A standard pre-op packet checks six things: whether your blood carries oxygen and can clot, whether your kidneys and liver are handling drugs normally, whether you have an infection brewing, whether you could be pregnant, and whether your heart’s electrical rhythm is normal before anesthesia. Those questions map onto the complete blood count, PT/INR, the comprehensive metabolic panel, the urinalysis, the beta-hCG, and the EKG. A chest X-ray is added when your surgeon wants a look at the lungs and heart size. This article takes them one at a time in plain language.
Patients usually receive an order sheet with abbreviations on it and no explanation. Knowing what each line is asking makes the visit shorter, because you can tell the physician the thing that actually matters about your history. The full service page is at pre-op clearance testing, and everything below is included in the $650 package except the chest X-ray, which is priced separately at $320.
Complete blood count (CBC)
What it measures: the cells in your blood. Red blood cells and hemoglobin, which carry oxygen. White blood cells, which fight infection. Platelets, which start the clotting process at a wound.
Why the surgeon ordered it: surgery costs you blood, and anesthesia depends on your blood carrying oxygen efficiently. A low hemoglobin going into an operation leaves less margin, and an anesthesiologist wants to know about it in advance rather than discover it during a case. A low platelet count changes the bleeding picture. An elevated white count can point to an infection that would postpone an elective procedure.
What it feels like: one tube from a single blood draw. No fasting required for this test on its own.
Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP)
What it measures: fourteen values covering kidney function (BUN and creatinine), electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide), blood sugar, calcium, protein levels including albumin, and liver enzymes with bilirubin.
Why the surgeon ordered it: nearly every anesthetic drug is processed by the liver, the kidneys, or both, and the dose that is right for one patient is wrong for another based on how well those organs are clearing it. Potassium matters to heart rhythm during anesthesia. Blood sugar matters to wound healing and to how a diabetic patient is managed on the day. Kidney numbers also inform decisions about fluids during a longer case.
Practical note: if your surgeon wants fasting values, particularly glucose, come in having eaten nothing that morning. Ask when you book so a repeat draw is avoided.
PT/INR coagulation study
What it measures: prothrombin time, reported as an international normalized ratio, which is a standardized measure of how long your blood takes to form a clot through one of the two main clotting pathways.
Why the surgeon ordered it: a patient whose blood clots slowly bleeds more during surgery and bruises more afterward. The number also serves as a baseline. If bleeding becomes an issue during recovery, the surgical team has a starting value to compare against.
The medication connection: INR tracks warfarin closely, so patients taking it usually know their number already. Several newer oral anticoagulants do not move the INR in the same way, so a normal result does not mean a patient is free of blood thinners. That is one of several reasons the physician reviews your full medication list rather than reading the number alone.
Blood beta-hCG, qualitative
What it measures: whether the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin is present in your blood. Qualitative means the result is reported as present or absent rather than as a number.
Why the surgeon ordered it: general anesthesia and many surgical medications carry risk in pregnancy, and imaging involving radiation does as well. Surgical centers require a documented negative result close to the date for patients of childbearing potential, and most will stop a case without one.
Why blood rather than urine: a blood test detects the hormone earlier and is the version most surgical centers specify. It runs in our own laboratory, so the result is available the same day.
Urinalysis
What it measures: a chemical and microscopic look at a urine sample, checking for white cells and nitrites that suggest infection, blood, protein, glucose, and concentration.
Why the surgeon ordered it: an unrecognized urinary tract infection is one of the most common reasons an elective procedure gets postponed on the day. Operating in the presence of an active infection raises the risk of the surgical site becoming infected, and for joint replacement in particular surgeons treat it as a hard stop. Protein or glucose in urine can also surface kidney or blood sugar issues that deserve a closer look before anesthesia.
What it feels like: a sample cup at the clinic. No preparation needed.
EKG (electrocardiogram)
What it measures: the electrical activity of your heart, recorded from ten electrodes placed on the chest and limbs, producing the twelve views clinicians call leads. The tracing shows rate, rhythm, how the electrical signal travels through the conduction system, and patterns that can indicate prior heart muscle injury or chamber enlargement.
Why the surgeon ordered it: anesthesia stresses the cardiovascular system. Anesthetic drugs change heart rate, blood pressure, and rhythm, and surgery adds fluid shifts on top. An arrhythmia or a conduction problem discovered on the morning of surgery cancels the case. Found two weeks earlier, it gets evaluated properly and often the procedure goes ahead as planned.
What it feels like: you lie still for a couple of minutes with sticky electrodes on your skin. Nothing is injected and nothing is felt. The recording itself takes seconds, and at TrufaMED our physicians read it during the visit and write the interpretation into your clearance documentation.
Chest X-ray
What it measures: an image of the lungs, the heart silhouette, the airways, and the bony structures of the chest. A standard study is up to two views.
Why the surgeon ordered it: it is requested selectively rather than for everyone, typically for patients with a cardiac or pulmonary history, significant smoking history, symptoms such as a cough or shortness of breath, or when the anesthesia plan calls for it. The image can show fluid, an area of infection, or heart enlargement that changes the anesthesia approach.
How it works here: the study is captured on our on-site digital X-ray during the same visit at $320 for up to two views, with the physician interpretation included in that price. There is no separate imaging appointment to schedule and no second building to drive to.
