You come in for your visit with one of our surgeons and they recommend a surgical procedure to address your neck or back pain. This can be a relief at first, but then new worries and emotions can set in. Plenty of concerns may race through your mind and cause some anxiety and stress. We completely understand, and we are always here to help guide you through these emotions.
While you are in your appointment with one of our surgeons, they will explain in detail the plan of care and how it will help your condition. For most of us, we will not remember everything that is said. As questions come to mind later, you will want to be proactive and write them down. This will help make it easier for us to answer all of your questions regarding your planned surgery.
We have several guidelines you will be asked to follow. These are standard pre-surgical instructions you will want to follow to ensure your procedure and post-operative period goes as smoothly as possible.
- Do not eat or drink anything after midnight. People can react in different ways to anesthesia. If your stomach becomes upset, you can become sick even if you are asleep. By not eating or drinking, you lessen your chance of aspiration.
- Stop anti-inflammatory medications 1 week prior to surgery. These medications help with pain from inflammation, but they also thin your blood. By stopping these medications, the risks of bleeding diminishes. Post-operatively, they will help with pain control as they are reintroduced into your system.
- Be prepared to discuss your medications and allergies with the anesthesiologist. This will help them avoid any adverse reactions you may be prone to. They will also be able to tell you which medications are safe to take the morning of your surgery.
- Shower the evening before and the morning of surgery with a pre-operative cleansing soap. Post-op infections can be quite serious and lead to complications that cause secondary medical interventions. At Prairie SurgiCare, our infection rate is less than 1%. Far below local and national percentages. Skin infections at the wound site, including MRSA, are conditions we want to prevent. The antibacterial cleansing soap is a great step to avoid these infections.
Your safety and comfort are a priority to us at Prairie SurgiCare. Being prepared going into your procedure can make all the difference in your recovery.