PRE-OPERATIVE PREPARATION FOR ELECTIVE SURGERY

We understand that you may be concerned about having surgery. We can assure you that you are in safe hands and that we will be doing our very best to make your experience as comfortable as possible. Please follow the following steps in order to prepare yourself for your procedure:

1. Pre-authorization with your medical aid:

After your consultation with Dr Oosthuizen, you will be provided with a form stating the type of procedure, the date of procedure, the procedural codes, ICD 10 codes, the specific hospital practice number and our practice number. This information is necessary to obtain an authorization number from your medical aid. Please do this ASAP and provide us with this number.

Please take note of any limitations from your medical aid, especially prosthesis limits and unauthorized codes, should it be present. Medical aid payment shortfalls remain your responsibility, and it is better to be aware of these to avoid any surprises.

2. Hospital bed bookings:

This can be done at the hospital main reception or can be done online:

Mediclinic Midstream Hospital:

https://www.mediclinic.co.za/en/corporate/stay-and-visit/pre-admission-information.html

Netcare Unitas Hospital:

https://patient.netcare.co.za/Welcome-patient-portal?returnurl=%2f

3. Surgical fees:

Our practices are contracted with some, but not all medical aids. Please refer to our practice billing policy for more details. Should we NOT be contracted to your medical aid, you will be provided with a quotation for your surgery prior to admission.

Many orthopaedic procedures make use of implants. The costs of these do not form part of your surgical fee but form part of your hospital bill. Most medical aids have a prosthesis limit out of which these funds are paid. Please make sure there are adequate funds available for your prosthesis procedure if applicable. This is especially important if you have had previous prosthetic procedures in the same year.

Anaesthetist fees do not form part of our practice fees but are an integral part of the procedure. At your consultation, you were provided with an information brochure from Brink and Partners. Please familiarise yourself with this and feel free to contact them if there are any queries.

4. What to remember before you come to the hospital:

• Stop eating/drinking at 22h00 the night before surgery
• Arrive at the hospital's main reception no later than 06h00 the morning of surgery
• ID and medical aid card with authorization number
• X-ray/CT/MRI scan in your possession with regards to your surgery
• Items of a personal nature
• Chronic medication or a list thereof
• Applicable braces issued prior to surgery.

5. Skin preparation and hair removal:

You are provided with two bottles of soap. Please wash the entire limb which will be operated on the night before and the morning of surgery with this soap. Pay attention to areas like the armpit and the groin. This is in order to reduce the bacterial load on the skin before surgery. This is best done in a shower rather than a bath.

Do not shave, wax or remove hair on the affected limb in the week prior to surgery. This causes small cuts and abrasion, which increase the risk of infection. A hair clipper will be used in theatre to remove excessive hair around the surgical site.

6. Chronic medication:

Please bring all your chronic medication with you on the day of admission. Only take hypertension medication on the morning of surgery with a small sip of water.

Please discuss any form of anticlotting medication with Dr Oosthuizen prior to surgery. 
Most of these medications should be stopped five days before surgery.

Stop ALL herbal medication or dietary supplements one week before surgery.

Please contact our rooms if any information is unclear to you.

Dr Beyers Oosthuizen