Once you have scheduled an orthopedic surgery, the days approaching it are often the most intimidating part. At South Shore Orthopedics, we make the expectations of the day of the procedure clear so you can have peace of mind through the process. From before you arrive to the days after, feel confident in your orthopedic road to recovery.
The Day Of Your Orthopedic Surgery At South Shore Orthopedics
By reading through this breakdown of the experience, you can figure out if there are any more questions to ask your doctor before the appointment. While this is an important resource, you can also talk through the process at your prior appointment to ensure you get all of your questions answered from the beginning,
Preparing Before The Surgery
Before you ever arrive at our office, there are steps to take to ensure a successful procedure. The day before, a nurse from the surgery center or hospital will call with your arrival time. This also depends on the location of your surgery. If you have not heard anything by 3 p.m. the day before surgery, reach out to us and we will assist in finding out this information.
Whether you are staying overnight or not, wear comfortable clothing. When deciding what to bring, focus on a picture ID, glasses and case, hearing aids, dentures and case, a list of the last time you took your medications, and CPAP machine with the mask if you have sleep apnea.
You can leave valuables and personal belongings at home. This includes money, credit cards, debit cards, jewelry, medications, drugs, and alcohol. This can prevent later issues of misplacing materials or lost items.
During Surgery
The actual events that occur during the surgery depend on the area of the body that is being worked on. During this time, you will have decided on a designated individual as a contact person. They will be available during and after the surgery to talk to and know where you will be located during the entirety of the experience.
While you are under anesthesia, there is nothing to worry about doing during the actual procedure. Prior to the surgery, your doctor would have gone through the steps that they are going to take. This is entirely dependent on the individual and the issue they are facing.
After The Surgery
Once your surgery is over, you will already know whether you are staying overnight or going home. The surgical team will bring you to the recovery area. This unit ultimately depends on the type of surgery and type of anesthesia used. Along with that, the recovery time depends on those factors paired with your body’s response. The doctors will medically clear you to be discharged. This is also when the designated person is important as they can pick you up to ensure you get home safely.
The level of pain after is dependent on the type of procedure. Some will have very little downtime while others face a more strenuous recovery process. If you have new, increasing, or unrelieved pain after the procedure you should get in contact with your doctor to see if there is something that needs to be addressed.
There is no reason to go into the day of surgery feeling unprepared. Take the time to read through these steps for each part of your experience. You may even read something that you had not considered before! Do you have an upcoming procedure with us? South Shore Orthopedics can help answer any more questions you have about the experience. Check out our website or give us a call at (781) 337-5555 for more information.