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Patient Information -

Pre-Operative Information       Outpatient Post-Operative Instructions     Possible Post-Operative Complications


Although many orthopedic problems can be treated with medicine and physical therapy, there are times when surgery is the best course of action. Surgery should be undertaken only after you are fully aware of the risks, benefits and potential complications of the intended procedure. This means that if you have any questions, please contact me so that we can discuss them. Please understand that performing surgery is a technical art, and as such it is impossible to anticipate and explain every complication that can occur. I will provide you with information on the usual results and complications, but if you have a particular concern it is your responsibility to ask me.

Surgical Scheduling

Performing surgery requires the scheduling resources of several different entities, including but not limited to anesthesia, the surgical suite, surgical equipment, insurance requirements and myself. As a result, we will try to schedule your surgery as conveniently for you as possible, but specific times may not always be available. Presently, I have reserved surgery time on Wednesday at The Christ Hospital and Friday at the Red Bank Outpatient Surgery Center. My office will try to schedule your surgery during one of these times. If either one of those two locations is not acceptable or your insurance does not participate with either location, we will try our best to accommodate your needs at a different facility.

Do not take aspirin or anti-inflammatories (Motrin, Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc.) for seven days prior to surgery. If you are on blood thinners such as Coumadin, or have a history of blood clots, please let me know. You should also contact your Primary Care Doctor, to make special arrangements as necessary.

After we have agreed to proceed with surgery and you have provided informed consent, the process is as follows:

  • I will provide the necessary information to my office staff for scheduling the surgery. At that time, please provide my staff with any requests you may have in regards to date, time and location.
  • My staff will schedule the surgery, contact your insurance company to obtain pre-authorization, then call you to let you know the date and time of surgery. It is important that my staff has your current insurance information. If you change insurance companies after your surgery has been scheduled, please notify my staff of that change. They will need to call your new carrier for pre-authorization.
  • Before your surgery you will receive a call from Pre-Admission Testing. They will ask you to make an appointment to come to the hospital for your pre-surgical history and physical, as well as any required testing. Your primary care doctor can perform your history and physical if you prefer; please let the scheduler know at the time of the call. If you want your primary care doctor to perform your history and physical it will be up to you to schedule that appointment and have the required testing done by the deadline, which is required for surgery.
  • If you have any questions for my staff or me please do not hesitate to call my office at (513) 333-2580. If you have questions for Pre-Admissions Testing at The Christ Hospital, they can be reached at (513) 585-2880.

Second Opinions

The decision to get a second opinion can be initiated by you, your insurance company or in some cases by me. I encourage you to obtain a second opinion if you have continued questions or concerns about a proposed treatment that I have not been able to answer to your satisfaction. It is my opinion that the better informed you are, the better the potential outcome of any treatment plan. If you are requesting a second opinion, don't feel secretive about it. Please let me know and I will provide you with the names of physicians whom I feel are competent in your particular surgical area. If a physician advises you on a different treatment plan than what I have advised or if you decide to change physicians, please contact me so that we can record this information in your medical chart.

Anesthesia

Surgery would not be possible without the availability of anesthetic techniques that allow me to perform an operation without you experiencing much, if any, pain. The Christ Hospital Anesthesia Group is staffed by extremely competent Anesthesiologists, Nurse Anesthetists and Anesthesia Assistants, with whom I have an excellent working relationship. I have trusted and will continue to trust them with myself and my family and you should feel comfortable trusting in them as well.

The anesthesiologist will visit you on the day of surgery in the Same Day Surgery holding area. At that time, you will discuss the type of anesthesia available as well as the risks and benefits of each. The three major types of anesthesia available are:

  • Local Anesthesia: An anesthetic is administered into the skin at or near the site of the operation. The injection numbs the area for a relatively short period of time. You remain awake and conscious.
  • Regional Anesthesia: Regional anesthesia is similar to local anesthesia in that you remain awake, however you may be sedated heavily and have no recollection of the surgery. An anesthetic agent is placed into a large nerve, such as the spinal column, providing pain relief for an entire area. Examples of this would be a spinal or regional anesthesia.
  • General Anesthesia: These anesthetics are administered either by inhalation or into the blood stream by intravenous injection. These drugs cause a loss of consciousness and thus, inability to feel pain. Although this type of anesthesia has the greatest risk, modern techniques and monitoring have resulted in making this significantly more safe over the past several decades.

Prior to Surgery

On the day of surgery, if you are going to The Christ Hospital you should go to C-Level Registration approximately two hours prior to your scheduled surgery. Please use the following instructions:

  • Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery (not even water – except as mentioned below).
  • Do not wear make-up or jewelry to the hospital.
  • Do not bring valuables to the hospital.
  • If you are on heart medications, high blood pressure medications or anti-seizure medications, take them with a small sip of water. Do not take any diabetic medication, including insulin.
  • If you are on dietary supplements or herbs (such as Angelica, Echinacea, Ephedra, Garlic, Gingko biloba, Ginseng Kava Kava, St. John's Wart or others) discontinue use seven days prior to surgery and inform the anesthesiologist prior to surgery.
  • Do not make marks on your leg or arm. I will greet you prior to surgery and mark the appropriate extremity; your marks may lead to confusion.
  • If your surgery is out-patient (home the day of surgery), make sure that you have a responsible adult to accompany you home and stay with you for 24 hours.

When it comes to surgery, neither you nor I like surprises. If you have questions or concerns that have not been fully answered or if you have a medical concern that you are not sure I am aware of, please contact my office. It never hurts to double–check; do not feel that you are “bothering” me.


NI, not only focus on the injury, I focus on the patient as well.

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513-333-2580
The information provided herein is not intended as a substitute for professional medical help or advice but is to be used only as an aid in understanding various orthopedic problems or other health problems. It should never be substituted for consulting a medical or other health professional. Nothing contained on this site should be construed as medical advice. Always consult in person with a trained health professional on any health matters.