Same-Day Care Built Around You
The outpatient surgery and endoscopy departments at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County, provide same-day care for patients of all ages. Each year, our team performs more than 118,000 outpatient and ancillary procedures — delivering individualized, safe and effective care for the families of Starkville, Mississippi, and the surrounding Golden Triangle region.
Whether you are scheduled for a routine procedure or a more complex same-day surgery, our team helps you prepare, supports you through the visit and sends you home with clear instructions for recovery.
Our outpatient surgery department covers a wide range of procedure categories.
- Pain procedures
- Urology procedures
- Endoscopy (upper and lower GI, including colonoscopy and upper endoscopy)
- General surgery — including hernia repair, gallbladder surgery and mastectomy
- ENT (ear, nose and throat)
- Oral and maxillofacial surgery
- Orthopedic procedures
- OB/GYN (outpatient gynecologic procedures)
- Infusions
- Blood administration
- Liver and renal biopsy
- Pulmonology
- Dental (pediatric)
Your physician will help you understand which outpatient procedure is right for your care and walk you through the next steps.
Many procedures at our same-day surgery center let you arrive in the morning, have your procedure, and head home the same day with a responsible adult driver. Same-day surgery reduces hospital time, lowers cost and gets you back to daily life faster than an overnight stay.
The endoscopy department handles diagnostic and therapeutic procedures like colonoscopy and upper endoscopy in dedicated rooms within the outpatient suite. Surgical procedures take place in our operating rooms, with nursing care delivered in private outpatient rooms on the first floor of the South Tower.
Scheduling Your Procedure
Your personal physician schedules your surgery. The physician's office gives you an arrival time. You can also call the outpatient surgery department the day before your procedure to confirm your arrival time or ask any questions.
Pre-admission
Plan to pre-admit at least 48 hours before your scheduled procedure. At pre-admission, our team can:
- Complete the diagnostic studies ordered by your physician
- Perform a pre-operative nursing assessment
- Walk through financial arrangements with you
Billing Note
Your hospital bill does not include your attending physician's fee. Other physicians involved in your care — anesthesiologists, consultants, assistant surgeons or radiologists — may bill separately for their services. If you receive imaging, a radiologist will interpret your images and bill for that interpretation.
Learn more about financial assistance and payment plans at
baptistonline.org/patients-and-visitors/financial-assistance.
The Day Before Your Procedure
- Eat a light supper
- Take your blood pressure, heart and other medications as prescribed, and check with your physician about anything you are unsure of
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours before surgery
- Take a bath and wash your hair if you do not plan to do so the next morning
- Tell your physician right away if you develop a fever, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or unusual pain
- Do not eat or drink anything after midnight, not even water, unless your physician gives you different diet instructions
The Morning of Your Procedure
- Do not eat or drink anything unless your physician gives you specific instructions. Ask your physician which prescribed medication to take that morning
- Bring all your current medications in their original containers
- Brush your teeth, but do not swallow any water
- Bring a container for dentures, eyeglasses or contact lenses, and any solutions you use
- Take a bath and wash your hair if you did not do so the night before
- Remove all hairpieces, hairpins, hair clasps and combs
- Leave earrings, rings, watches and other jewelry at home
- Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and a robe or slippers are welcome
- Check in at the outpatient admissions desk on arrival to receive your room assignment
- Ask the care team any questions you have so you fully understand your procedure
After surgery, you go to the recovery area. The typical recovery period is about two hours, though your time can vary based on your procedure and how quickly you wake from anesthesia.
Your support person can join you after you come out of recovery and is welcome to stay with you for the rest of your visit. We ask that you limit visitors in patient rooms to two adults at a time. Out of consideration for other patients, please do not bring food into the outpatient suite.
Going Home
A responsible adult must accompany you when you leave the hospital. The medications and anesthesia you receive make it unsafe to drive a car, walk home or take public transportation for 24 hours after your procedure. For your safety, you cannot leave alone after receiving sedation or anesthesia.
Before discharge, you receive home care instructions. Follow them closely. If you have questions once you are home, call your physician.
Excellence. Empathy. Better Care.
That is the promise we live every day in our outpatient services department at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County. We are here to make your same-day procedure as smooth as we can.