Your surgeon will meet with you to answer any questions you may have. You will be asked questions about your health history and your doctor will give you a general physical exam. If your intestine requires cleaning, you will be given a prescription for a laxative medicine to take the evening before the surgery. All patients are asked to provide a blood sample. Depending on your age and general health, you may also have an EKG (electrocardiogram), a chest X-ray, lung function tests, or other tests to evaluate your body's ability to handle the stress of surgery. Finally, you will meet with an anesthesiologist, who will discuss the type of anesthesia you will be given for surgery. You will also learn about pain control after the operation, which might include a PCA (patient-controlled analgesia) pump.