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Topics covered are:
Before Your Surgery
Preparing for Surgery
Lab Work
Physical Therapy
Appliances
The Night Before Surgery
Before Your Surgery
Prior to your scheduled surgery, please check with your employer and insurance company for authorization, second opinion and pre-certification requirements. Not notifying your insurance company as required may result in a penalty reduction in their payment of your bill. This will increase the amount you will be required to pay.
You will receive a letter from Midwest Orthopedic Services, sc a few days before your surgery. This may be given to you during your office visit or sent to you in the mail. If you are under 18 years of age, you parent or guardian must come with you to sign your operative permit. This form has all of your pre-op information and it is very important that you understand it. It describes the procedure to be performed, your assigned Pre-Op doctor and the appointment time, your educational class time (if desired), your Post-Op appointment and all of the Pre-Op testing needed and its due date.
When you meet with our nurse, please be prepared to inform us of any drug allergies or sensitivities you may have as well as any medications, herbs and/or vitamins that you are taking. It may be helpful to write them down in a list because you may be asked for this information several times.
Reasons to notify your physician:
Changes in your general health will affect your surgery. If at anytime prior to your surgery any of the following conditions develop, please notify your physician.
• Symptoms of cold, flu or infection
• Fever and/or chills
• Irritation of eyes, ears, throat, or gums, and any dental problems
• Boils, or skin abrasions or cuts
• Stomach or intestinal illness such as, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting or blood in stool
• Kidney or bladder changes that include burning with urinating, blood or pus in your urine, and needing to urinate more often or an urgent sensation with urinating
• If there is any possibility that you may be pregnant
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Preparing for Surgery
Preparing for surgery is a crucial step towards a pleasant surgical experience. First, you need to have a nursing assessment with our nurses and learn detailed Pre-Op and Post-Op instructions. Our nurses or your family doctor can perform the physical exam and health history. It is also wise to meet with your physician and discuss the procedure, risks and benefits of the surgery as well as signing the informed consent form for the procedure. You will want to meet with your anesthesiologist and review your medications and the procedure you will be undergoing. Finally, you will want to meet with your preferred physical therapist. If you do not have a physical therapist already, our nurses will arrange one for you. Here, you will learn about the exercises, braces, and walking aids you might need. Meeting with all of these individuals before surgery will help you feel more comfortable when the day of surgery comes and will help your transition after surgery go more smoothly.
Before the day of surgery, you will want to arrange to have an adult (someone over 18) available to drive you home after you are discharged, and have someone stay with you at least 24 hours once you are home. You will not be allowed to leave the hospital alone.
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Lab Work
Certain lab work must be done before any surgical procedure. These tests may include an x-ray, blood test and urine test. A chest x-ray and EKG will also be necessary if you have not had one done in 6 months. The form you received from us lists the needed tests. Some lab tests require that you not eat for 3 to 6 hours before the test is done so be sure to ask your doctor if you need to fast. These may be done at your local hospital, and be sure to bring your insurance card with you when you check in. The lab reports need to be faxed to our office at 309-342-1060 and also to your family physician. These tests must be done more than 14 days prior to surgery.
If you are an out-of-town patient, you will need to schedule an appointment with your family physician for a history and physical, preferably after your lab work is completed, so he can review it during your visit. The history and physical report must also be faxed to our office.
As a safety precaution, we need to have blood available to give you in case it is necessary for a transfusion during the time of your hospitalization. It is very unlikely, but we still need to be prepared. A sample of your blood must be taken at the hospital in which you will be having your surgery. Depending on when you are arriving in town, it can be done the day before or the morning of your surgery. A prescription for this laboratory test will be given to you at the time of your visit to our office.
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Physical Therapy
Your physical therapist can start helping you strengthen your upper extremities. This is vital as it will make getting around with crutches or walker for the first six weeks much easier and less clumsy. Secondly, the therapist can teach you how to get around with a walker or crutches, not just on level ground, but on stairs. You'll also be shown how to get in and out of a chair, bed and your car. You can practice before surgery. This will make your post-operative course a lot easier. Your therapist or occupational therapist can show you how to dress – put on socks, pants, give you tips on how to bathe and perform the daily activities you take for granted. Learning these things before surgery can take the strangeness and fear out of the world that will greet you in your initial post-operative period.
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Appliances
After surgery, you will need some devices to assist you in performing your routine functions. Most importantly, you will need a raised toilet seat; other appliances can help you put your socks on, and bathe. Your local therapist can assist you in locating a vendor that can provide these and can show you how to use them. Most insurance programs cover both the physical therapy fees and the appliances.
These things are taught while you are in the hospital. The more of these things you learn before your surgery — even obtaining the appliances and familiarizing yourself with them — the easier your convalescence will be. Increasing your upper body strength is critical to making your first six weeks more comfortable.
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The Night Before Surgery
Do not eat or drink anything, including water, after midnight the night before your surgery. This helps to prevent you from vomiting and breathing stomach contents into your lungs during surgery. It is also preferable for you to not smoke after midnight the night before your surgery. If you do eat, drink or smoke after midnight, please call the hospital. Or, if you are an inpatient, please tell your nurse. If you smoke, eat, or drink after midnight, your surgery may need to be postponed.
Please bathe or shower the night before or the morning of surgery. Be sure to carefully and thoroughly cleanse the operation area. It is best to use your usual bedtime pattern to get a good night's rest the night before surgery.
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