EDUCATION
CLASSES
St. Joseph’s Hospital holds Joint Replacement classes on Mondays.
Please call community education at (714) 771-8913 for dates and times.
Please attend at least three weeks prior to your surgery. These classes
are highly recommended for all replacement surgery patients. Attending
this class will be of great help to you and your family in preparing for
surgery and gives helpful hints to speed your safe recovery. This class
involves a physical therapist and a registered nurse that can assist you
with postoperative discharge planning.
PRIOR TO SURGERY
- Inform your
surgeon of any health problems. Bring a list to the hospital of
your current medications.
- Check with your
physician prior to taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory or arthritis
medications for 2 weeks before surgery. This includes Motrin, Feldene,
Naprosyn, Aleve, Anacin and Advil. This interferes with blood clotting.
Celebrex, Vioxx and Bextra are OK.
- Exercise as much
as possible.
- Stop smoking if
you can. Abstain from smoking 4-5days prior to surgery.
- Eat a good diet,
which is high in vitamins and minerals and low in fat. Vitamin A, C and
the mineral zinc have been found to promote healing.
- Beginning at
midnight the night before surgery, fast from all food and liquids. It
is very important for safety reasons to have an empty stomach.
BLOOD TRANSFUSION
Your physician may request that you donate
your own blood prior to surgery (called an autologous donation). If you
are unable to give your own blood, you may request a physician order for
the donor program (donors are selected by the patient). Charges
associated with a blood donor may or may not be covered by insurance.
Please check your insurance. Please call Blood Donor Services for an
appointment (714) 744-8721. Blood is drawn by appointment only. Unless
otherwise specified by your physician your blood donation will be
scheduled once per week (1 unit per week) up to one week prior to
surgery. Your physician may prescribe iron tablets to assist your body in
regenerating blood.
ADMISSION TO THE HOSPITAL
Please arrive 2 hours prior to scheduled
surgery time in the main lobby-admitting desk. Wear simple loose fitting
comfortable clothing. Bring slippers or comfortable shoes for walking with
physical therapy. Do not wear any jewelry. If you wear glasses, hearing
aides or dentures please bring them with containers. Bring your drivers
license and insurance card. Bring a list of all medications you are
taking. Average length of stay in the hospital is 3-4 days.
ANTICOAGULANTS
Your physician may prescribe a blood
thinner post operatively to prevent blood clots. Some physicians will
prescribe aspirin once your are discharged. Some examples of these
blood thinners are Coumadin, aspirin, Fragmin and Lovenox, Fragmin and
Lovenox are injectable medications that you will be educated on prior to
returning home. Most pharmacies need 24-48 hours to order. Please fill
prescription for these medications at one of these pharmacies. They are
guaranteed to be in stock.
OUT–PATIENT PAVILION PHARMACY 1140
W. La Veta Ave, Orange, CA 92868.
Phone: (714) 744-8724. Hours of operation
M-F 8am-6: 30pm. SAVON PHARMACY 480 S. Main St., Orange, CA. 92868.
Telephone (714) 938-1200 or The Medicine Shoppe in the Batavia Woods
Complex (714) 538-4600. Open 24 hours 7 days a week. If your insurance is
an HMO you will need to fill your prescription at the outpatient pavilion
DISCHARGE FROM THE HOSPITAL
Options are discussed in the joint
replacement class. Options available to you are home rehabilitation,
outpatient rehabilitation, or inpatient rehab/Skilled nursing facility.
1.
Home/out patient Rehab
Requires help for meals and
housekeeping. You should be independent
in transfers.
The hospital discharge planner will
arrange for continued physical therapy. This is usually covered by most
insurance.
The discharge planner will order all
necessary medical equipment for home that your physician ordered. This is
usually covered by insurance.
2.
Rehab/Skilled nursing Facility
You and your family should visit and
choose a facility for continued rehabilitation (physical therapy and
occupational therapy).
Contracted
facilities with your insurance, addresses and phone numbers will be given
to you by the orthopedic liaison after the total joint replacement class.
The rehab facility will provide you with daily physical therapy and
occupational therapy and all necessary medical equipment ordered by your
physician. The Saint Joseph Hospital discharge planner will coordinate
your admission and transfer by ambulance to the rehab facility of your
choice. The rehab facility will provide social services for discharge
planning for medical equipment you may need when discharged.
If you have any questions please call
Angela Anderson, RN at St. Joseph Hospital, Orange
We wish you a successful surgery.
