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Information for patients
Nice to know
Please Bring
Since the focus of your first appointment is not only a thorough examination but also the collection of your medical history, please bring all previous findings from your family doctor and/or orthopaedist with you. This includes findings from neurologists, orthopedists or rheumatologists as well as old operation reports and all types of X-rays.
If it turns out that further technical examinations are necessary, these can be carried out directly in the X-ray department of the hospital or by neighboring specialists. This saves you further waiting time for any examination appointments and leads to a quick and reliable diagnosis.
The Consultation
Hand Surgery is the central point of contact. Depending on the findings of the initial hand examination, other specialities (“Hand Medicine Team”) are consulted for individually tailored diagnostic and treatment.
Illnesses or injuries to the hand often result in a longer healing process. It has been shown that close and effective cooperation between us and the family doctor, hand surgeon and/or physiotherapist is an important criterion for optimal therapy success.
The Medical Report
Your family doctor will therefore receive a doctor’s letter at an early stage with my assessment of your situation and, if necessary, a therapy recommendation. Should an intervention be necessary, he will be asked to prepare the necessary anaesthesia. He knows the general state of the health of his patients best and can often provide valuable information in advance of an operation. If you do not want your family doctor to be informed, please let me know.
About Anaesthesia
In order to facilitate a familiar and stress-free atmosphere in the operating room, I have been working closely with our Anesthesia department. This collegial cooperation of experienced specialists and the use of the most modern substances and comprehensive monitoring devices ensure the greatest possible safety for the patient during and after the operation.
Various forms of anaesthesia are available for patients in the hand surgery department. The aim is to select the most gentle form of anaesthesia while reliably eliminating pain. The decision depends on the type of surgery to be performed and the general health and personal preferences of the patient. After consultation with the surgeon, the anaesthetist determines the most suitable form of anaesthesia together with the patient.
- Local anaesthesia
The nerve network of the arm plexus forms four nerves on the upper arm, which supply different areas of the arm and hand. Individual areas on the forearm and hand can be numbed separately via these nerves for operations. This very partial treatment can optimize recovery after the operation.
- Arm anaesthesia
With plexus anaesthesia, your anesthesiologist will only turn off the pain sensation in your entire arm from the shoulder down. The nerve network that supplies the shoulder or arm (arm plexus) is temporarily numbed by injecting a local anaesthetic. You remain conscious but feel no pain. If desired, a light sleeping pill can also be administered.
- General anesthesia
General anaesthesia (general anaesthesia) turns off your awareness and pain sensation throughout your body. This form of anaesthesia makes sense in the case of simultaneous interventions in several parts of the body, in children, it is used to eliminate psychological stress. If there are no medical reasons against it, the patient can also opt for this type of anaesthesia for other procedures.
Before & After The Operation
At this point, we would like to familiarize you with some important information regarding the correct behavior before and after operations and in the context of therapy and aftercare, which must be observed:
- Before the operation
- If, for whatever reason, you are unable to keep the agreed date for the operation, please inform me by telephone as early as possible so that the appointment can be given to another patient.
- The arm to be operated on must be free of recent or old injuries. If there is an infection or a fresh or crusted tear, the surgical procedure cannot be carried out.
- You should therefore refrain from manual activities with an increased risk of injury, such as gardening before hand surgery.
- When handling pets, special care must be taken to avoid any scratches or small bite wounds.
- If general infections or purulent inflammations occur, the surgical intervention will be postponed because of the associated general weakening of the immune system.
- In the case of Marcumar patients, the Quick/INR value must be brought into the normal range after consultation with your surgeon and the general practitioner or specialist in internal medicine. We are always at your disposal for any questions.
- Before surgical interventions under general anaesthesia, you are not allowed to eat or drink anything or smoke after a previously agreed time (usually 6 hours before the planned intervention).
- For your own safety, please leave jewellery, valuables and large sums of cash at home. All jewellery (bracelets, rings, etc.) on the operated extremity must be removed before the procedure.
- After the operation
- How long you have to stay in our hospital after an operation depends primarily on the anaesthetic procedure you have chosen.
- Irrespective of the form of anaesthesia chosen, you are not fit to drive after an operation due to the medication administered (including local anaesthetics) and under no circumstances are you allowed to drive a vehicle. You are also not allowed to take part in road traffic as a pedestrian or train passenger. Please ensure that a relative or friend accompanies you home.
- Since local and regional anaesthesia can last for hours and the sensation of pain is reduced or eliminated as a result, there is an increased risk of injury to the anaesthetized part of the body. Therefore avoid contact with hot, pointed and sharp-edged objects.
