Skip to content
- Dressing: May show some minor drainage. That is normal. Your physician will inform you if you can remove the bandage before your follow up appointment.
- Care after anesthesia:
- Local: Able to drive to and from surgery (no driver needed)
- Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC): Requires an adult (over 18 years old) driver and must have 24 hour supervision post-surgery.
- Regional Anesthesia: Requires an adult (over 18 years old) driver and must have 24 hour supervision post-surgery.
- General Anesthesia: Requires an adult (over 18 years old) driver and must have 24 hour supervision post-surgery.
- No driving for 24 hours after anesthesia or while taking narcotic medication for pain.
- Elevation: After surgery, keep elbow above heart and hand above elbow regardless of anesthesia type used during procedure.
- Ice or Heat? If you had a regional block or extremity is still numb due to anesthesia, DO NOT USE ICE. Never use heat.
- After 24 hours patient may return to discontinued medications.
- Please provide patient’s contact information to our office for emergent/urgent questions regarding your surgery.
- Resume eating with a light diet and slowing progress to a normal diet as tolerated.
- Pain Medication.
Local anesthesia: Start pain medication 4-6 hours after surgery.
Regional anesthesia: Start pain medication 4 to 6 hours after surgery and continue every 6 hours until numbing medication wears off.
General Anesthesia: Start pain medication 4-6 hours after you leave the facility and take as instructed by your physician.
