Important Information About Your Upcoming Procedure/Surgery 

The purpose of this call is for a nurse to obtain important health information for you to ensure a safe and smooth procedure. The hospital will contact you to schedule this but you may also contact us at 847-931-5539 to schedule a phone appointment.

This phone call may take 30-45 minutes and is for your safety. During the call the nurse will:

• ask you which doctor you are seeing for your History and Physical
• ask what medicines you take (please have them ready)
• if the surgery includes bone involvement, the nurse will discuss MRSA testing with you

In general, you will need to be NPO after midnight- including water- the night before surgery. This means if your surgery is Tuesday at 11 am, you can have nothing to eat or drink after midnight on Monday. This includes candy, gum and lozenges. If you have been instructed to take any medications the morning of your surgery, you make take them with small sips of water.

• we recommend an antimicrobial shower the night before and again in the morning of surgery to help prevent infections
• we provide the soap for no charge from the hospital
• please ask the nurse about this during your phone call

• you should wear something loose fitting that is easy to get on and off and will fit over the dressings and be comfortable over the surgical site
• you should not wear make up, nail polish or jewelry the day of surgery
• you should not bring any valuables with you to the hospital

We recommend you consult with your primary medical doctor or appropriate specialists for instruction on which medications you should take on the morning of surgery- if any. Also for which medications, or supplements need to be held prior to surgery and for how long.

Diabetics need to get advice from their doctors on how to manage their diabetic medications/insulin for fasting prior to and during surgery

• You will need to have a preoperative H&P (History & Physical)  prior to surgery.  Sometimes your surgeon will do this on the day of surgery. Other times you will need to see your medical doctor to have this done. If you are unsure about whether you need to get a H&P from your medical doctor, please call your surgeon or contact us at 847-931-5539
• Your medical doctor may also instruct you to receive cardiac or pulmonary clearance prior to the surgery

If you take aspirin or anti-coagulants (Coumadin, Plavix, etc) you must consult your doctors for instructions for holding anticoagulants prior to surgery, and for how long to hold it.

• We recommend that you attend a joint class at the hospital if possible
• To find out dates of the joint classes and reserve a spot please call 847-931-5539

• we recommend you have someone stay with you during your procedure
• you must have a ride arranged who will take you home and we recommend someone stay with you for at least 24 hours after the surgery. A bus or cab ride home is not allowed. Your ride home must be someone who will take responsibility for getting you home safely