Questions About Surgery?

From logistics to post-operative pain expectations, below are some of the most common questions we receive about surgery.

To be fair, exceptions always exist.
There are general questions, however, that seem to be repeated regardless of the surgery or the patient.

Hopefully the information below will help ease some of the uncertainty around what is typically a unique experience.

1. How do I take a shower?
   Covering your dressing with a trash bag, plastic wrap, a glove, or a commercially available product will do the trick.

2. Can I drive myself home?
   If your surgery requires the use of sedation or general anesthesia, you will need someone to drive you.

3. Where will surgery be?
   Most hand and upper extremity surgeries are performed at an outpatient surgery center. The specific location can be influenced by your insurance or any medical issues. You will get information on specifics from your surgery scheduler.

4. Will it hurt?
   Each procedure and each patient are unique. Surgery by its nature will cause pain to some degree but, in most cases, is tolerable with or without the addition of pain medication in the immediate post-operative period.

5. When can I go back to work?
   Many hand surgeries allow a return to things such as typing, driving, eating etc. in the days following surgery. There are certainly procedures, however, that will require a prolonged time away from work.

6. Will I be awake?
   Some surgeries can be performed with only numbing medicine in the surgical area and you can stay wide awake the entire time. Others require the use of sedation for comfort and to create a controlled environment but it is not often that a full intubation is necessary.

7. Do I need to get clearance from my primary doctor?
   Not often do hand surgeries require formal clearance but your safety is priority and clearance will be obtained if it is deemed necessary.

8. How long will it take?
   The shortest procedures last 6-7 minutes while longer cases can be upwards of 3 hours. The majority of hand surgeries are under 30 minutes while shoulder procedures routinely last one hour or longer.

9. What will recovery look like?
   Recovery will vary widely by the surgery performed and will be tailored to your specific needs and issues.

10. How much will it cost?
    Cost will also vary and can is largely dependent on your insurance policy. Our team of billing professionals can help answer questions and guide you through

11. Will there be stitches?
    Most cases are performed with a dissolvable suture called Monocryl that does not need to be removed.

12. When do I need to follow up?
    Typical follow up in 7-14 days after surgery, 4-6 weeks after surgery, and at the 3 month mark depending on the surgery performed and recovery progress.

13. Who do I call to schedule?
    The general line is 303-344-9090 but a more direct and potentially more efficient number is 303-952-5646.