PREPARING FOR SURGERY

Once you and your doctor decide that surgery will help you, you'll need to learn 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, please discuss with your doctor any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or its outcome. Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, are usually performed before the surgery.

Discuss any medications you are taking with your Orthopaedic surgeon 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 and make the anaesthetic safer.

If you are taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications, you will need to stop taking most of them ten days before surgery to minimize bleeding. Celebrex and Vioxx can be continued until the day prior to your surgery.

If you smoke, you should stop or cut down to reduce your anaesthetic and surgical risks. Smokers have higher complication rates including infection and delayed healing rates.

Please have any tooth, gum, bladder or bowel problems treated before surgery to reduce the risk of infection later.

Eat a well-balanced diet.

Report any infections to your surgeon. Elective surgery usually will not be performed until all infections have cleared up.

HOME PLANNING

Arrange for someone to help out with everyday tasks like cooking,
shopping and laundry.

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.

PREPARING FOR DAY SURGERY

If you are having Day Surgery, remember the following:

Have someone available to take you home - you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours because of the anaesthetic.

Do not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip home - The combination of anaesthesia, food and car motion can 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 (arm, hand, leg, knee, foot), 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. Do not wait until you are in severe pain. If you wait until the pain is severe to take your pain medication you will have more difficulty controlling the pain.

If you have any questions please call one of our offices. If you have an urgent problem out of office hours, please contact the hospital where your surgery was performed. During office hours please call the office and speak with one of our staff.

After hours please call Prince of Wales private Hospital on 9650 4495, Canada Bay Private Hospital on 9747 2033, Calvary Hurstville Community Hospital on 9579 7777, Prince of Wales Public Hospital on 9382 2222 or Concord Public Hospital on 9767 5000 depending on who your treating doctor is and where you had your surgery.