|
Preparing for Surgery/ Procedures
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
Home
Planning
Working with Your
Doctor
- Before surgery, your doctor will
give you a complete physical examination to make sure you
don't have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery
or its outcome. Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays,
are usually performed a week 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. However,
you should not diet during the month before your surgery.
- If you are taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications,
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 and 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 up.
- Report any infections to your surgeon. Surgery cannot 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 Procedure
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.
- Do Not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip home.
- The combination of anaesthesia, 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 (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, but before you are in
severe pain. If you wait to take your pain medication until
the pain is severe, you will have more difficultycontrolling
the pain.
- If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call the us on
02 83826199
|
