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Pre-Op / Post-Op Instructions

Orthopedic Surgery Pre-Op and Post-Op Information

At Orthopaedic Associates of Maine, our goal is to ensure you have a safe, positive and personalized experience at every step of your outpatient orthopedic surgery in our ambulatory surgery center.

Following are some general guidelines for your information. You will receive additional pre-op and post-op instructions specific to the surgical procedure from your orthopedic surgeon.

Please use precautions prior to your surgery date - sunburns and bug bites can postpone your surgery
Bring the following items with you on the day of your surgery: inhalers, hearing aids, migraine medicine, and C-PAP machine
Follow the specific instructions provided to you regarding eating and drinking before surgery Wear appropriate foot wear, do not wear flip flops

Contact your physician if you have any questions regarding your surgical procedure.

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What to expect before surgery

You'll have a preoperative interview where we'll review your medical history, explain what to expect, and answer any questions you may have.

COVID testing will be performed for symptomatic surgical patients
You'll receive written information about your procedure, your care team, what to do in the days prior to your surgery, and how to help yourself heal after you go home
Depending on your individual medical needs, you may be asked to have preoperative testing such as lab work or an EKG
You may be asked to schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor, cardiologist, or other specialist to have medical clearance before surgery. We want to be sure that you are as healthy as can be to have your ambulatory surgery and can go home safely
You won't be able to drive yourself home after your surgery, so please be sure to make arrangements to get home after your discharge

What to expect the day of surgery?

When you arrive at the surgery center, a nurse will check your vital signs, review your medications, and start your IV.

You will see your surgeon to review the plan again and have the time to ask any final questions
You and your surgeon will mark the surgical site as well as review the consent form to confirm the planned procedure
For cases that do not require any anesthesia care (which we call "local only" or "wide-awake procedures"), you will not have to recover from anesthesia after your procedure. Instead, you are given a local anesthetic at the operative site to numb the area being worked on. If you are a candidate for this, it will be discussed with you and your provider
For surgical cases that require anesthesia, your anesthesia provider will review your medical history, and discuss the anesthetic plan with you before proceeding
When you're ready for surgery, you may be given IV sedation to help you relax
If you need a nerve block for your procedure to help with pain control, the nurse will assist the anesthesiologist prior to the surgery

What to expect during surgery

Throughout your procedure:

You will be taken to the operating room and helped onto the operating room table, where your surgery will be performed
Your team will secure monitors to you to watch your heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and oxygen levels
The surgical team will verify your procedure with you before administering anesthesia
The operating room team - which includes your surgeon, anesthesia provider, circulating nurse, surgical technologist and sometimes a first assistant, such as an advanced practice provider - will be monitoring you throughout the procedure

What to expect after surgery

You'll be moved to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and be monitored as you recover from the anesthetic.

Even though you may not remember it, your team will wake you before leaving the operating room
Your nurse, surgeon, and anesthesiologist will continue to oversee your care, assessing and treating pain or other side effects
Once you are fully awake, you'll be given a light snack and drink to ensure you're feeling ok
When you feel ready to go home, you'll receive instructions about activity, diet, pain medications, and other after-care instructions specific to your procedure
You will not be able to drive yourself home, so make sure you have transportation arrangements in place
A member of the surgical team will contact you the day after your procedure to see how you're doing

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