips you've received from @roch and @naturegirl5, I'd like to share a blog. Another one of our volunteer mentors, @jenniferhunter, wrote this picture blog of St. Mary's to help people get familiar with the surroundings before you go:

- A Patient-Guided Tour of St. Mary’s at Mayo Clinic, Rochester https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/newsfeed-post/a-patient-guided-tour-of-st-marys-at-mayo-clinic-rochester/

@trissy I have had a few surgeries at St. Mary's. The first time I stayed at Aspen Suites and they have full kitchens. I have a lot of food allergies and issues, so I can't usually eat out. Aspen Suites is literally right across the street from the hospital with a stop light and cross walk at the Tower Entrance. I also like to stay at Candlewood Suites. It's farther from the hospital, but less expensive and also a full kitchen. The Concierge can help you with hotel comparisons and they recommended Candlewood Suites to me. They also have a shuttle, and we usually drive to Mayo so don't really need the shuttles. Aspen Suites is right across from the older entrance to St. Mary's that is illustrated in the blog about visiting St. Mary's Hospital that Colleen shared with you.

I'm like you, and I like to familiarize myself with anything that helps me be more comfortable with a medical trip. You have a lot to keep track of to be organized and prepared for your visit.

Here is the information about the free Concierge Services. I know this was shared previously, but they can answer all your questions about accommodations, grocery stores, etc. I thought they were very helpful.

Five Ways to Contact Mayo Concierge Services

Phone: 507-538-8438

Live Chat: https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide

Email: concierge@mayo.edu

Web form: https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/minnesota/becoming-a-patient/concierge-travel-services

In-person in Rochester MN: Lobby hours are 8:00-5:00 Monday through Friday. Offices are located in the International Center in the Mayo Mathew’s Lobby, Executive Lounge on Mayo 5, Radiation Oncology Lobby – Desk R