Surgery Prep & Recovery
Helping ensure you have a safe, successful, and healthy surgical procedure and recovery.
Though Premier Bone & Joint Centers orthopedic specialists believe in offering a conservative approach to treatment, exploring noninvasive avenues first, sometimes surgery is necessary to offer you the best outcome.
Should your physician recommend surgery, you should understand that you are in an exceptional orthopedic surgical facility, whose surgical specialists are among the most highly trained and qualified in the region.
Your surgery will be scheduled either at Premier Bone and Joint’s Surgery Center in Laramie, or at a hospital in Wyoming that we have built relationships with in order to perform surgeries in their facilities. The location of your surgery will be dependent on several factors. Your surgeon will work with you to decide which location is the best for you.
Pre-surgery Preparation
Once your paperwork has been received in the scheduling office, a nurse from the scheduling office will contact you to review your medical history as well as any medications you are currently taking.
You will be sent for any pre-op testing that is needed. If it is determined that a surgical clearance is needed, the nurses will work with you to get appropriate testing scheduled. Any special instructions will be reviewed with you.
If your surgery is scheduled at our surgery center in Laramie, you will be notified of the check-in time approximately two days before your surgery date. If your surgery is scheduled at another medical facility, that facility’s staff will notify you of your arrival time.
-
Your arrival time will be one or two hours prior to your actual surgery time. This is because of necessary tasks, including registration, preparation, anesthesia, etc., that need to be completed prior to you going into surgery. Please note that surgery may be delayed if cases prior to you take longer than anticipated or emergencies occur.
-
We recommend eating a normal dinner and drinking extra fluids the evening before your surgery. Please do not consume any food or drink after midnight of the evening prior to your surgery date: This includes gum and mints. Additionally, we recommend that you do not smoke or chew tobacco after midnight the evening prior to surgery.
It is extremely important that you follow these instructions or specific ones given to you by the nursing personnel. If you have had anything to eat or drink, including water, without having been instructed to do so, your surgery may be delayed or cancelled.
A nurse from the facility will provide you with instructions on which medications you are allowed to take immediately before your surgery. If instructed to take any medications, they should be consumed with only a sip of water.
-
Bathe or shower the night before surgery, and again the morning of surgery. If you were provided with special soap please use as instructed. If not, please wash the surgical area with anti-bacterial soap the night before and morning of surgery.
Nail polish, false fingernails, makeup, jewelry, and watches should not be worn the day of surgery. Possible exceptions should be specifically discussed with the surgery center staff prior to your arrival.
Please wear comfortable, loose clothing, appropriate for the procedure being performed. Please bring walking shoes. You will be asked to change into a gown upon arrival.
Do not bring any valuables with you. You may wear dentures, glasses and contacts to the facility; however, it is recommended that you bring a case to place them in during surgery.
-
It is necessary to make arrangements for a responsible adult to drive you home, and to stay with you the first 24 hours following your surgery.
-
If you are pregnant or suspect you are pregnant, please notify the surgery center staff. A pregnancy test will be performed on all women of childbearing age prior to surgery, as anesthesia and medications may be harmful to the developing fetus.
If you experience any health changes after visiting with surgery center staff, please notify the surgery center immediately. Please report even minor changes, such as an elevated temperature, cold, or cough.
-
At the reception desk or in pre-op, you will be asked to complete the forms that apply to your stay with us, such as consent to treatment, assignments of benefits, and Medicare’s advance beneficiary notice, if applicable.
In the preoperative area, a health care provider will have you read and sign consent to surgery form acknowledging your understanding of the procedure and granting permission for your physician to perform the scheduled procedure or procedures.
If the person having surgery is a minor, or is unable to sign forms, then a parent or legal guardian must sign the consent form. A parent or legal guardian must accompany any minor or impaired adult the day of surgery and remain at the surgery center throughout the patient’s stay.
A nurse will verify a health history, including height, weight, temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. A pregnancy test will be performed on all women of childbearing age. A blood glucose test will be performed for those patients with a history of diabetes. Once these have been completed, the nurse will assist in preparing you for your surgery.
You will be asked to change into a surgical gown. Your clothes and personal belongings will be placed into a personal belongings bag. Once you have gone to surgery, the bag will be placed into a patient locker.
Once the preoperative nurse has completed preparing you for surgery, you are welcome to have family and friends wait with you. Visitors may be limited due to space available. You will visit with both your surgeon and anesthesia provider (if applicable) prior to surgery.
Post-surgery & Recovery
-
After completion of surgery, you will be cared for in our recovery area, where you will be closely monitored by the recovery nurses until you are deemed ready to go home or moved to your over-night room.
Although the length of stay in the post-anesthesia care unit varies according to the type of procedure that was performed and your physician’s instructions, most patients are discharged within two hours following surgery.
-
Your recovery room nurse will provide postoperative instructions regarding diet, rest, exercise, and medications. Premier Bone & Joint Centers will provide you with a written copy of these instructions, as well as review them with you and your responsible adult.
You will be discharged when you have met discharge criteria. You may experience sleepiness, dizziness, or nausea. These are normal side effects, which may continue for 12 to 24 hours.
-
As it is normal to feel drowsy after receiving an anesthetic, we recommend that you postpone the following activities for at least 24 hours after discharge.
Please Do Not:
Drive or operate equipment or machinery
Sign important papers
Make significant decisions
Drink alcoholic beverages