Welcome to
First Hill
Surgery Center
First Hill Surgery Center is conveniently located in the heart of Seattle’s First Hill medical community and is specifically designed to perform same-day, or outpatient, procedures that do not require a hospital stay. Your care will be provided by our experienced team in this state-of-the-art facility with 12 operating rooms and 32 recovery areas.
First Hill Surgery Center is operated as a joint venture between The Polyclinic and Swedish Medical Center and managed by The Polyclinic. Our mission is to foster healing in a safe environment that respects the important role of caregivers, family, and friends while providing exceptional service and value for patients.
Patient Resources
Patient Documents
Before Your Surgery
Prior to your surgery, you may receive a call from a First Hill Surgery Center nurse to review your health history and plans for recovery. The nurse will also provide specific instructions to help you prepare for your surgery.
If you missed the call or need to reach a pre-admission nurse before your surgery, please call 206-320-7751.
Here are a few additional things to keep in mind: You may also receive a call from our team to confirm your surgery and your check-in time and to answer any last-minute questions. Pre-op calls/MyChart notifications are done 2 business days before surgery.
Food, liquids, and tobacco
You will receive instructions from the First Hill Surgery Center on when to discontinue food and liquids before your procedure. Be sure to follow these instructions to avoid rescheduling your surgery.
Additionally, do not consume alcohol or marijuana 24 hours prior to your procedure, and do not smoke, vape, or use tobacco products after midnight the night before your procedure.
Medications
Confirm with your physician if you need to stop taking any medications such as blood thinners or insulin prior to surgery.
Driving
You should not drive during the first 24 hours after your surgery.
You MUST have an adult friend or family member accompany you from First Hill Surgery Center.
You may not drive yourself home, take a taxi alone, or walk to the bus.
Jewelry, lotions, and makeup
On the day of your surgery, you should bathe or shower and avoid wearing all makeup, lotions, or perfumes.
You may be instructed to bathe with a special soap before your arrival at the surgery center.
Please remove all jewelry, including wedding rings and any body piercings, before your arrival. We recommend wearing comfortable clothing like jogging/yoga pants, a bigger T-shirt, or sweatshirt.
During Your Surgery
Family members are not allowed into operating rooms as they are sterile environments specifically for surgery. Your family or friends can join you in the pre-operative area while you are prepped for surgery and in the post-operative recovery room before you’re discharged.
First Hill Surgery Center has a large waiting area specifically for caregivers, family, and friends. We offer free Wi-Fi, coffee, and electrical outlets for your use while you wait. We have a large-screen TV that displays your location through the surgical encounter from pre-op, into the OR, then into the recovery area so your family and/or friends know where you are. This gives caregivers the ability to leave FHSC and still be immediately alerted when their friend of family member is out of surgery.
After Your Surgery
During your post-operative recovery time, you will be monitored by our nursing team in one of our 32 post-operative rooms. Our nurses and care team will work closely with the surgeon and anesthesia provider to monitor you and plan your discharge from First Hill Surgery Center.
Our goal is to get you home as soon as possible while making certain that you are medically safe to leave. You may very well feel like you could sleep for a few hours or that you are being rushed out of the surgery center, but experience has shown that you will feel most comfortable at home, sleeping in your own bed.
Please do not
Drive
Operate machinery
Sign legal documents
Consume alcohol
Take any medications not prescribed or recommended by your physician
You should have a family member or friend stay with you during the first 24 hours after surgery to help and support your recovery.
If you have questions about your prescriptions or healing and recovery, please contact your surgeon or primary care physician. Your doctors are the best source of information about your ongoing health and recovery after surgery. They can work with you on your overall care plan. Your surgeon’s office will work directly with you to schedule any post-surgical care. Those appointments will be in your provider’s office, not at First Hill Surgery Center.
Policies
First Hill Surgery Center is committed to providing you with outstanding care before, during, and after your surgery. To help prepare for your surgery, please review the following policies before your procedure.
Location
First Hill Surgery Center is located at
1101 Madison Street
Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98104
between Minor Avenue and Boren Avenue on Madison Street in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood.
Parking is available in the Marion-Minor garage in the surgery center building. There is a patient drop-off and pick-up space on level A of the parking garage. Patients and caregivers are welcome to use this space for patient drop-off and pick-up only.
There are a number of services and amenities within walking distance of First Hill Surgery Center.
Parking
Patients are welcome to park in the Marion-Minor garage in the surgery center building when they arrive for surgery.
There is a patient drop-off and pick-up space on level A of the parking garage. Patients and caregivers are welcome to use this space for patient drop-off and pick-up only.