Pre-Surgery Instructions

Checklist: One Week Before Surgery

1. Read all of your paperwork from our office.
2. Make sure you are cleared for surgery by primary doctor and/or cardiologist.
3. Make sure you have picked up and have your prescriptions for pain med and antibiotic (2 tabs)
4. Buy over the counter stool softeners (Colace, Dulcolax) to prevent constipation which is caused by opiate pain medication.
5. Buy gauze/tape, waterproof bandages for daily wound dressing to start 2 days after surgery
6. Buy iodine or Hibiclens (antibacterial soap) to wash your skin the night before surgery
7. Schedule your first post-op physical therapy session
8. Decide if you want to buy the ice machine and let us know at your pre-op visit
9. Stop all anti-inflammatory/blood thinners including Coumadin, Xarelto, Plavix, Aspirin, Advil, Motrin/Ibuprofen, Aleve, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Ginger, Ginseng, and all herbal medicines. Please contact your primary doctor before discontinuing Coumadin or Plavix or if your doctor told you to take aspirin.
10. You may take Tylenol (acetaminophen) for pain up until the night before surgery.
11. Find loose clothing that you can easily wear on the day of surgery under or over your sling. Practice using one arm to get dressed/undressed, eat, etc. This will help you know how much help you will need after surgery.

If you get a cold/flue before surgery and have any of the following: fever, productive cough, unexplained rash, or are not feeling well please call our office or the surgery center to discuss whether you should postpone the surgery.

Checklist: The Night Before Surgery

1. Check your cell phone and home phone in case your surgery time was changed.
2. Do not eat or drink anything 12 hours before surgery, or as advised by surgery center.
3. Wash the arm and shoulder that we will be operating on with iodine or hibiclens (used to decrease the risk of infection).
4. If you normally take heart or high blood pressure medication in the morning you should take it as soon as you get out of bed the morning of surgery with just a sip of water.
5. Take off all jewelry, including piercings, and leave at home.
6. Find loose clothing that can easily be worn on the day of surgery over your sling.

Day of Surgery

You will meet the nurses and anesthesiologist. General anesthesia with propofol and an interscalene block (used to relieve post-op pain and decrease the amount of general anesthesia. It will last approximately 12-24 hours) is generally used. You will be greeted by Dr Eppley and/or his physician assistant. They will answer final questions and identify the correct joint to prepare for surgery by writing “R.E.” (for Robert Eppley) on your shoulder.

You will then be brought into the operating room. An intravenous line will be started and the nerve block will be given. You’ll be given medication in the IV to put you to sleep. Surgery lasts 1-2 hours.