Here are some tips to help you prepare for orthopedic surgery.
- Bring a family member or friend with you to your appointment as your patient advocate. When you are a patient, there is a lot going through your mind during your consultation. It helps to have more than one person in the room to stimulate questions and to hear what the surgeon and surgical team is telling you.
- It helps to prepare ahead of the consultation by writing down the details to your problem – when it began, how you feel and what treatments you’ve already tried to resolve it.
- While you are preparing ahead, be sure to write down your family history. Detail diseases and health conditions that affect your family and what ages it affected them. If any of your family members have had problem with anesthesia, be sure to detail that, too.
- It helps tremendously to have a list of medications you are taking, when you are taking them and dosages. Include over-the-counter medications and any vitamins or supplements you take on a regular basis.
- If you have any allergies to medications, food and environmental causes, be sure to tell your surgeon. It’s important to know if you have had an allergic reaction such as swelling or a rash or difficulty breathing.
- If you’ve had any imaging done related to your orthopedic problem, be sure to bring copies of the results and copies of medical records as they may help your surgical team map out the best solution.
- Before your consultation, start writing down questions that you have for any member of the surgical team. Ask about how the surgery will be performed, potential risks and complications and what recovery will look like for you. Also ask what you need to do to prepare for recovery at home and what needs to be done ahead of surgery to be fully prepared.
To learn more, call (219) 795-3360 and schedule an appointment.
