Perioperative & surgical unit Spanish

Surgical Spanish phrases for nurses: pre-op assessment through PACU discharge — every encounter, no gaps.

Surgical care involves a compressed sequence of high-stakes conversations — NPO instructions the night before, consent review at the pre-op bay, anesthesia orientation in a cold OR, pain management in PACU while the patient is still waking up, and discharge criteria that have to be understood clearly enough to prevent a 2 AM callback. In every one of these moments, a language gap creates clinical and legal exposure. This is the phrase guide for the full perioperative arc.

NPO instructions — the night before and the morning of

The most common reason for surgical delays is an NPO violation. The patient who ate breakfast "because I didn't think crackers counted" needs clearer instructions. Two versions:

Night-before call: "Nada por la boca después de la medianoche — eso incluye agua, café, jugos, caramelos, goma de mascar, y cualquier pastilla que no sea la que el médico específicamente le dijo que tomara con un sorbo de agua." — Nothing by mouth after midnight — that includes water, coffee, juice, candy, gum, and any pill except the one your doctor specifically told you to take with a sip of water.

Morning-of re-check: "¿Comió o tomó algo desde la medianoche — incluyendo agua?" — Did you eat or drink anything since midnight — including water?

Why-explanation for patients who are confused: "Si el estómago no está vacío cuando le damos la anestesia, puede vomitar durante la cirugía y ese vómito puede entrar a los pulmones — eso es muy peligroso. Por eso el ayuno es obligatorio." — If the stomach isn't empty when we give you anesthesia, you can vomit during surgery and that vomit can enter the lungs — that's very dangerous. That's why fasting is required.

Pre-op assessment — history and physical

The pre-op assessment covers medical history, allergies, current medications, and implants. Walk through each in sequence:

Medical history

• "¿Tiene alguna enfermedad crónica — diabetes, presión alta, enfermedades del corazón, problemas para respirar, o coagulopatía?" — Do you have any chronic illness — diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, breathing problems, or clotting disorders?
• "¿Ha tenido alguna cirugía anterior?" — Have you had any previous surgery?
• "¿Tuvo algún problema con la anestesia antes — náuseas, reacción, o dificultad para despertar?" — Did you have any problem with anesthesia before — nausea, reaction, or difficulty waking up?

Allergies and medications

For a complete allergy assessment sequence, see allergies in Spanish for nurses. Pre-op medications:

• "¿Qué medicamentos toma todos los días — pastillas para la presión, para el azúcar, anticoagulantes, o suplementos?" — What medications do you take every day — pills for blood pressure, blood sugar, blood thinners, or supplements?
• "¿Tomó sus medicamentos esta mañana?" — Did you take your medications this morning?
• "¿Toma aspirina, ibuprofeno, naproxeno, o algún suplemento de hierbas?" — Do you take aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or any herbal supplement? (Antiplatelet and herb-drug interaction screen.)

Implants and metal screen

• "¿Tiene algún implante o aparato dentro del cuerpo — marcapasos, desfibrilador, reemplazo de cadera o rodilla, tornillos de metal, o clips en el cerebro?" — Do you have any implant or device inside your body — pacemaker, defibrillator, hip or knee replacement, metal screws, or clips in the brain?
• "¿Tiene alguna joya, piercing, o implante dental removible que no se haya quitado?" — Do you have any jewelry, piercings, or removable dental implants you haven't removed?

Surgical consent — supporting the surgeon's explanation

Surgical consent is the surgeon's legal responsibility, but the nurse is often present and can support comprehension. For the full framework on medical consent in Spanish, see medical consent in Spanish. Key support phrases:

• "El médico acaba de explicarle el procedimiento — ¿entendió lo que le van a hacer?" — The doctor just explained the procedure — did you understand what they are going to do?
• "¿Tiene preguntas antes de firmar?" — Do you have questions before signing?
• "Nadie le obliga a firmar — es su decisión y puede pedir más información." — No one is forcing you to sign — it's your decision and you can ask for more information.
• When a bilingual family member is trying to interpret: "Para la parte del consentimiento necesito usar el servicio de interpretación — un momento." — For the consent part I need to use the interpretation service — one moment. (See family-witness, not interpreter.)

