 Picking a Date for Surgery
Residents and Medical Students
The Day Before Surgery
The Day of Surgery
Anesthesia
Picking a Date for Surgery
Dr. Geier makes every effort to schedule surgeries at a date that is most convenient for the patient. These surgeries are almost always outpatient surgeries, meaning that the patient is not admitted to the hospital and goes home the same day. In most instances, these can be scheduled within 1-2 weeks if necessary. Please choose a date that works best for school, work, and family. For instance, high school and college athletes often pick dates around school vacations, such as spring break or winter break. If such a date is desired, it is often necessary to pick these dates well ahead of the anticipated date. If there is a time that works best for work or family members who will be assisting the patient at home, Dr. Geier’s staff will help facilitate these scheduling requests. Typically, high school and college students have surgery in the middle of the week, take the end of the week and weekend off, and go back to school the following Monday. Sometimes larger surgeries, such as rotator cuff tears in adults, lead to 1-2 weeks out of work. The nature of the job often plays a role in the amount of time out of work. Patients with jobs involving mainly desk duties may return to work sooner than those with more active duties. Dr. Geier will explain the restrictions on activity prior to surgery, and use these restrictions to help pick a date. Finally, Dr. Geier’s office staff will precert the surgery with the patient’s insurance company prior to surgery. The staff can assist with determining the anticipated out-of-pocket costs to the patient prior to the surgery. Residents and Medical Students
One of the questions frequently asked by patients is who will actually perform the surgery. MUSC is a teaching hospital, but patients do not need to worry that medical students or residents perform the operations. Dr. Geier performs all of the surgeries himself. Residents may be involved as these cases often require assistants to hold retractors or equipment, but Dr. Geier is the surgeon. The Day Before Surgery
The patient will be contacted by Dr. Geier’s assistant as well as the surgery center the day before the surgery. If there are questions about what time to arrive or where to go to check in, these questions will be answered at this time. The patient should not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery. If medications are needed the morning of surgery, they most likely can be taken with a sip of water, but please check with the surgery center to make sure that this is acceptable. The Day of Surgery
There are several points to keep in mind to make the experience an easy and pleasant one. Please wear loose fitting clothing to make it easier to get these clothes back on after surgery. The arm or leg may be difficult to move or have a large bandage or brace, and tight-fitting clothing can be hard to get on. Please do not wear any jewelry on the day of surgery. It is required that the patient has a ride home already arranged, and Dr. Geier prefers to have the patient bring a friend or family member to be with the patient before and after surgery. Prior to surgery, Dr. Geier will talk to the patient and family the morning of surgery in the preoperative holding area. If there are any questions, please ask them at this time.
After surgery, Dr. Geier will go out to the waiting room to discuss the operation and how the patient is doing. He will give the family a packet that includes postoperative instructions, prescriptions, exercises to start doing at home, and the arthroscopic pictures. These instructions thoroughly explain questions about bearing weight, use of the extremity, bandage removal, showering, physical therapy and home exercises, medications, and contact numbers for questions or concerns. Please bring the arthroscopic pictures to the office at the time of the first follow up visit, and Dr. Geier will explain these to the patient in detail. Dr. Geier will check on the patient in the recovery room immediately after surgery, but the patient often remembers little of this interaction due to the effects of anesthesia. For that reason, Dr. Geier will call the patient later that day or the next morning to ensure that the patient is doing well and to go over the operation and postoperative instructions. Anesthesia
There are several options for anesthesia during surgery. The traditional methods of anesthesia include general anesthesia with breathing tubes in the throat. A newer method of anesthesia involves regional anesthesia. Regional anesthesia involves the anesthesiologist injecting numbing medicine into the shoulder or thigh to make the whole arm or leg numb. The injection is done after the patient has been given sedation to make it easier and less painful for the patient. There are several benefits of regional anesthesia. First, the block often provides enough pain relief that little or no general anesthesia is needed, which often minimizes nausea and vomiting after surgery. The block also often lasts 12-24 hours, so the patient is much more comfortable when he or she goes home. High school and college athletes especially have been very pleased with the regional anesthesia option, but almost every patient will be offered this option. Prior to surgery, the anesthesiologist will discuss options with the patient and family. |
