How long will the surgery take?

Depending upon the difficulty of your case, the surgery may take several hours. In general, you should expect 2-3 hours in surgery and 2-3 hours in the recovery room.

Will the surgeon see my family immediately after surgery is completed?

Whenever possible, the surgeon or one of his assisting surgeons will meet with family members immediately after surgery. If for any reason the family misses seeing the surgeon, they should contact his office the next day and all efforts will be made to arrange a time for the surgeon and family to discuss the patient's surgery.

What will my hospital stay be like?

The first night of your stay, you will more than likely be somewhat "groggy" from the medications you receive in surgery. You will be taken to your hospital room directly from the recovery room in your hospital bed to avoid transferring you from stretcher to bed. Once you are fully awake, you will be able to eat and drink as tolerated. Your vital signs, urinary output, and any drainage will be monitored closely by the nurses on the orthopaedic surgery floor. Pain medicine for the first 24 hours may be administered by intravenous method (the PCA pump-) and you will be shown how to use this device to assist in controlling your pain level.

Starting on day one post-operatively, you will be getting out of bed and attending physical and occupational therapy sessions. These sessions are vital to your progress and are arranged for 2-3 sessions each day, each session lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour. The physical therapists attending you will teach you the exercises needed for your optimal recuperation and instruct you on your weight bearing technique using a walker or crutches. The occupational therapist is trained to assist you in adapting your activities of daily living to your post-operative limitations. Activities such as bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, transfers from bed to chair, ambulation, and stair climbing will all be addressed during these sessions. Instructions for traveling by car or in some cases car and plane will also be discussed.