OR orientation — reducing patient anxiety in the surgical suite

Patients are often most anxious at the moment they enter the OR. A brief orientation reduces startle responses and improves cooperation:

• "Esta es la sala de operaciones — es más fría que el cuarto, eso es normal para prevenir infecciones." — This is the operating room — it's colder than the room, that's normal to prevent infections.
• "Voy a ayudarle a pasarse a la mesa — la mesa es estrecha y tiene correas para que no se caiga." — I'm going to help you move to the table — the table is narrow and has straps so you don't fall.
• "El equipo que está aquí — el anestesiólogo, el cirujano, y las demás enfermeras — están aquí únicamente para usted." — The team here — the anesthesiologist, the surgeon, and the other nurses — are here just for you.
• "Cuando estemos listos, el anestesiólogo le va a dar el medicamento por el suero. Va a sentir somnolencia muy rápido — intente relajarse." — When we're ready, the anesthesiologist will give you the medication through the IV. You'll feel drowsy very quickly — try to relax.

PACU assessment — pain, nausea, and neurological recovery

The PACU nurse is the first person the patient interacts with after surgery. Many patients emerge disoriented, in pain, or nauseated. The recovery-room phrase sequence:

Orientation and re-anchoring

• "Señor/Señora [apellido], la cirugía terminó. Está en la sala de recuperación." — Mr./Ms. [last name], the surgery is over. You're in the recovery room.
• "Todo salió bien. El médico habla con su familia ahora." — Everything went well. The doctor is speaking with your family now.
• "Respire despacio — inhale por la nariz y exhale por la boca." — Breathe slowly — inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

Pain assessment

• "¿Siente dolor ahora? ¿En qué parte?" — Do you feel pain now? Where?
• "Del cero al diez, ¿qué número tiene el dolor?" — From zero to ten, what number is the pain?
• "Le voy a dar medicamento para el dolor por el suero — va a sentir alivio en unos minutos." — I'm going to give you pain medication through the IV — you'll feel relief in a few minutes.

Nausea assessment

• "¿Tiene náuseas o ganas de vomitar?" — Do you have nausea or the urge to vomit?
• "La náusea después de la anestesia es común y pasa — tenemos medicamento para eso." — Nausea after anesthesia is common and it passes — we have medication for that.
• "Respire lento y no se mueva bruscamente — eso ayuda con las náuseas." — Breathe slowly and don't move abruptly — that helps with nausea.

Neurological and motor recovery

• "¿Puede mover los pies? ¿Y las manos?" — Can you move your feet? And your hands?
• "¿Siente el área operada — siente presión o entumecimiento?" — Do you feel the operated area — do you feel pressure or numbness?
• After spinal/epidural: "Las piernas van a estar entumecidas todavía — eso es normal de la anestesia regional. Va a recuperar la sensación en una o dos horas." — The legs will still be numb — that's normal from the regional anesthesia. You'll recover sensation in one to two hours.

Discharge criteria and post-op teaching

Same-day surgery discharge requires the patient to meet clear criteria AND demonstrate understanding of warning signs. The five PACU discharge conversations:

1. "¿Su dolor está en un cinco o menos con las pastillas?" — Is your pain at a five or below with pills?
2. "¿Puede tomar líquidos sin náuseas?" — Can you take liquids without nausea?
3. "¿Puede pararse y caminar unos pasos con ayuda sin mareos?" — Can you stand and walk a few steps with help without dizziness?
4. "¿Pudo orinar — aunque sea un poco?" — Were you able to urinate — even a little?
5. "Antes de irse vamos a repasar las instrucciones de alta — ¿cuándo llamar al médico y qué esperar en los próximos días." — Before you leave we'll review the discharge instructions — when to call the doctor and what to expect in the next few days.

For the full discharge instruction and teach-back sequence, see discharge instructions in Spanish.

FAQs perioperative nurses ask us