Pre-Operative Process
Download the Pre Operative Guide
Questions To Ask
Having spinal surgery can be difficult to prepare for. Here at the Center for Advanced Spine Care of Southern Arizona, we put together the following list of questions that may help you get all the information you need prior to surgery. Please use these questions to help you conduct a meaningful discussion with your spine surgeon on the risk and benefits as well as expected outcomes of your surgery.
- What are the risks involved? How likely are they?
- What type of anesthesia will be used? What are the risks?
- What type of implant will be used? What is the track record for this type of implant?
- Will I have to stop taking any of my medications before surgery?
- What options are available to avoid a blood transfusion?
- How long will I have to stay in the hospital?
- How much pain is normal to expect and how long will it last?
- Will I receive medication for the pain?
- When will I start physical therapy? Will I need home or outpatient therapy?
- Will I need to arrange for some assistance at home? If so, for how long?
- What limits will there be on activities – such as driving, bathing, climbing stairs, eating, sex?
- How long will I need to be out of work?
- How often will I need to return for follow-up visits?
- What complications can arise after surgery? What are the signs of complications?
Please be sure to have all your questions answered on your preoperative appointment day prior to leaving the office. We would like you to be prepared as best as possible for your surgery.
Medications To Avoid:
The following drugs contain aspirin or other products, which can cause increased bleeding during surgery and should not be taken for 10 days prior to surgery. If you should need to take something for relief of minor pain, you may take Tylenol.
| Advil Aleve Alka Seltzer Alcohol Anacin Anaprox Ansaid Arthrotec Aspirin APC BC Tablets or Powder BC Cold Powder Brufen Bufferin Cama Arthritis Pain Reliever Cataflam Celebrex Cephalgesics Clinoril Cogesprin Coricidin Coumadin (Warfarin) |
Darvon Darvon with Aspirin Daypro Diclofenac Diflunisal Disalcid Tablets or Capsules Doan’s Regular and Extra Strength Dolobid Dristan Duradyne Tablets Easprin Ecotrin Eliquis Empirin Enbrel Equagesic Tablets Etodolac Excedrin Feldene Fiorinal Flurbiprofen Sodium 4 Way Cold Tablets Goody’s Headache Powder or Tablets |
Ibuprofen Indomethacin Indocin Ketoprofen Lodine Meclomen Medipren Meloxicam Midol 200 Midol PMS caplets Mobic Motrin Nabumeton Naprelan Naprosyn Naprosyn Pepto Bismal Tablets and Liquid Naproxen Norgesic forte Orudis Oruvail Oxaprozin |
Percodan Persantine Piroxicam Plavix Pradaxa Quagesic Relafen Robaxisal Rufen Savaysa Sine Aid Soma Compound Sulindac Trandate Trental Trilisate Vanquish Vitamin E Voltaren Wesprin Xarelto Zavtrin Zoprin Herbal Supplements |
Before stopping any of these medications, be sure to consult the physician who ordered them. Some, such as Coumadin (Warfarin), Plavix, Apixaban (Eliquis), Dabigatran (Pradaxa), Edoxaban (Savaysa), and Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) are ordered to prevent or treat serious conditions such as “deep venous thrombosis”, “pulmonary embolisms”, and other heart problems. This is not an all inclusive list. If you are unsure if you are taking an aspirin product or an anti-inflammatory, please ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.