Preparation for Surgery

The pain and stress associated with a serious injury makes it easy to overlook important elements of surgery that could impact your outcome. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

This page is designed to empower you or the athlete in your life.

Knowing what to expect increases an athlete’s sense of control and self-efficacy, in other words, the belief in your ability to heal! If you trust yourself and the process, you’ll have higher motivation, enhanced bounce-back, and may experience less pain and even minimize depression.

Topics Covered:

  • Time off work/school/activity

  • Medical Equipment

  • Driving and travel

  • Crutches

  • Sling or immobilizer

  • Showering with crutches

  • Showering with a sling

  • Steri-Strips

  • Infection

  • Preventing falls

  • Physical therapy

  • At-home exercises

  • Pain and inflammation

  • Nutrition

Time off work/school/activity

Expect to take time off work/school immediately following your surgery. Make arrangements with your bosses, teachers, or professors before surgery. Prepare and submit paperwork that is needed for time off work, school, sport to your surgeon’s office. Allow for 7-10 business days for it to be completed.

Consult with your surgeon for your expected time off. Your return to sports/activity date will be dependent on your surgical procedure and your work/school duties and expectations.

Give your friends and family a heads up. You will want to recruit support for cooking, groceries, showering etc. for the immediate post op-surgery phase.

Medical equipment

Talk with your pre-operative healthcare team, so they can inform you about Durable Medical Equipment (DME).

Call your insurance company to see what is covered before you go to the DME location. Some insurances will only work with certain providers. Some insurances will only work with certain equipment.

Make sure you pick up your brace, sling, etc. before surgery.

Sometimes there are cheaper options than going through your healthcare and insurance providers. Consider asking your surgeon if they would approve of you to purchase the same recommended brace from an outside, internet source.

Driving and travel

Expect to need help with driving to follow up appointments immediately following surgery. It is usually suggested to avoid driving due to strong pain medications or physical restrictions. However, refer to your state law and consult your surgeon for guidance on driving.

Air travel or long car rides are not advised in at least the first month following surgery due to secondary complications and risks. Please consult with your surgeon if you plan to travel within that time.

You should not drive while wearing a sling, so you may need to arrange rides for 6-8 weeks after your surgery depending on the type of surgery that you have. Ask your surgeon how long they expect you to be in the sling after surgery.

There is more.

Crutches

Take a few minutes to practice the proper technique for walking, sitting, standing, and using stairs. See this video for a thorough demonstration of adjusting and using crutches.

Your operative leg will always have the crutches with it. Remember when using crutches on stairs, “Up with the Good, Down with the Bad.” (The Good being your healthy leg and the Bad being your operative leg and crutches)

Showering with crutches

Consider moving a waterproof chair or seat into the shower. Because you may slip when trying to maneuver into a running shower, consider holding a small umbrella over yourself until the water warms up. Keep your crutches within reach.

Sling or immobilizer

Make sure that your pre-operative health care clinician shows you the process of how to put on and take off the sling at your pre-operative appointment. Ensure your main caregiver is present because they will be helping you with this after surgery.

Your wrist should be sitting just above your belly button, and your elbow should be bent at a right angle. Two things will take stress off your shoulder: keeping 1) your elbow in front of your body and 2) your top strap snug.

See this video that demonstrates how to properly take off, put on, and adjust one shoulder sling model.

Showering with a sling

Your pre-operative care team or physical therapist will give you instructions for showering. Some surgeons may have you shower without a sling; some may approve a simpler sling to use while in the shower, such as a cheap one from a drug store.

Bandages

Your surgeon will close your incision with non-dissolvable or dissolvable glue or stitches. Narrow, adhesive ‘butterfly’ bandages (aka Steri-Strips) will be applied over top. Then, you may have a bulky dressing over top of the Steri-Strips. You will be given instructions for removing them, or you’ll have them taken off in the clinic. Listen to your surgeon’s particular care instructions for these.

