Surgery Day
Preparation?
- Bring with you a list of any last minute questions you may have for Dr. Brady
- Someone must drive you home. Please make appropriate arrangements.
- Take only your blood pressure medicine the morning of surgery. Use just enough water to get the pill down. If you are diabetic, you may need to adjust your morning medicine since you will not be eating.
- NOTHING ELSE TO EAT OR DRINK BEFORE SURGERY!!! NOTHING...that means NO coffee, NO soda, NO breakfast, etc...
- Wear loose fitting clothes - preferable sweat pants and a button up shirt.
- You will go to the surgery center waiting waiting area or the hospital patient check in desk. They will then have you fill out any last minute paper work and review your insurance information with you.
- If you are the first case of the day they will likely take you right back to the preoperative holding area.
- If you are not the first case of the day you may have to wait a little while before you go back to the preoperative "holding" area. Dr. Brady tries to schedule all cases for an appropriate amount of time but please be understanding if delays happen. The operative experience involves many facets and delays can happen at any step along the way.
- In the "holding" area a nurse will go over all your medical information. They will then have you chance into a hospital gown. You may leave your underpants on in most cases...certain fabric materials can not be worn however.
- You will have a chance to use the restroom.
- The nurse will then start an IV (intravenous line). She (or he) will numb up the skin before starting the IV so it is typically a very painless process.
- Many people will ask you MANY times..."Which side are we operating on?". It is the most serious question of the day so please don't make jokes regarding this question at any time.
- Dr. Brady will ask you the same question and then he will write his initials on the correct operative side.
- After Dr. Brady has talked to you, marked the operative site, and answered all of your questions, the nurse will give you a gentle sedative medicine to calm your nerves if you wish. If you would rather not have this medicine through your IV - just let the nurse know and they will skip this step.
- The nurse will give you a powerful antibiotic through your IV to decrease the chances of you getting a postoperative infection.
- Some patients will need to have leg stockings put on their legs to decrease their chance of developing a blood clot.
- A nurse will then shave the operative site of hair (if necessary) and then scrub the site with hibiclens and alcohol.
- Now it is about time to head back to the operating room.
In the OR?
- The OR nurses and assistants will all introduce themselves to you as you enter the room. You may or may not remember any of this depending on your reaction to the sedative medicine.
- The nurse anesthesatist (CRNA) will place some monitors on your skin to monitor your heart and blood pressure and oxygen levels throughout the case.
- The CRNA will also place a monitor on your forehead which measures your brain activity to make SURE that you do not come even close to waking up during the surgery. You will NOT wake up during the surgery and you will remember NOTHING once you are put to sleep!!!
- The CRNA will then talk to you as he or she gives you some medicine through your IV to put you to sleep.
- Once you are well asleep, Dr. Brady and the OR team will position you as appropriate for your surgery. They will take special care to place you in a comfortable position.
- Your shoulder (or knee, or other operative site) will then be thoroughly scrubbed with betadine several times.
- Dr. Brady will then proceed with your surgery.
- Once he has completed the surgery and has put the surgical dressings on, we will place you back onto your stretcher and then the CRNA will start to allow you to slowly wake up.
- It is now time to head to the recovery room.
Recovery room?
- The OR nurses will now communicate with the recovery room nurses and transfer your care to them.
- The recovery nurse will be checking your vital signs very closely as you wake up. If it is apparent that you are in pain - they will give you appropriate main medications as ordered by the anesthesiologist.
- As you wake up they will start to inform you about your surgery. They will also invite your family or companion to come back to sit with you as well.
- The recovery room nurses want to know if you are in pain. Let them know so that they can help you as appropriate.
- Once you are quite coherant, they will begin to review your postoperative instructions. Your family will be beside you during this time to hear all of these instructions as well.
- It will now be time to leave the hospital or surgery center.