Postoperative Instruction Sheet for Shoulder Arthroscopy

Thank you for choosing Carondelet Orthopaedic Surgeons to provide your medical care needs.

• Following your operative procedure, you will be allowed to go home with the assistance of another individual. It is recommended that you have someone stay with you the first 24 to 48 hours after being given an anesthetic. It is beneficial to have ice packs available as this will help with post-op swelling and pain control. Bags of frozen vegetables work very well. Ice your shoulder 20 minutes out of every one to two hours you are awake.
  
  
• You may move around the house to provide the basic activities of daily living. You will be placed in a sling after your surgery. If you had a Rotator Cuff or Labral repair, your sling will have an abduction pillow strapped around your waist. Feel free to adjust this at home to feel snug but not tight. You should be able to breathe freely with this on. There will also be a strap over your shoulder you may adjust to keep your arm at a 90 degree angle. You don't want your hand hanging down towards the ground. This encourages swelling in the hand. You will wear the sling 24 hours a day, except for showering, dressing and physical therapy. A therapy prescription is usually given at the first post-op visit one week after surgery, where motion and activity guidelines will be provided in more detail.
  
  
• At 48 hours post-op, you may remove the dressings. If you have a pain pump, this will need to be removed at that time. This is secured to your skin with clear adhesive. Remove the adhesive and then pull the catheter. It is several inches in length. This area tends to leak after the pump is removed. Apply pressure for a few moments and then cover with a Band-Aid. You will also use Band-Aids over all the sutured sites. You may shower with the Band-Aids covering your incisions. After the shower remove the wet bandages and apply clean dry ones. DO NOT submerge the incision site in a bath/hot tub until advised by your physician. You do not need to apply Neosporin®, just keep the area clean and dry. The sling may be worn on the outside of clothes. Several times a day you may gently bend and straighten your elbow to minimize stiffness. Do not move the shoulder or lift the arm to do this. Sleeping may be more comfortable in a recliner or propped up in bed. As soon as you feel comfortable you may sleep on your side or back.
  
  
• Pain medications are given to you at your pre-op appointment. Fill this prior to surgery and follow the directions on the prescription. If you experience nausea you can take the Phenergan® that was also prescribed pre-operatively. Constipation is one of the side effects of the narcotic medications and if you experience this you may use an over-the-counter product such as Miralax®. This works very well along with drinking plenty of liquids and eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables.
  
  
• Your Anesthesiologist will discuss with you the utilization of a nerve block. This is performed to limit post operative pain. A nerve block can last anywhere from 2-36 hours post-op. You may experience such feelings as numbness, tingling, heaviness, weakness and a feeling that your arm has "fallen asleep". Other common side effects include mild shortness of breath, a hoarse voice, blurry vision and drooping on the same side of your face as the nerve block. These usually resolve within 12 hours post-op. If the symptoms do not go away or the block lasts longer than 48 hours, please contact your physician. If you experience severe or prolonged shortness of breath, please go to the emergency room.
  
  
• You will need to schedule a post-op appointment 7-10 days after your surgery. At this appointment your sutures will be removed. Dr. Van den Berghe will go over your surgical findings and you will be given pictures of your surgery to take home with you. Please call the office at 913-642-0200 with any questions or concerns.

PHONE 913 642 0200