Your Pre-Surgical Checklist

Welcome to your PRE-OPERATIVE PREPARATION HUB.

This resource is designed to answer common questions and guide you through your upcoming surgery to ensure a smooth procedure and successful recovery.

Remember, Dr. Deans' team is a call away for further guidance and clarification.

Preparing for surgery involves many items, appointments, and details.

At first, the process can feel overwhelming.

Don't worry, our surgical team will help walk you through the process.

Each item on this checklist is designed to reduce risk, prevent avoidable complications, and help make your surgery and recovery as safe, smooth, and successful as possible.

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1. Medical Clearance and Pre-Surgical Appointments

Most patients will need a pre-surgical medical evaluation before surgery. This may include a visit with your primary care provider, lab work, and a review of your medications.

Depending on your health history, you may also need additional clearance from another specialist, such as cardiology. This is not meant to delay care unnecessarily. It is meant to make sure surgery can proceed as safely as possible.

Common pre-surgical appointments may include:

Primary care history and physical with PCP or our specialists.
Preoperative surgery appointment with our team.
Physical therapy appointment.
Cardiac clearance, if needed.
Other subspecialist clearance, if needed.
Dental clearance, if needed.

2. Health Optimization Before Surgery

Some health factors can affect healing, infection risk, anesthesia safety, and recovery.

Your surgical team may ask you to complete certain tests or make specific changes before surgery. These may include checking blood sugar control, confirming nicotine status, reviewing allergies, or addressing any active infections or wounds.

Important optimization items may include:

Diabetes or blood sugar review
Nicotine testing or smoking cessation
Penicillin or medication allergy review
Dental evaluation when needed
Skin check for wounds, sores, or rashes
Medication review, especially blood thinners or immune-suppressing medications

If you use nicotine, stopping before surgery is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce complications and improve healing.

3. Therapy & Recovery Planning

Recovery begins before surgery.

Your physical therapy plan may be arranged ahead of time so that you know where to go, when to begin, and what to expect. Therapy helps you regain motion, strength, balance, and confidence after surgery.

For some patients, additional treatments may be recommended before surgery to help with pain control and early recovery.

This may include:

Physical therapy scheduling
Home exercise preparation
Iovera or other pain-control planning, if recommended
Review of walking expectations after surgery

The goal is to help you begin recovery with a clear plan.

4. Equipment & Home Preparation

Before surgery, it is helpful to prepare your home and gather any equipment you may need.

Some patients may need durable medical equipment, often called DME. This can help make walking, bathing, and daily activity safer during the first part of recovery.

Common equipment may include:

Walker
Shower chair
Toilet riser
Cane or other assistive device, if recommended

You may also want to prepare your home by clearing walkways, removing loose rugs, placing commonly used items within easy reach, and arranging help for the first few days after surgery.

5. Infection Prevention & Safety

Preventing infection is one of the most important goals before and after surgery.

You will receive specific instructions about showering, skin cleansing, medication use, and when to report symptoms. Please let the surgical team know if you develop a fever, open wound, dental infection, urinary symptoms, respiratory illness, or any new health concern before surgery.

Even small issues are worth communicating early so they can be addressed appropriately.

6. Medications Before Surgery

Your medication list will be reviewed before surgery. Some medications may be continued, while others may need to be stopped or adjusted.

This is especially important if you take:

Blood thinners
Diabetes medications
Immune-suppressing medications
Anti-inflammatory medications
Supplements or herbal products

Do not stop prescribed medications unless instructed by your medical team.

Institutional Clarification

This website is operated independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of Nebraska Medicine or the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Any clinical work performed in partnership with those institutions is conducted separately under institutional policies, governance, and privacy practices.