• You and your partner will arrive several hours before your surgery and you’ll both be escorted to the preoperative waiting area.
• You’ll remove all of your clothing and jewelry, and put on a hospital gown. (Your valuables will be placed in a secure area or may be given to your partner.) 
• You’ll sign any necessary paperwork and a preoperative nurse will take your vital signs, review your medications, and answer any questions.
• You’ll meet the members of your surgery team. 
• Your abdomen will be cleansed. 
• A catheter will be placed into your bladder to collect your urine during and immediately after the procedure. 
• An I.V. (intravenous line) will be placed in your hand or arm to provide medications and fluid. 
• You’ll receive regional anesthesia, which will numb the lower part of your body.
• When it’s time for the procedure, you’ll be wheeled into the operating suite on a stretcher.