Re: Patient's Worst Nightmare

[Guest guest]

At 01:20 AM 1/5/2003 +0000, you wrote:

>In the mail today I received a form confirming my upcoming right HIP

>resurf. from the OS office. It states I will be receiving an

>epidura, which is fine with me, but it also states:

>

> " Surgery Procedure: Right Total KNEE Replacement. "

>

>Now I'm already horrified and my confidence is shaken if they have

>already mistaken which joint I'm coming in for. YIKES!!!! Granted I

>have never met this OS, but I have sent him xrays of my HIPS, never

>my knees. I'll definitely be calling them on Monday and will be

>extra careful to make sure when I get there that it's a bum hip, not

>a bum knee.

Bradley,

Definitely call them to get it corrected, if nothing else, just so there

isn't a paperwork nightmare after the fact. If your experience in the

hospital is anything like mine, you will be asked several times which hip

they will be operating on. They put your ID on the side opposite the

operated side, and will ask over and over. If it will make you feel

better, take a sharpie marker and write on your thigh " This one! with an

arrow pointing up to the hip or something to that effect. I thought of

doing it, but since both needed to be done, it really wouldn't have hurt

anything if they did the wrong one first-LOL. Now when I went in for the

second one, I told Dr. Boyd if he saw a fresh scar, to roll me over and do

the other side.

C+ 5/25/01 and 6/28/01

[Guest guest]

> " Surgery Procedure: Right Total KNEE Replacement. "

>

> On a side note, and I will be looking this up after I post this

> message, but it states pre-op I'll receive Ancef. Will that pretty

> much start me on my journey of not knowing what's going on? I'm

one

Hi,

Please let us know what happens with you call to the office. Ancef

is an antibiotic that is given IV to prevent infection. The

anesthesiologist will probably order a pre-op that will help you

forget. This is usualy ordered right before surgery. Good luck.

Peggy

AVN Rhip predisone, hemiresurface May 01

[Guest guest]

Hi Bradley,

One would have to have cause to have a slight worry about that sort of

note............. One hopes it is simply the extras making the error and not

the surgeon..........smile...........

I was always just a tiny bit concerned with my situation on Operation day as

my OS's brother was operating on my room mate's right hip and putting in a

THR......... at exactly the same time in another theatre in the

hospital........... But they had come in and put a huge big arrow on her

right hip..........think they do a few of these things to help them find the

right place............. makes one wonder though doesn't it??? My OS was by

then well aware my hip was fused, somewhat different and a challenge he was

obviously looking forward too...... However, even he couldn't resist a

little arrow way up the top of my left hip - probably to cover himself

according to hospital procedures............

Best of luck in sorting it all out............... and as far as I can work

out they do like to keep one in la la land for the duration of the

operation..... Makes it easier for them I suspect.....i.e. no nosy patient

asking questions about all the banging and sawing......... I woke up briefly

but it was no hassle......... you are pretty laid back even if you do

surface..........and they seem to keep enough of an eye on you to put you

back to 'sleep' quickly........

You may have to be definate about preop

sedation though.........I just presumed my anaesthestist, having found an

edgy patient, would realise I wouldn't want a journey down the long

corridor without one........... No way - apparently one pulls up better

without one and he thought I would prefer that........... We won't go

into the performance I put on at that point.......

Edith

> In the mail today I received a form confirming my upcoming right HIP

> resurf. from the OS office. It states I will be receiving an

> epidura, which is fine with me, but it also states:

>

> " Surgery Procedure: Right Total KNEE Replacement. "

>

> Now I'm already horrified and my confidence is shaken if they have

> already mistaken which joint I'm coming in for. YIKES!!!! Granted I

> have never met this OS, but I have sent him xrays of my HIPS, never

> my knees. I'll definitely be calling them on Monday and will be

> extra careful to make sure when I get there that it's a bum hip, not

> a bum knee.

>

> On a side note, and I will be looking this up after I post this

> message, but it states pre-op I'll receive Ancef. Will that pretty

> much start me on my journey of not knowing what's going on? I'm one

> of those that does not want to wake up and chat with anyone in the OR.

>

> Hope all you hippys are doing fine tonight.

>

> Bradley

> p.s. My AVN is a result of high doses of Prednisone! So put my name

> in that column.

[Guest guest]

Bradley,

I am an orthopedic surgical nurse. Ancef is a standard antibiotic

given to most surgical patients pre-op unless they have an allergy to

penicillan. Versed is the drug they should give you pre-op which

will make you forget everything. During the procedure they will keep

you asleep even with your epidural using a drug called dipravan on a

pump. Even if for some reason you should wake up, I highly doubt you

will remember anything thanks to the versed. I would definetly call

the office and get the hip verse knee business cleared up. I am sure

the person in the office who sends out the paper work simply read the

info given to them incorrectly. Speaking from experience, a doctors

hand writing can be very difficult to read.

Good luck on your upcoming procedure.

Diane

> In the mail today I received a form confirming my upcoming right

HIP

> resurf. from the OS office. It states I will be receiving an

> epidura, which is fine with me, but it also states:

>

> " Surgery Procedure: Right Total KNEE Replacement. "

>

> Now I'm already horrified and my confidence is shaken if they have

> already mistaken which joint I'm coming in for. YIKES!!!! Granted

I

> have never met this OS, but I have sent him xrays of my HIPS, never

> my knees. I'll definitely be calling them on Monday and will be

> extra careful to make sure when I get there that it's a bum hip,

not

> a bum knee.

>

> On a side note, and I will be looking this up after I post this

> message, but it states pre-op I'll receive Ancef. Will that pretty

> much start me on my journey of not knowing what's going on? I'm

one

> of those that does not want to wake up and chat with anyone in the

OR.

>

> Hope all you hippys are doing fine tonight.

>

> Bradley

> p.s. My AVN is a result of high doses of Prednisone! So put my

name

> in that column.

[Guest guest]

but it also states:

>

> " Surgery Procedure: Right Total KNEE Replacement. "

>

> Now I'm already horrified and my confidence is shaken if they have

> already mistaken which joint I'm coming in for. YIKES!!!!

______

Oh, now THAT is not EVEN funny...... sitting in prep, my

anesthesiologist sits down to talk to me.... and proceeds to ask me, "

So what type of anesthesia would you prefer for your KNEE SURGERY? "

WELL..... needless to say I turned chalk white and started to get the

cold sweats... Already had the black marker X on my left hip thank

GOD... he was reading the chart of the guy next to me.... SCARRRRY!