Questions to ask regarding surgery

Surgery Questions
*Is there an advantage to doing this procedure/surgery sooner vs. later or not at all?
*Arthroscopic surgery? Outpatient?
*How long does the surgery take?
*What specifically will you do in surgery (what is/are the specific procedure(s) you’ll be doing on me)?
*How would the labral tear be fixed?
*If there is arthritis and cartilage damage - is there anything you can do? If there is more damage than the labral tear, will you fix everything then?
*Success rate - What percentage of patients improve following the procedure? After full recovery - what are the restrictions?
*Will you be the one doing the surgery?
*Will students/residents be assisting in my surgery? -Is there a way for me to request or be assured that only you will do the surgery (no students)?
*What are the benefits of the procedure in terms of pain relief, functioning/mobility? How long will the benefits last?
*What are the risks involved with this surgery? Complications specific to me?
*What if I have had bad experiences in the past with general anesthesia, what other options do I have? What anesthetic will be used? What are the risks? Do I have a choice about the type of anesthesia that will be used on me? What are the pros and cons of my choices? I react v. badly to general and would prefer to not have this. Will I meet with the anesthesiologist in advance? Will he or she know my needs/allergies? (Allergic to: Sulfa, Indocin, ) Can I request Dr. Jules? What is “combines spinal epidural w/ sedation?)?
*What amount of pain relief can I expect from the surgery?
*Will I need any tests or medical evaluations prior to the surgery?
*Will the surgery need to be repeated after a certain amount of time? Increase chance of needing hip replacement in future?
*What type of complications have you experienced with other patients? Both in surgery and after? What are the risks of this surgery, both short and long term? (i.e. - Blood clot, infection, failure to heal, vascular necrosis, nerve palsy, damage to the femoral neck, etc.) And what can we do to reduce these risks?
*Are all various dr’s and hospital services covered by Oxford? If not, what would cost be out of pocket?
*Need pre-approval, who takes care of this?
*Do I need to stop any medications before surgery? How long prior to / after?


Post Op Questions
*What equipment will I need during recovery? (Crutches (how long) ((Millennial Crutches))? Brace? Wheelchair? Walker? CPM machine? Toilet seat riser? Shower bench/transfer? Etc.)
* Will it be provided by the hospital/surgery center? If not, where do you suggest I get the items?
*Will you prescribe crutches for me ahead of time – what type considering my shoulder and hand issues?
*What are my limitations during recovery?
*How long till I can shower?
*How long until return to FULL activity in sports? (Gym? Swimming? Walking distances? Stairs? Sitting for length of time, ie theatre, work, etc.)
*How long will the recovery take?
*Will I need assistance at home afterwards? For how long? /Will I need 24-hour help? For how long?
*What will discharge instructions be?
*When can I realistically return to work?
*Will I have any disability following surgery?
*Will I have pain following the procedure? What pain relief or pain control measures will I be given? (I have bad reactions to vicadin and that sort. Have used Ultram and Ultracet with some success. V. sensitive to medications.)
*Any other medications you prescribe post surgery? Anything for nausea or a laxative b/c of the pain killers?
*How many post-op visits required?
*How long do stitches/staples stay in? Which do you use?
*How long will I be in PT for?

Discovery Questions
*Do I have arthritis or no arthritis? If so, how much?
*Is the underlying femoral neck misshapen and also causing the impingement or a result of the impingement? if so would that be reshaped as well? how about the socket?
*Do I have FAI (femeroacetabular impingement)? (Untreated FAI can lead to repeat labral tears.)
*How was the bursa?
*Any signs of: Hip dysplasia? Hip instability? Degenerative disease in joint? Osteoarthritis? If so, how severe?
*Are ligaments and tendons intact and supporting the joint?
*Any sign of ligamentum teres syndrome (what does thickening of it mean/imply)?
*Any chondral damages?
*Any implications of bone marrow swelling (edema)?