• There are three costs associated with a surgical procedure: Surgeon, facility and anesthesia. You will get a financial estimate for the surgeon and facility fees. Anesthesia bills your insurance after the procedure.
• You will get a call from a pre operative nurse from the outpatient surgery center prior to surgery. You will also get a call from my office the day before surgery regarding the surgery time and arrival details. You will need someone to drive you home afterwards.
• Medications: If you are on any anticoagulation medications (ie. Coumadin, Plavix, Xarelto, Eliquis) please notify the office as soon as possible. You will need the prescribing physician to facilitate cessation of these medications prior to surgery. If you are on over the counter NSAIDs (ie. Motrin, ibuprofen, Advis, Aleve, Naproxen, Aspirin) you will need to stop these medications 7 days before surgery. If you are taking semiglutide medications please discuss this with the preoperative nurse. You will need to be off of these for a minimum of one week. If you have reflux, nausea or prolonged fullness after meals while on it, you may need to be off of it for two weeks.
• Preparations at home: Having things ready at home prior to surgery will help to ensure you have a safe recovery environment. It is recommended you remove any tripping hazards in your main living space and where you sleep. These could include rugs, cords, and children's toys. Having chairs with arms to assist you in sitting to standing will help ensure you can move independently without using your operative arm. Having a reclining chair or extra pillows to support your arm in bed can make sleeping more comfortable -especially for shoulder patients. Select clothes that are comfortable with larger sleeves or button front closures.
• Follow up appointments: You should have a follow up appointment set up to see Dr. Palumbo ten days after surgery. Some procedures also require physical therapy. Shoulder and elbow arthroscopy procedures usually see physical therapy two days after the procedure. Fracture procedures and wrist/hand procedures typically see occupational therapy ten days after surgery. Setting these appointments up prior to the procedure is recommended in order to avoid delays in your post operative care.