Medical Information for You
Medical Information for You
Thank you for entrusting me with your health and well-being. I promise to provide you with the highest quality care before, during, and after surgery. I have created this document to answer some common questions and to help guide you through the surgical process. This document is meant to be generic, so if I tell you something in person specific to your surgery which differs from something said here, please follow the instructions I give you in person.
You can also go to HERE TylerKentMD.com for specific videos to explain post-surgery care.
On the day before your surgery, do not eat or drink past midnight. You may take your regularly scheduled medications the morning of surgery with a sip of water. If you are diabetic, only take a half dose of your evening insulin the night before surgery. Stop any blood thinners one week prior to surgery unless instructed otherwise.
In most cases I will prescribe your pain medication called oxycodone several days prior to surgery. I will also prescribe an anti-nausea medication called ondansetron. These may be picked up before surgery so there is one less thing to do on the day of surgery.
The surgery center or hospital typically calls the day before surgery with final instructions regarding where to go for surgery and at what time. If there are any questions about this, please feel free to call my office the day before surgery.
On the day of surgery please be sure to arrive on time, and please remember to bring all required documentation and identification.
You will need a ride both to and from surgery. In general, you should plan to arrive 1 hour prior to your scheduled surgery time. Remember, surgery times are approximate and you may wait longer than anticipated.
Most of my surgeries generally last for 1-2 hours, but please see the specific video for your surgery for further information.
The goal after surgery is to rest and recover. Many patients have found that getting up and going for a walk, sitting upright, or otherwise trying to be active will help in the recovery process.
Pain medications should ONLY be taken on an as-needed basis. Recommended dosages and timing intervals are only suggestions. Furthermore, medications and dosages may need to be adjusted based on your medical conditions.
Tylenol is metabolized by the liver, so should be avoided in patients with liver problems.
Ibuprofen can cause an upset stomach and is metabolized by the kidneys, so should be avoided by any patients who have any conditions affecting the GI system or kidneys. If you have any questions about your pain medications, please discuss them with me prior to taking them.
Oxycodone or other narcotics can be taken up to every 4 hours. The tablets can safely be cut in half to give a half dose if that is all you need.
*These medications can safely be taken in a staggered fashion. A typical example would be to take an oxycodone at 10:00 and if still having pain 2-3 hours later, take an extra strength Tylenol. If still in pain 2-3 hours later, take 400 mg of ibuprofen. If still in pain, sufficient time should have passed to allow for another oxycodone. Again, this is just a suggestion and can be spaced and tapered according to your needs. Pain medications can make you constipated so I recommend drinking plenty of fluids and taking over-the-counter laxatives and/or stool softeners as needed.
Thank you for entrusting me with your health and well-being. I promise to provide you with the highest quality care before, during, and after surgery. I have created this document to answer some common questions and to help guide you through the surgical process. This document is meant to be generic, so if I tell you something in person specific to your surgery which differs from something said here, please follow the instructions I give you in person.
You can also go to HERE TylerKentMD.com for specific videos to explain post-surgery care.
On the day before your surgery, do not eat or drink past midnight. You may take your regularly scheduled medications the morning of surgery with a sip of water. If you are diabetic, only take a half dose of your evening insulin the night before surgery. Stop any blood thinners one week prior to surgery unless instructed otherwise.
In most cases I will prescribe your pain medication called oxycodone several days prior to surgery. I will also prescribe an anti-nausea medication called ondansetron. These may be picked up before surgery so there is one less thing to do on the day of surgery.
The surgery center or hospital typically calls the day before surgery with final instructions regarding where to go for surgery and at what time. If there are any questions about this, please feel free to call my office the day before surgery.
On the day of surgery please be sure to arrive on time, and please remember to bring all required documentation and identification.
You will need a ride both to and from surgery. In general, you should plan to arrive 1 hour prior to your scheduled surgery time. Remember, surgery times are approximate and you may wait longer than anticipated.
Most of my surgeries generally last for 1-2 hours, but please see the specific video for your surgery for further information.
The goal after surgery is to rest and recover. Many patients have found that getting up and going for a walk, sitting upright, or otherwise trying to be active will help in the recovery process.
Pain medications should ONLY be taken on an as-needed basis. Recommended dosages and timing intervals are only suggestions. Furthermore, medications and dosages may need to be adjusted based on your medical conditions.
Tylenol is metabolized by the liver, so should be avoided in patients with liver problems.
Ibuprofen can cause an upset stomach and is metabolized by the kidneys, so should be avoided by any patients who have any conditions affecting the GI system or kidneys. If you have any questions about your pain medications, please discuss them with me prior to taking them.
Oxycodone or other narcotics can be taken up to every 4 hours. The tablets can safely be cut in half to give a half dose if that is all you need.
*These medications can safely be taken in a staggered fashion. A typical example would be to take an oxycodone at 10:00 and if still having pain 2-3 hours later, take an extra strength Tylenol. If still in pain 2-3 hours later, take 400 mg of ibuprofen. If still in pain, sufficient time should have passed to allow for another oxycodone. Again, this is just a suggestion and can be spaced and tapered according to your needs. Pain medications can make you constipated so I recommend drinking plenty of fluids and taking over-the-counter laxatives and/or stool softeners as needed.