Prepare for Arthroscopic Surgery
Arthroscopic surgery is a common procedure that can be used to correct problems in the joints. The surgery can be used on a wide variety of joints, including knee, shoulder, wrist, elbow and hip joints. You need to prepare for arthroscopic surgery since it involves inserting a tiny camera into your joint.
Instructions
1. Talk to your doctor about your options for anesthesia before the surgery. It's likely that you will receive local anesthetics, which will numb only the area of the operation. Be sure that you aren't going to have general anesthetics because you need to prepare for them differently.
2. Find out exactly how your will be done. If you know which procedures will be performed, you'll have an idea of how long the surgery will last. You may not be able to find out until the surgery is in progress because the surgical camera will find the problem in your joint and the surgeons will adapt the procedure to correct the findings.
3. Ask a friend or family member to drive you to and from the hospital on the day of your surgery. Almost all surgeons will require you to sign a waiver saying that you will not drive after surgery, even if you only had local anesthesia.
4. Follow the doctor's orders for things you shouldn't do before surgery. You'll likely be asked not to smoke 12 hours before and after your arthroscopic surgery. Smoking will thin your blood and can make blood clotting difficult after surgery.
5. Find out if your employer will give you compensation for the days you miss due to surgery. Recovery times vary from person to person and depend on the type of arthroscopic surgery you're having. Try and get paid leave from your job.
6. Inform your doctor of any allergies you have. You'll probably be taking an anti-infection medication after surgery to prevent complications. You need to be sure that you aren't allergic to your post-surgery medications.
7. Make sure you aren't going to have to travel too far for your surgery. Websites like the Arthroscopy Association of North America can help you find a surgeon nearby (see Resources below).
Tags: after surgery, arthroscopic surgery, aren going, , before surgery,