How to prepare for surgery & for a procedure

Preparing for Surgery

Once you and your doctor decide that surgery will help you, you will need to learn what to expect from the surgery and how to actively participate in the treatment plan.

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

Before surgery, your doctor will perform a complete physical examination to make sure you don’t have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or the outcomes.

• Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, are usually performed a week before any major surgery.
• Discuss any medications you are taking with your doctor and your family physician to see which ones you should stop taking before surgery.
• Discuss with your doctor about options for preparing for potential blood replacement, includes 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 or any drugs that increase the risk of bleeding, you will need to stop taking them one week before surgery to minimise 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.
• Arrange for someone to help 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 Surgery

If you are having day surgery, please 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 back 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 (leg, knee, hand or elbow), 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 difficulty in controlling the pain.

Rehabilitation Program

Rehabilitation is a treatment method designed to facilitate recovery after a serious injury, illness, or surgery. It is aimed at restoring the physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological, and social function of the patient.

The goal of a rehabilitation program varies depending on the patients’ needs but is aimed at achieving a quick recovery. This program assists the patient to return to normal life through therapy or training.

A post-operative rehabilitation program offers faster healing.

A rehabilitation program is recommended for people who cannot resume their normal activities following an injury or a surgery. The rehabilitation team works with the patient on various physical activities and flexibility exercises that help to regain the strength and motion of the muscles in the injured site.

The most common and immediate treatment modality that provides relief from pain is the RICE treatment comprised of rest, ice, compression, and elevation. The RICE treatment is used for acute injuries such as sprains, strains, bruises and contusions.

Crutches, splits, or wheelchairs are used as immobilisers to provide support and prevent movement of the injured joints. A rehabilitation program often includes stretching and bending exercises, massage, stability exercises, physiotherapy, heat therapy, and much more.

Various techniques employed in a rehabilitation program have significance of their own in improving physical performance and restoring the patient to normal activities.

• Stretching and bending exercises improve flexibility of the muscles at the injured site.
• Massage techniques relieve the tension of the muscles and improves the blood flow to the site of injury.
• Stability exercises restore the functions, and movements of broken or injured joints.
• Use of appropriate gears corrects biomechanical dysfunction such as specially designed running shoes are recommended for sports individuals with foot injury. These shoes have a harder material inside the sole, which prevents the foot from rolling in.

Practicing several measures may help you obtain better results from the rehabilitation program.

• Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE).
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce pain
• Use of crutches, braces, or heat retainer to prevent movement of injured site
• Physiotherapy
• Sports massages

In addition to the above-mentioned treatments, your physiotherapist may instruct special exercises following surgery depending upon the type of injury and type of surgery.

Consultations

In-Office Consultations

Delivery of this service will be as per the prior agreed agreements with the patients upon the receipt of payment in full or a guarantee letter from the patient if he/she is self–pay or from the third party (insurer or sponsor). All the patients are advised to bring the required documents and medical records on the day of the appointment.

E-Consultations

E- Consultations are provided to our patients, especially those who are coming from abroad to the UK. Our E-consultation is limited to completing a quick online form where patients can enter their symptoms, and can also upload their scans (X-rays, MRI, CT Scans, and other reports via a secure patient portal). Once our consultants have reviewed the patient’s symptoms, medical records, and related Scans, they will give their expert opinion on the condition with a provisional or confirmed diagnosis, and proposed treatment options.

Self Pay

Payment options

We accept cash, credit, and debit cards, all major insurances, and company sponsorships.

Consultation Fees

Initial Consultation: £300.00
Follow-up consultation: £180.00

Quotation for services

Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeons Ltd aims to keep the patients informed of the likely cost of the treatment. The estimated cost quoted for services may change if the patients’ assumed or professional diagnosis differs from or is more complicated than that initially quoted.

In the event, if the initial quoted price was higher as compared to the rendered services, the difference in cost will be refunded to the patient, insurance company, or sponsor, depending on the source of funding. All the listed or quoted prices are for informational purposes, and subject to variation depending upon the services rendered.

