Downloadable Forms
- New Patient History and Physical Form
- New Patient Financial Responsibility Form
- Patient Care Agreement Form
Preparing for Surgery
When you and your doctor decide that surgery is the best choice, you'll need to know what to expect from the surgery and create a treatment plan for the best results afterward. Preparing mentally and physically for surgery is an important step toward a successful result. Understanding the process and your role in it will help you recover more quickly and have fewer problems.
Working with Your Doctor
Before surgery, your primary medical doctor will perform a complete physical examination to make sure you don't have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or the outcomes. This is called a pre-operative medical clearance. Routine tests, such as blood tests, EKG’s, and Chest x-rays, are usually performed a week before any major surgery.
In addition, there are several other steps you can take to maximize the success of your surgery and improve your outcomes:
- Discuss any medications you are taking with your doctor and your family physician to see which ones you should stop taking before surgery.Discuss with your doctor options for preparing for potential blood replacement, including donating your own blood, medical interventions and other treatments, prior to surgery.
- If you are overweight, losing weight before surgery will help decrease the stress you place on your new joint. However, you should not diet during the month before your surgery.
- If you are taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications or warfarin (Coumadin)or any drugs that increase the risk of bleeding you will need to stop taking them one week before surgery to minimize bleeding.
- If you smoke, you should stop or cut down to reduce your surgery risks, such as infections and wound healing problems to improve your recovery.
- Have any tooth, gum, bladder or bowel problems treated before surgery to reduce the risk of infection later
- Eat a well-balanced diet, supplemented by a daily multivitamin with iron.Report any infections to your surgeon. Surgery cannot be performed until all infections have cleared. Arrange for someone to help with everyday tasks like cooking, shopping, and laundry. Some patients may qualify for home health care.
- Put items that you use often within easy reach before surgery so you won't have to reach and bend as often.
- Remove all loose carpets and tape down electrical cords to avoid falls.
- Make sure you have a stable chair with a firm seat cushion, a firm back and two arms. You may benefit from sleeping in a recliner after shoulder surgery.
- Do not eat or drink ANYTHING (even sips of water), past 12 am (midnight) the night before your surgery.
Preparing for Your Procedure
If you are having outpatient surgery, remember the following:
- Have someone available to take you home, you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours.
- Do not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip home.
- The combination of anesthesia, food, and car motion can quite often cause nausea or vomiting. After arriving home, wait until you are hungry before trying to eat. Begin with a light meal and try to avoid greasy food for the first 24 hours.
- If you had surgery on an extremity (leg, knee, hand or elbow), keep that extremity elevated and use ice as directed. This will help decrease swelling and pain.Take your pain medicine as directed. Begin the pain medicine as you start getting uncomfortable, but before you are in severe pain. If you wait to take your pain medication until the pain is severe, you will have more difficulty controlling the pain.
- You may be given post-operative machines such as an ice machine or machine that moves your joint called a CPM (continuous passive motion). It will be delivered to your house as a service. This is to help with your recuperation.
Post Surgery Instructions
Post Surgery Instructions
Shoulder
- AC Joint Reconstruction (Acromio-Clavicular)
- Athroscopic Subacromial Decompression (Shoulder Impingement Syndrome)
- Arthroscopic Shoulder S.L.A.P Repair (Labral Tear)
- Arthroscopic Multi-Directional Shoulder Instability
- Bankart Repair (Habitual Anterior Shoulder Dislocation)
- Massive Operative Rotator Cuff Repair
- Routine Operative Rotator Cuff Repair
- Total Shoulder Hemiarthroplasty Rehab (Total Shoulder Repair)
Hip
- Hip Arthroscopy
- Hip Arthroscopy S.L.A.P Repair (Labral Repair)
Knee
- ACL Allograft Reconstruction (Anterior Cruciate Ligament)
- ACL Hamstring Allograft Reconstruction (Anterior Cruciate Ligament)
- Arthroscopic Meniscus Repair (Meniscus Tear)
- Arthroscopic Menisectomy (Meniscus Tear)
- High Tibial / Femoral Osteotomy (Osteotomy of the Knee)
- MCL Injury (Medial Collateral Ligament)
- Lateral Release Surgery (Patella Femoral Lateral Release)
- Patella Stabilization (Fulkerson) Osteotomy (Knee Dislocation)
- Reconstruction of PLC & PCL/ACL (Multi-Ligament Surgery)
