Patient Education Reference

Orthopaedic information you can trust with up-to-date, authoritative and peer reviewed information from members of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). An informed patient is a great patient and you will be able to find lots of information from Your Orthopaedic Connection, a service provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Click the link below to display the AAOS reference library "Your Orthopaedic Connection" for lots of information about orthopaedics related health, procedures and recovery.

  Click this link to display the AAOS Reference Library

Making an Appointment? What should I bring to My appointment?

Appointments/Cancellations
Please call the office to make an appointment in advance. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please call us as far in advance as possible so we may use that time to see another patient in need of care. We make a sincere effort to adhere to our appointment schedule and appreciate your patience if we are late due to emergencies or hospital surgery.

If you are a new patient, please complete and submit the online patient registration form prior to your upcoming appointment.

In order for us to better serve you, it is very important that you bring the following on your first visit:

  •      Photo identification
  •      Your health insurance card and co-pay
  •      List of current medications
  •      Any and all previous x-ray, MRI, CT, or bone scans
  •      Your referring physician and primary care physician's name, address and phone number
  •      A list of your questions and concerns
  •      Patients under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
  •      **New Patients: please complete and submit (email or fax) the patient registration prior to your scheduled appointment
  •      Completed patient forms
  •      Review AAOS website for possible information about your condition

Insurance Plans and Copays

The Sport & Spine accepts most major insurance plans. We have listed our top 10 insurance providers below, if you do not see your insurance company listed please call our office to verify acceptance.

  •      Aetna US Healthcare
  •      Blue Cross/Blue Shield
  •      CIGNA
  •      Humana
  •      AARP
  •      Medicare
  •      Patient's Provident PRO
  •      United Health Care
  •      Secure Horizons

 

Is a co-pay required for follow up visits?

Your insurance policy determines whether or not you have a co-pay for your follow up visits; however, under most insurance policies a co-pay is due at each visit.

Fees & Payments

Fees & Payments

We make every effort to decrease the cost of your medical care. Therefore, we request payment arrangements for all office services at the time they are rendered unless prior arrangements have been made. We accept cash, checks, and all major credit cards for your convenience. If we are a participating provider of your insurance company, we will bill them. However, payment is the patient's responsibility. We will help in any way we can to assist you in handling claims.

Surgery Preparations

Although our doctors will review more detailed instructions pre/post surgery these are some most common protocols.

Before your surgery, your doctor will give you instructions concerning food and liquids. It is very important that you follow these directions, so the surgery or procedure may proceed as planned.

Do not drink alcoholic beverages 24 hours prior to surgery. It is never a good idea to smoke, but it is especially important that you do not smoke after midnight prior to having surgery. Smoking can cause gastric secretions that interfere with the anesthetic you take to go to sleep during surgery. It is also a good idea not to smoke after surgery as it can impede healing. It is never a good idea to take illegal drugs, but it is vitally important not to take them within 24 hours of your surgery.

Several weeks before your surgery, ask your doctor if you should stop taking:

  •      Medications that contain aspirin, Advil, Motrin, Aleve (naproxen), ibuprofen or Tylenol (acetaminophen)
  •      Anticoagulants such as Coumadin, Plavix, Lovenox, and Heparin
  •      Allergy medications
  •      Herbs and vitamins
  •      Birth control pills

 

Here are some other pre-surgery instructions you need to follow:

  •     Bring a written list of the medications you are taking, as well as the dosages and frequency with which you take these medications.
  •      Shower or bathe no more than 12 hours prior to your surgery.
  •      If possible, obtain prescriptions for post-operative medications before surgery, have them filled, and begin taking them as soon you get home.
  •      If you are having outpatient surgery, ask your surgeon's office whether you should make your postoperative appointments before your surgery or right after your surgery.
  •      If you are being admitted to the hospital after surgery, make your postoperative appointments at the time you are discharged.
  •      If you develop a cold, fever, or other illness prior to your procedure, contact your surgeon's office. Your surgery may need to be rescheduled.
  •      Arrange to have a responsible adult accompany you the day of surgery, remain in the hospital during your surgery, and, if you are an outpatient, take you home after your surgery. If you are an inpatient, arrange to have a responsible adult take you home when you are discharged.
  •      Have the responsible adult who accompanies you hold on to your eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aid, and/or jewelry while you are in surgery.

 

Pre Surgery Checklist

  •      No jewelry is being worn
  •      A responsible adult is accompanying you and a ride home has been arranged
  •      Instructions for not eating/drinking have been followed
  •      Special wipes or soaps have been used to cleanse site of surgery (if instructed by surgeon)

Recovery

Our doctors will provide you with detailed instructions to follow at home. Please follow them carefully to assure a smooth recovery. Here are some general guidelines:

  •      Never drive an automobile, operate dangerous machinery, or undertake any responsible business matters on the same day as your surgery or procedure.
  •      You will be able to shower but not bathe. If you have drains or open wounds, you may need to take sponge baths initially.
  •      You should avoid any heavy lifting. Your surgeon's office can provide a weight limit.
  •      You will be assigned exercises designed to speed your recovery.

** High fever, unusual redness, or pain?
Notify your doctors office immediately if you experience any bleeding or drainage from the operative site, have unusual redness or pain, or start running a temperature higher than 101°. Be on the lookout for other "danger signals" to which your surgeon may alert you.

Recovering in the Hospital

  •     Physical Therapy: The recovery process will be an active one. You will begin working with a physical therapist the day after surgery. This is an important part of your recovery that will allow you to achieve maximum mobility and get back to your normal activities as soon as possible.
  •      After 1 to 4 days of recovery: After 1 to 4 days of recovery, your doctor will provide you with detailed instructions to follow at home. Please follow them carefully to assure a smooth recovery. You will likely be discharged with a prescription for pain medicine and a prescription for physical therapy.

Final Follow-up
Your doctor will schedule a return visit to his office for you, in order to check your progress after surgery and confirm that you are healing well. Arrange to have a responsible adult escort you to your first Post-Op visit.

 

Prescriptions

Prescriptions

In order for your doctor to refill a prescription, please fill out the following form completely.  We will confirm the details and phone in the refill to the specified pharmacy.  We make every effort to fill prescriptions within 24 hours of receiving the request.   If you submit a request after hours, on a holiday, or on the weekends, it will be addressed on the next business day, so please plan accordingly so as to not run out of medication.  Thank you for your understanding.

For your convenience we have provided the following form for you to print out and email or fax (843) 681- 5012 to our office.

Prescription Renewal

 

 

Health Library

Health Library

The health library is from the AAOS and is another plethora of great information you can trust from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

AAOS Health Library


The Sport & Spine Institute

The Sport & Spine Institute was founded by some of the Hilton Head Island's leading healthcare professionals who recognize a gap in services where patients could receive high quality, all-in-one orthopaedic health care catering to athletic injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and spinal problems. The Sport & Spine Institute is committed to providing convenient, comprehensive orthopaedic care in a compassionate, patient focused environment.

Committed to Saving the Patient and Healthcare System Time and Money.

To read more please download the brochure: The Sport & Spine Institute


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