Foot and Ankle Physicians of Ohio
We are a family at Foot and Ankle Physicians of Ohio. We are active in the community enjoy living in and servicing the community. For that reason we want patients to feel that same level of comfort and respect. Patients can typically expect to be asked to provide insurance cards and photo ids when checking in. Balances are collected at time of service or at follow up. FAPO accepts cash, check and credit card payment. Medical Assistance will assist the physician in obtaining medical history, vitals and radiographs.
We would like to provide you with some information that you may find helpful while planning for and recovering from your surgery with Dr. Hewitt. At your convenience, visit ArmandMedicalSupply.com for items you may during your post-operative period including knee walker for ambulation and any other foot and ankle items approved by Dr. Hewitt.
Medications
Typically, Dr. Hewitt prescribes 2-3 medications for your surgery. The prescriptions will be given to you at the hospital prior to your discharge or preoperatively in the office. The number and type of medications you receive will vary depending on your individual needs. These prescriptions should provide you with enough medication until your first visit in the office after surgery. If you require additional medication before this appointment please plan ahead as some pain medication cannot be called into your pharmacy and will either need to be mailed to your home or require an office visit. We can only handle medication request during regular office hours. Please keep in mind that the laws have now changed for prescription narcotics and we can no longer call in refills for Norco (hydrocodone). They have now moved to the Schedule III category like Percocet (oxycodone) and the prescriptions now have to be hand carried to the pharmacy.
Your medications may include:
A narcotic pain medication such as Percocet (oxycodone), Vicodin/Norco (hydrocodone).
Please remember that these medications seriously and adversely affect your judgment and response times, so drive responsibly. You should not consume alcoholic beverage while taking narcotic pain medication. In addition to the pain component of these medications they also include Tylenol (acetaminophen). You should not take any additional product that contains Tylenol (acetaminophen). This prescription, like most narcotic pain medications, has a tendency to cause constipation. The best remedy for this, should it occur, is to increase fluid intake, increase activity as tolerated and increase dietary fiber by eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals, breads and bran.
A medication called Aspirin. This medication require a prescription and can be picked up at your local pharmacy. Take it once daily until you are full weight bearing without a cast or splint. This medication and a compression sock on the non surgical leg are used to help prevent deep vein thrombosis commonly referred to as blood clots. If you are prescribed Lovenox, Xalerto, Heparin or Coumadin due to a history of blood clots, we will have you stop the Aspirin.
A special anti-inflammatory medication called If you have any underlying heart related conditions or sulfa allergies you will not be prescribed this medication. If you receive this medication and we were unaware of your heart condition please disregard this prescription. This prescription will be taken once a day for seven days only. No refills are necessary. Your insurance may require that a prior authorization be obtained for coverage. We are unable to get this authorized for the short 7-day period that you’ll need it. You may pay for prescription out-of-pocket or if this is not an option the prescription can be discarded entirely without any substitutions. You should not take any additional anti-inflammatory medication during this time. This includes prescriptions and over-the-counter medications such as Ibuprofen, Advil, Naprosyn, Aleve, etc.
An anti-nausea medication Phenergan (Promethazine). This medication may be taken every 6 hours as needed to assist with nausea after surgery. It’s also used to team allergy symptoms such as itching, hives, skin rashes.
It is recommended that you spread out your medications and not take them in the same sitting. This will help us determine which medicine may need to be changed should you experience any intolerable side effects. Should any of these medications cause itching or hives, stop the medication and notify us so Dr. Hewitt can prescribe an alternative medication. Increasing your fluid intake will help flush the medication out of your system and get you quicker relief. You may also find Benadryl helpful in calming your reaction. Benadryl can be found at your local pharmacy without a prescription.
Another possible adverse reaction when taking new medication may be nausea and/or vomiting. Should this occur, discontinue the medication. Dr. Hewitt may prescribe an alternative medication and something to calm the nausea if necessary.
Pain and Swelling
Your foot/ankle may be numb and painless for as long as 24 hours after surgery. This is due to the local anesthesia used during your surgery. When this wears off your will start to experience normal postoperative pain. It is important that you not wait for the pain to become unbearable before taking your medication. By doing so, it will greatly affect your ability to obtain timely pain relief. Use your pain medication generously in the first week after surgery. You may experience swelling or a feeling of tightness and throbbing when your foot is resting on the ground. Elevating your leg above the level of your chest and the use of a basic ice bag behind your knee can help relieve this.
Warning Signs for a Blood Clot
If you experience constant cramping in your calf not relived with elevation or your calf is hard, warm or red contact our office. If you experience shortness of breath or sharp chest pain go immediately to the nearest emergency room. In addition, you will be asked to wear a compression stocking on your non-operative leg until you begin the weight bearing process. This is to reduce the risk of a blood clot.
Surgical Dressing
Keep your dressing dry and intact until your first office appointment. If your dressing becomes wet you will need to be seen that day or the following morning to have it changed. You may notice some bloody spotting or drainage on your dressing and this is normal. The purpose of the dressing is to provide compression and absorb any drainage from the surgical incision. Call the office if the size of the spotting enlarges rapidly.
Activity
You should not put any weight on the operative foot/ankle until Dr. Hewitt has given approval. If surgery was on your right foot/ankle or if you drive a standard vehicle, you should not drive until cleared by Dr. Hewitt.
You should call the office if you experience any of the following symptoms after your surgery:
Equipment
There are some items that you will need while recovering from your surgery and others that will make some tasks more convenient, but not necessarily required.
You can reach our office during regular office hours Monday-Friday for prescription refills, general questions or to discuss postoperative concerns at (614)782-3668. If you have a medical emergency outside of regular office hours call 911.
Should you have any disability forms or work excuse needs, please get then in to us as soon as possible. We require 10-14 business days for completion and the earlier you get them to us the quicker we can turn them back around to you. There is a $20.00 charge from completion of disability forms. Our fax number is 614-782-3674. You may also mail or drop them off.
Many of the foot and ankle surgeries require a period of cast immobilization and for the patient to remain non-weight bearing. You may visit www.ArmandMedicalSupply.com to schedule knee scooter rental and other items that may be helpful during the recovery period.
Unfortunately, many of these items are not covered by insurance and are not required for your treatment but they will aid in the recovery process. .
© 2024 Foot and Ankle Physicians of Ohio | 1325 Stringtown Road, Suite 220 | Grove City, OH 43123 |
210 Sharon road | Suite C | Phone: (614) 782-3668 | Fax: (614) 782-3674 | Circleville Ohio 43113 | Phone: (740) 497-4772 | Fax: (740) 497-4474
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