All the quoted fees must be paid before the rendering of services. The service charges for third parties such as diagnostic facilities, hospital, and pharmacy should also be arranged before availing of the services.

Refund

If you believe you are due a refund, please contact us as soon as possible providing full details of the consultation. Please note we do not offer refunds where the doctor is not at fault.

For e-consultations, with the exception of video consultations, we operate a full refund policy so long as our doctor did not generate the medical report.

Please note refunds can take up to 45 working days excluding weekends and bank/public holidays.

Post-operative Care

Post-operative Instructions

Apart from the specific instructions given to you depending on the type of surgery you have undergone, the basic general instructions that you should follow after your surgery are as follows:

• Take pain relieving and other medications as advised. Pain relieving medication should be taken with food. After the first 48 hours of surgery, take the pain medication only when needed.
• Do not drink alcohol, drive a vehicle, operate any machinery or sign a legal document for the first 24 hours after the surgery as the effects of the sedative and/or the anaesthesia administered during the surgery may last for the first 24 hours of the surgery.
• Use ice packs to control swelling. However, make sure that the ice bag does not leak into the dressing. Ice packs can be used liberally for the first 48 hours and even later, if required.
• Follow the specific restriction of activity, as advised. Remember that it is easier to prevent developing pain rather than managing it once it has already developed. Rest for a few days after the surgery and keep the operated extremity elevated, above the level of your heart, to control swelling.
• Keep the dressing clean and dry to promote wound healing.
• Try to begin physical therapy a day or two after the surgery. Exercises in the first week are usually aimed at regaining joint motion. Strengthening exercises are initiated later. Regular exercises are critical for a successful outcome.
• Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated drinks
• Schedule your follow-up appointment with your doctor as advised.

Please consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Increased drainage from the incision
• Increased redness around the operated area
• Increased swelling that does not decrease with ice and elevation
• Foul odour
• Fever greater than 101°F
• Coldness, numbness or blanched white or bluish colour of the fingers or toes
• Sudden calf pain or shortness of breath
• Chest pain

Physical Therapy

What is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy is an exercise program that helps you to improve movement, relieve pain, encourage blood flow for faster healing, and restore your physical function and fitness level. The main aim of physical therapy is to make your daily activities, such as walking, getting in and out of bed, or climbing stairs, easier. It can be prescribed as an individual treatment program or combined with other treatments. Physical therapy is usually ordered to help you recover after certain surgeries, injuries and long-term health problems such as arthritis.

A physiotherapist will examine your symptoms and daily activities, and make a treatment plan, which primarily focuses on reducing your pain and swelling. The different procedures used by your therapist depend on your specific physical ailment.

What does Physical Therapy Involve?

Physical therapy involves a combination of education, manual therapy, exercises and techniques. Some of the procedures commonly used are:

• Stretching exercises: Surgery, age and conditions, such as arthritis and osteoporosis, can cause inflammation and stiffness in your joints and muscles, and restrict your movement. Physiotherapists guide you step by step to stretch certain areas of your body to restore flexibility and enhance the movement of joints and muscles.
• Core strengthening and stability exercises: Specific exercises are designed to make the core (pelvis and lower back) strong enough to support the whole body.
• Ice and heat: Applying heat or cold treatment on muscles can stimulate the blood flow and reduce swelling. Heat treatment helps to reduce joint pain and spasm in the lower back and neck and loosen muscles. Cooling works best for ankle sprains.
• Ultrasound: An ultrasound sends high frequency sound waves over your body and stimulates deep body tissues. Vibrations produced by sound waves help to stimulate blood flow and facilitate the healing process. This procedure can also be used to improve metabolism and enhance the adhesiveness of bones after a fracture.
• Electrostimulation: In this procedure, an electric current is passed through the area which requires treatment. This helps in relieving pain, stimulating muscles and nerves, and expanding blood vessels.

These treatments may cause mild soreness or swelling. You can talk to your therapist in case it is prolonged.