Procedure and surgery visits
To help ensure the safety of our patients and staff, you may only bring healthy visitors with you on the day of surgery. Both you and your visitors must be fever free, cannot show any other signs of illness, and must not have tested positive to or been exposed to COVID-19 in the past 10 days.
If you choose not to have a visitor escort you, we can make arrangements to keep your family updated.
View our current masking guidelines for all Penn Medicine practices and hospitals. If you have respiratory symptoms, contact your health care provider for guidance before arriving at the hospital for your surgery or procedure.
Visitation
- Patients can have up to two healthy visitors accompany them to the Liberty Lounge on the day of surgery. Children younger than 14 are not allowed to accompany the patient.
- Visitors are not permitted in the pre-op hold area.
- Once a patient has moved from the operating room to the inpatient unit, visitors must return to the Welcome Desk to get an inpatient visitor badge.
The Liberty Lounge
- The Liberty Lounge is open from 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
- Check in at the desk to receive patient updates even if you choose to leave the hospital. Care team members will provide updates throughout your stay.
- Amenities: Lounge chairs, TVs, restrooms, computers, blankets, and lockers. Please do not eat in the Liberty Lounge. You may visit Café 1751 for food options. Beverages are allowed.
- No visitors younger than 14 are permitted, and no one younger than 18 is allowed without a parent or guardian.
- You are strongly encouraged to use headphones or earbuds to maintain a quiet space. Using only one headphone will allow you to still hear any updates.
The Recovery Room after surgery
- On average, patients spend 2 hours in the Recovery Room after surgery.
- The Recovery Room nurse will provide updates during this time.
- The care team will notify you when the patient is out of recovery and visitation is allowed.
Arrival time information
- You will be notified of your arrival time by text message.
- Sometimes unexpected delays occur; if so, you may be contacted the day of surgery with an adjusted arrival time.
Plan to be at the hospital for most of the day
- Unexpected delays may cause a change in your surgery time.
- Please make other plans for any responsibilities you may have on the day of surgery, such as childcare or pet care.
- You and up to 2 visitors only are allowed to be together in the Admissions Department until you are taken to the Pre-operative Holding Area.
What to expect before surgery in the Pre-operative Holding Area
- You will be interviewed by the pre-operative nurse.
- You will meet the anesthesia team and the surgical team.
- This process could take 2 hours or more if unexpected delays occur.
If you have questions about your upcoming surgery, please use MyChart by myPennMedicine to write to your care team or call 800-789-7366 and ask to speak to your surgeon’s office.
You can expect a call or text message one business day before surgery with your arrival time and place to report for surgery.
Where to report
You may be instructed to arrive at one of our two locations, the Main Hospital or Short Procedure Unit (SPU):
- The Main Hospital is located at 800 Spruce Street. Main Hospital patients will be directed to report to the Welcome Desk upon arrival and then directed to check in at Admissions. The entrance to the Main Hospital is on 8th street.
- The Short Procedure Unit (SPU) is located at 801 Spruce Street. SPU patients will be directed to report to the SPU Waiting Room, 1st floor. The entrance to the SPU is on 8th Street.
Where to park
Self-parking is available 24 hours a day in Deck 1 at 8th & Delancey Streets, Philadelphia, PA.
The entrance to the Deck 1 parking garage is on Delancey Street across from the Main Hospital entrance on 8th street.
Valet parking is available from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Valet parking is available at both the 800 Spruce Street entrance and 801 Spruce Street entrance. Valet does not accept arrivals after 5 p.m. at 801 Spruce Street and after 6 p.m. at 800 Spruce Street. However, valet parking can retrieve cars until 10 p.m.