-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Appointments and Consultations.
Depending upon your insurance plan, you may be able to request an
appointment any time. Some insurance plans will require you to get
pre-authorization, and others will require a consultation from your Primary
Care physician. Obtaining pre-authorization prior to the office visit will
help us stay on schedule during office hours. We work with all insurance
plans after emergency room consultation. We take emergency call at
Northbay Hospital, Bayonet Point Regional Medical Center, Spring Hill
Regional Hospital, Oak Hill Hospital, and Brooksville Hospital.
(Return to
top)
Preparing for Your Appointment.
Please bring a list of your medications with precise
milligram dosages and any braces you may have been wearing. It is also
helpful to wear shorts for knee and leg problems. We recommend that females
wear tank top for shoulder problems. Be sure to bring any x-ray, MRI, cat
scan, and bone scan films with radiology reports. We will keep loaned films
on file until your final follow-up visit. If your are running late, we will
accommodate you in our schedule. At times we will run behind in our office
schedule despite our best efforts. Be sure to inquire at the reception desk
about the waiting time when you arrive. We sincerely apologize in advance
if there is an unexpected delay.
(Return
to top)
Problems After Hours.
If you have unresolved questions or are unsure what to
do about an acute problem, please call any of our office locations. Our
answering service will answer the telephone after hours. The answering
service will give a message to the physician assistant (PA) on-call. At
times, the PA on call will be in the operating room after hours but will
return your call as soon as possible. If you have an emergency, we
recommend visiting the emergency room.
(Return
to top)
When to go to the Emergency Room.
If you think the problem may be an
emergency, the safe bet is to visit the emergency room or call 911. Do not
eat or drink until the emergency physician says it is OK. If you are
bleeding, having chest pain, breathing problems, acute confusion, dizziness
or fainting spells, please call an ambulance. Typical orthopedic
emergencies include open fractures, closed hip and other lower extremity
fractures, musculoskeletal infections, and dislocations. If you are
injured, you should go to the emergency room. We diagnose sprains only
after x-rays are done.
Generally, acute orthopedic
conditions limiting your ability to care for yourself (activities of daily
living) require admission to the hospital or rehabilitation facility.
Basic activities of daily living include eating, dressing, bathing,
toileting, transferring from bed to chair and vice versa.
Limited instrumental activities of daily living probably will not require
emergency room visit if you have a helper at home. These include
housework, preparing meals, shopping for groceries, using transportation,
managing finances, taking medications, and using the telephone.
(Return to
top)
Medication Refills.
If your orthopedic surgeon is managing your
medications, please call during office hours if you run out between office
visits.
We do not call in prescriptions after hours, if another doctor is managing
your medicines, or we no longer follow you as a patient. Certain
medications such as Percocet® may not be called in to your
pharmacy. Consider visiting the emergency room if you are have
uncontrolled pain.
(Return
to top)
Medication Problems and Precautions.
Be sure to know what medications you take and what they are for. The most
common medications we prescribe are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) and some stronger pain medications. We can't list all of the
medications and warnings on this page, however, the
Food
and Drug Administration online,
Drugs.com,
RxList, and
SafeMedication.com
are four of many great web information sources for prescribed and over the
counter medications.
NSAIDs are prescribed for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions of the
musculoskeletal system. Some examples include ibuprofen and naproxen. You
should never take more than one kind of anti-inflammatory medication at the
same time. Avoid getting your prescriptions from more than one doctor.
You should always take NSAIDs with food and discontinue them if you get an
upset stomach. We recommend against them if you have bleeding in the
stomach or intestines, ulcers, take blood thinners, or are allergic to them,
or are pregnant. These medications are used with caution of you have other
medical problems, and in some cases are best left up to your primary care
doctor to prescribe.
Stronger pain medications such
as propoxyphene, hydrocodone, and oxycodone are almost always formulated
with acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol®.
Examples include Ultracet®, DarvocetN100®,
Vicodin®, and Lorcet®. You may substitute these for
acetaminophen, however you must be careful not to take too much. The
maximum adult daily dosage of acetaminophen is 4000 mg per day, and the
maximum single dosage is 1000 mg. The other ingredient in these medications
(except Ultracet®) are narcotic pain relievers and may become
habit forming. These medications may cause drowsiness dizziness, confusion,
nausea, vomiting and constipation. Do not take them with alcohol, before
driving, using machinery, or working with chemicals or electricity. Do not
take them before making major financial or legal commitments.
(Return to
top)
Pain.
If you have unexpected, severe or uncontrolled pain,
you should follow-up in the office. If you cannot wait until office hours,
consider visiting the emergency room. Non-medicinal measures for pain
control include immobilizing the painful part in a splint or cast, elevating
the painful part above the level of the heart, icing the injury or surgical
site, and rest.
(Return to
top)
