Surgical Preparation
Before you and your physician decide together that surgery is the best option, you will need to know how to prepare for your surgery. Our office staff will work with you to find the most mutually convenient time to schedule your surgery. This may be done in our office or over the phone. Elective surgeries will be scheduled after pre-authorization for the insurance company has been established.
Please check with our office or your medical doctor if you have any questions about discontinuing medications prior to surgery. You may be given a special drink with electrolytes to be consumed prior to surgery as directed.
STOP ALL NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) 7 DAYS PRIOR TO SURGERY: i.e., Motrin, Advil, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Voltaren, Indocin, Naprosyn, Celebrex, Arthrotec, Mobic. ALL Blood Thinners need to be stopped 5-10 days prior to surgery. If you take any form of blood thinner (Warfarin/Coumadin) or anti-platelet drug (Plavix, Pradaxa, Xarelto, etc) please check with your prescribing doctor to see when you should stop this medication prior to surgery. Report to the main lobby of the hospital (Admissions Department) the day of your surgery at the time designated by our office. Please bring your insurance cards. Our office will call your insurance carrier to pre-authorize your surgery, and request a referral from your primary care physician (if HMO).
The evening before your surgery, the hospital will notify you of your time of surgery, and what time you should arrive at the hospital.
“Patients are asked to hold on to their own imaging studies after each office visit. It is important to bring the necessary films to surgery. Some imaging studies are so crucial that the surgery cannot be performed without them.”
Post-Operative Information/Instructions
Click on the buttons for general post-operative instructions for your surgical procedure in general. "Lumbar" instructions are for any low back surgery. Cervical spine or neck surgery postoperative information is found be clicking the "Cervical Disk" button. "Cervical Arthroplasty” is for patients that have undergone totatl disk replacement with an artifiical disk not a fusion. "DBS info" is for patients who have had Deep Brain Stimulation. Patient with pituitary tumors please select the "Transphenoidal" button and other cranial procedures use the "Craniotomy" button.
ADDITIONAL POSTOPERATIVE INFORMATION
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact our surgical coordinator at 301-718-9611 or fill out this form.
“If you have your films (MRI, CT, Myelogram, XRAYS), please bring them to the hospital.”