Advance directives are legal documents outlining how you wish medical decisions to be made about you if you are unable to make those decisions yourself. An advance directive may be in the form of a living will or medical power of attorney. If you have an advance directive, it is your responsibility to inform your physician and the facility and to provide both with a copy of the advance directive.
Advance directives are maintained in the appropriate patient medical record. If your advance directive contains a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, your anesthesiologist and surgeon will be informed.
If you do not have an advance directive and would like information on how to obtain one, our facility can help. You can also learn more about advance directives at the Arizona Advance Directive Registry website at www.azsos.gov.