Before & After Surgery

Prehab is an exercise program that is performed before surgery to get your body into shape and help recover after an operation. It has been proven that those individuals who are in good physical condition going into surgery improve their chances of a successful outcome. Prehab helps prepare your body and your area of injury for the surgical procedure. Research shows that healthier and stronger structures heal faster than weaker ones. By avoiding atrophy and weakness the patient may improve the chances of a faster recovery.

The one month Prehab program is designed to maintain or build your strength and endurance to prepare you for surgery. The program consists of strengthening and endurance activities specially designed for your needs to put you in the best physical condition you can be prior to having surgery. Prehab is supervised by Certified Athletic Trainers and you receive full membership privileges at the Center for Health Improvement.

Things to Bring With You to the Hospital

•Walker and/or crutches
•Your medications in their original bottles
•Hip Kit (if having a total hip replacement)

Hip Kit Includes:  Shoe horn, reachers, shower sponge, dressing stick and sock aide.
Please check with local pharmacies for the supplies

•Comfortable and supportive shoes (Do not have to be “tie shoes” can be velcro)
•Comfortable clothes, preferably shorts, include pajamas (a hospital gown will only be worn for the
first 2 days following surgery)
•Personal hygiene supplies (a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo/soap and a comb will be provided)
•Insurance card
•CPAP machine (if you use one at home)
•Your folder from the Hays Orthopedic Institute office (including a consent form for surgery and
physician’s order if given to you).

•    Drink 8 – 10 glasses of water or fluids.
•    This will help you prepare your body for surgery.
•    Increase your fiber intake.

•    Come to the hospital to have your blood drawn.
•    This is very important so we can have all the necessary blood available during your surgery.
•    If you live outside Hays and need overnight accommodations we can help arrange a hotel
room at a reduced rate.
•    Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your surgery.
•    This includes chewing gum, tobacco and/or hard candies.
•    Make sure you have had a bowel movement within 24 hours of being admitted to the hospital.

•    Please remove all jewelry (including piercings) prior to your arrival.
•    Please leave all valuables and belongings in your vehicle when you arrive.
•    Your family may obtain them for you once you are settled into your room after surgery.
•    Bring your medications with you in the original containers.
•    So we can verify the necessary doses and administration directions.
•    While at the hospital you will not be able to take your own medications due to
insurance regulations.
•    If you take a specialty medication that we do not carry, we may be able to use
your home medications.
•    Report to the Admissions Department to complete your hospital registration.
•    An IV will be started and you will receive any pre-op medications.
•    An anesthesiologists will visit with you about your anesthesia and answer any
questions or concerns you may have.
•    While you are in the operating room, your family will be asked to wait in the Surgical Waiting
Room just off the Miller Medical Pavilion lobby.
•    Your family will be able to track your surgery progress on our patient information board.
•    If your family leaves the surgical waiting area, please have them check in/out with
the attendant at the desk so they can locate them with surgery updates. For example:
if you go to the cafeteria, let the attendant know in case the doctor would need to
speak with you.
•    When you are done in surgery, the surgeon will come to the waiting area to update your family.

•     After surgery you will be moved to the recovery room, where you will be monitored immediately
following your procedure.
•    The length of time you are kept there depends on your vital signs, pain level and ability to
wake up.
•    A typical stay in recovery can be anywhere from 30 minutes minimum up to a couple of hours.
•    Once you are stable, you will be moved to your room on the Bone, Joint & Spine Center.

•    We will check your vital signs and monitor your pain level frequently.
•    You are encouraged to take your pain medications routinely; it is much easier to prevent pain
than to treat it after it has gotten out of control.
•    Physical Therapy (PT) will work with you in your room the day of surgery, teaching you
exercises that you can do yourself in bed, and also assisting you to get out of bed and into
your chair as tolerated.
•    It is important to get you up and moving as soon as possible after surgery to help
prevent blood clots.
•    If you had a total knee replacement and had a femoral block during surgery, you will wear a
knee immobilizer when out of bed until the block has worn off to prevent your knee from
buckling.
•    A discharge planner will visit with you and /or your family about your plans following discharge.
They will discuss any adaptive equipment you may have in your home already, as well as the
layout of your home (including steps and stairways) in order to determine your needs following
surgery.  They will check in with you each day of your stay to follow up on your progress
make arrangements for your discharge plans.

•    We will draw lab for the first couple days after surgery to monitor your electrolytes and
any blood loss from surgery.
•    Occupational Therapy (OT) will help you today with bathing and grooming at the bedside.
•    Constipation is a common after surgery so please drink plenty of fluids (especially water).
•    Please continue to eat a healthy diet that has plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains.
•    You will be given a stool softener.  If you did not have a bowel movement the day of your
surgery, you will be offered a dose of Milk of Magnesia
•    Today you will be busy!  First thing this morning, we will change your surgical
dressing an dremove all remaining tubes (drains, catheters, IV, etc.).
•    After breakfast, OT will help you bathe (possibly shower) and dress in your own
street clothes today.
•    PT will be held in the therapy gym with a session both in the morning and afternoon.
•    There will also be a 2nd session with OT in the therapy area during the afternoon.
•    If you still have not had a bowel movement, you will be given a suppository.  It is very
important that you have a bowel movement before you are dismissed home to make
sure that you do not develop a bowel obstruction.

•  Once you are meeting all your goals in therapy and doing well medically, you will be dismissed following your afternoon therapy sessions.
•    If you are going home, we ask that a family member come to your final therapy session to learn
how to assist you with some of your home exercise program.  We will show them how to change
your dressing, if you require daily dressing changes.  Most of the time, we are able to send you
home with a dressing that will stay in place until your follow-up doctor’s appointment.
•    You will continue your therapy at home with home exercises that you should do on your
own twice daily along with attending outpatient therapy 3 times a week for 6 weeks.  It is
very important that you continue both of these to get the best result out of your new joint
replacement.