DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOIWNG SHOULDER SURGERY



DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWING SHOULDER SURGERY

PHYSICAL ACTIVTY

• Wear your arm sling/immobilizer unless you are doing your exercises as instructed by Physical Therapy or your doctor.

• Wiggle your fingers frequently (every 1-2 hours).

• Until you resume more normal activity, work at pumping your ankles frequently (every 1-2 hours). This helps with circulation and preventing blood clots from forming.

• Take rest periods throughout the day.

• You may be going to Physical Therapy after your surgery. Your doctor will determine the starting date and frequency of the therapy.

• Your doctor will determine when you may begin driving.

WOUND CARE

• Bleeding during the first 24 hours following surgery is normal. If bloody drainage is noted through your dressing, do not remove the existing dressing, but apply a fresh layer of dressing over top. Apply direct pressure over the area where the drainage is noted. Apply ice to the area. If drainage continues throughout the night, call the office for further instructions.

• The hospital dressing may be removed after 2-5 days. However, if you are more comfortable keeping a dressing on your incision site, change it daily or if it becomes wet. You will have staples or sutures with steri-strips to close your incision. Do not remove the steri-strips as they will fall off on their own.

• If you have a Stryker Pain Pump in place, you will need to change the dressing and remove the pain pump tubing two days following surgery. If you do not feel comfortable having a family member change the dressing and remove the tubing, please call the office and arrange for an appointment with one of the nurses.

• To remove the tubing: Clamp the tubing. Loosen the dressing from your shoulder. Do not remove the steri-strips across your incision. Gently pull the tubing out from beneath the skin. DO NOT cut the tubing. Once the tubing is removed, you may cover the site with a light dressing or bandaid.

• You may shower after your first dressing change as long as there is no drainage. No soaking or submerging your incisional area until after your follow up appointment.

• Swelling and discoloration/bruising of the shoulder and arm is expected. This will gradually resolve.

PRECAUTIONS:

Notify the office if you:

• Develop a temperature greater than 100.5 that is not associated with any other illness. It is not necessary to take your temperature every day. If you feel warm, take your temperature.

• Develop new or more severe pain that cannot be controlled by the pain medication.

• Develop redness, swelling, drainage, or foul odor from your incision.

• Have persistent numbness or tingling of the fingers.

• Develop calf pain, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

• Have any questions or problems.

MEDICATIONS

• A prescription for pain medication will be given to you by your doctor prior to your discharge from the hospital. These medications are used to reduce your pain and must not be taken any more often than prescribed. In an effort to keep your pain under good control, you should take the pain medication routinely as prescribed during the first 24-48 hours following surgery. Then as the pain lessens, begin taking it as needed (within the prescribed guidelines). As you become more comfortable, you may substitute Tylenol for pain control.

• Pain medication should be taken with food as this will help to prevent any stomach upset.

• Requests for pain medication should be made during normal office hours. Please Note: Pain medication will only be ordered during regular office hours.

• A Stryker Pain Pump may be used following your surgery to help with pain control. This is a device that continuously delivers a controlled amount of pain medication directly to the surgical area through a small tube that is placed beneath the skin. It is normally used for two days following surgery and will need to be removed by either a family member or the office nurse.

• Do not drive while taking pain medications.

• Do not drink alcoholic beverages while taking pain medications.

• Ice may be used to the shoulder to help with swelling and pain relief.

• You may resume your routine medications unless otherwise instructed.

• Often pain medication and inactivity cause constipation. Eat high fiber foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, bran) and increase your fluid intake if possible. Also, you may purchase Pericolace, a stool softener, at any pharmacy to aid in alleviating your constipation. Take this two times per day.

DIET

• After having General Anesthesia, start by taking liquids such as water or carbonated soft drinks. If this does not upset your stomach, try soup and crackers. After this, you may resume your normal diet as tolerated.

FOLLOW UP

• You should be seen in the office for follow up 10-14 days following your surgery. Call the office today if you do not already have an appointment.

1/2009

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