What an abnormal result actually means
An out-of-range value is a flag for a physician to interpret, and interpretation depends on the whole picture. A mildly low hemoglobin in a healthy patient scheduled for a short procedure reads differently than the same number before a long operation. A tracing that looks unusual in a trained athlete can be a normal adaptation.
What follows a flagged result is one of a few paths: repeating the test, adding a related test, ordering imaging, referring for a specialist opinion, or documenting it and proceeding because it does not change the anesthesia plan. Our physicians review the finding with you, and where it affects the surgical decision we coordinate with your surgeon’s office directly.
How fast each result comes back
| Test | Turnaround |
|---|---|
| EKG | Read during the visit |
| Chest X-ray | Read during the visit |
| Urinalysis | Same day |
| CBC, CMP, PT/INR, beta-hCG | Same day in most cases, run in our own laboratory |
| Specialized panels sent to an outside reference lab | 1 to 2 business days |
The clearance letter is finalized once every ordered result is in hand, then sent to your surgeon’s office with a copy for you.
Getting an EKG without a full clearance
Not everyone who needs a tracing needs the whole packet. Patients come in for an EKG on its own for a form that requires one, for a physician who asked for a current tracing, or because a symptom prompted the request. A standalone EKG at TrufaMED is $110 self-pay, performed and interpreted on site.
Walk-ins are accepted seven days a week and no referral is required. Booking ahead at health.trufamed.com/book shortens the wait. If chest pain, pressure, severe shortness of breath, or fainting brought you here, call 911 or go to an emergency department rather than a walk-in clinic.
Where to have the testing done
TrufaMED is at 9445 Harding Ave, Surfside, FL 33154, with laboratory, EKG, digital X-ray, and ultrasound in the building. The phone number is (305) 537-6396. We are open Monday through Friday 9AM to 9PM, Saturday 11AM to 11PM, and Sunday 12PM to 8PM.
We are Florida’s only Joint Commission-accredited urgent care, and care is physician-led. The clearance program is directed by Dr. Uri Gedalia, a board-certified general surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, with Medical Director Dr. Shane D. Naidoo, board-certified in emergency medicine. The complete diagnostic list is on our testing services page, and everyday walk-in care is described on the urgent care page.
Frequently asked questions
What tests are in a standard pre-op panel?
A complete blood count, a comprehensive metabolic panel, PT/INR coagulation study, a blood beta-hCG, a urinalysis, and an EKG, along with a physician history and physical. A chest X-ray is added when the surgeon orders one. At TrufaMED those first components are covered by the $650 self-pay clearance package, and the chest X-ray is $320 for up to two views.
Why does my surgeon need an EKG before surgery?
Anesthesia changes heart rate, blood pressure, and rhythm, and surgery adds fluid shifts on top of that. An EKG shows rate, rhythm, and how the electrical signal travels through the heart, which lets the anesthesia team plan around a conduction problem or an arrhythmia. Finding it weeks ahead usually means the procedure still goes forward. Finding it on the morning of surgery cancels the case.
Where can I get an EKG near me in Miami?
TrufaMED performs EKGs on site at 9445 Harding Ave in Surfside, seven days a week, with walk-ins accepted and no referral required. The tracing is read by our physicians during the visit. Call (305) 537-6396 or book at health.trufamed.com/book.
Can an urgent care do an EKG?
Ours does. TrufaMED has an EKG, a laboratory, digital X-ray, and ultrasound inside the clinic, which is how a full pre-op workup finishes in one visit here. Many walk-in clinics do not have an EKG on site and refer the test elsewhere, so it is worth confirming before you drive over.
How much is an EKG without insurance?
A standalone EKG at TrufaMED is $110 self-pay, performed and interpreted on site. If your surgeon ordered a full clearance workup, the EKG is already included in the $650 package along with the physician visit, CBC, CMP, PT/INR, beta-hCG, and urinalysis.
Do I have to fast for pre-op blood work?
It depends on what your surgeon ordered. A complete blood count and PT/INR do not require fasting. Some surgeons want fasting glucose or a lipid panel alongside the metabolic panel, and those do. Ask when you book so we can tell you what your specific order requires and avoid a repeat draw.
What does PT/INR test for?
It measures how long your blood takes to form a clot, reported as a standardized ratio. Slow clotting means more bleeding during surgery and more bruising afterward, and the value also gives the surgical team a baseline to compare against later. INR tracks warfarin closely, though several newer oral anticoagulants do not move it in the same way, which is why the physician reviews your full medication list.
Why is a pregnancy test required before surgery?
General anesthesia, several surgical medications, and imaging that uses radiation all carry risk in pregnancy. Surgical centers require a documented result close to the surgery date for patients of childbearing potential and will generally stop a case without one. The package uses a blood beta-hCG, which runs in our laboratory and returns the same day.
Do I need a chest X-ray before surgery?
Only when your surgeon orders one, which is why it sits outside the package. It is requested most often for patients with a cardiac or pulmonary history, a significant smoking history, current respiratory symptoms, or when the anesthesia plan calls for it. When required, we capture it during the same visit at $320 for up to two views with the interpretation included.
What if one of my results is abnormal?
A physician interprets it against your history and the procedure you are having. The next step may be repeating the test, adding a related test, ordering imaging, or referring for a specialist opinion, and some findings are simply documented because they do not change the anesthesia plan. Where the result affects the surgical decision, we coordinate with your surgeon’s office directly.