Infection

If you exhibit fever, chills, redness around the wound, or red streaks toward the heart, contact the surgeon’s office immidiately.

Preventing Falls

Falls are all too common and can happen to even top athletes.

Consider what obstacles you have in your home, school, or work. Are there stairs to enter your house? Is the athlete’s room upstairs/can you arrange a sleeping space on the main floor? Are there loose rugs, extension cords, or any other tripping hazards in common walkways?

Rising to use the bathroom can be unexpectedly dangerous, especially at night. Altered blood circulation, pain medications, and disorientation from sleep and darkness can cause balance problems. Turn on a light, wear non-slip shoes, and stand still at the bedside for a moment before walking.

Winter snow can pose a slippery challenge. Make sure someone removes snow from outdoor paths. Consider carrying a small towel with you to wipe off the tips of your crutches when you enter indoors from wet weather. Crutches slip very easily on wet surfaces.

Avoid wearing slides or flip flops. They’re cool, comfy, and convenient, but they pose a big trip hazard for people with lower extremity injury. Make sure to wear tennis shoes, and tie them!

Physical Therapy

You or the athlete in your life may meet with a physical therapist 2-3 times a week. Depending on the nature of the procedure and injury, the athlete may attend therapy for four weeks or even beyond a year. The care team will help schedule appointments before surgery. Each session typically lasts for one hour, and the athlete will be working among other patients and clinicians in a common therapeutic exercise space.

Some people attend pre-surgery physical therapy. This is not to be taken lightly. The mobility and strength acquired before surgery kickstarts progress in early post-surgery therapy, and may enhance immediate surgery outcome and recovery thereafter.

Check with health insurance to understand coverage, approved facilities and appointment count, and any special parameters they require.

Sometimes physical therapy appointments do not begin immediately following surgery. However, you or the athlete in your life will be given a home exercise plan to follow as a part of your treatment program.

Even after beginning appointments with the physical therapy care team, “homework” will likely be assigned to do between appointments. Do not disregard these exercises. They are crucial for proper healing, regaining strength and mobility, and preparing for the more intensive therapy to be done in the clinic with a physical therapist.

At-home exercises

People often find it difficult to keep motivation for at-home exercises. Remember, recovery and healing are not only in the hands of the surgeon or physical therapy providers.

When you leave the surgery center or physical therapy clinic, the injury leaves with you. Healing does not stop. Your healthcare team merely provides the stitches and tools to make yourself better. If you listen to them and tune into how the body feels, you can truly trust your ability to heal. You know more than you think you do, and your body does too. Never fear asking questions. Your healthcare team wants to know that you are informed and working with them to heal you.

Forgot proper exercise technique after your physical therapy appointment? Reference these stretching photos and mobility, and strengthening videos from home.

Pain

Pain and discomfort are normal after orthopedic surgery and should be expected in most cases. It should not be misinterpreted as damage. The goal is to safely alleviate pain, and in doing so, make normal activities tolerable as quickly as possible.

Pain can also be experienced during rehabilitation. It is often part of the healing process as the athlete begins to move ligaments, tendons, and scar tissue during mobility exercises. Pain medications will be prescribed (see pain and inflammation for more information) and the patient will be taught other non-pharmacologic methods for alleviating discomfort by the healthcare team.

Nutrition

Fuel up with the best foods for mental and physical health to further empower you or the athlete you are supporting in injury prevention or recovery. This is completely within control. Refer to the nutrition section of this website for nutrition advice on injury prevention and healing.

Sleep

More than anything, sleep! Make sure you or the athlete in your life is getting enough of it. Sleep ensures proper healing and decreases inflammation. It can even reduce pain and boost mental health. Read more about sleep in injury prevention and healing in the sleep section of this website.

Check out the references used to inform this page

This website contains a compilation of information gathered. I am not a trained professional. Please consult your healthcare team before taking any advice from this site.