Orthopaedic Hospital

Please complete the admission forms (preferably during your orthopaedic consultation and /or hospital booking) using a ballpoint pen. Should you need assistance in completing the forms please speak to your surgeon’s personal assistant. Once completed return these forms to your surgeon’s personal assistant. If you are unable to complete these forms whilst at sportsmed, please return them (using the enclosed reply paid envelope) at your earliest convenience and a minimum of two weeks before your admission. Additionally:

1. Obtain an up-to-date list of current medications from your GP. Please bring this list with you to all appointments and to the hospital on the day of your admission.
2. Ensure you bring along any current x-rays or scans (USB, CD, films) relevant to your surgery to the hospital on the day of your admission.
3. Follow your admitting surgeon’s instructions regarding admission date and time, fasting and medication instructions prior to surgery.
4. Please contact your health fund before admission to check your level of cover and clarify any excesses or co-payments that are payable prior to or on admission.
5. If you are a self-insured patient, a base estimate has been provided by your surgeon’s personal assistant, and is payable prior to admission. Please refer to your Informed Financial Consent form which covers the financial consequences.
6. Workers compensation, third party and public liability patients require a letter of approval from the relevant insurer prior to admission.

How to return forms

Completed forms can be delivered to sportsmed in a number of ways:

Mail
No postage stamp is required. Please allow two weeks for delivery. Please post completed forms to:

sportmed
Level 1, 32 Payneham Road
Stepney, SA 5069

Fax
08 8362 0071

If the forms are faxed please remember to bring the originals with you on the day of your admission.

Hand delivered
Forms can be hand delivered to our orthopaedics team at:

sportsmed
Level 1, 32 Payneham Road
Stepney, SA 5069

If for any reason you are unable to return the completed forms within the time required, please contact your surgeon’s personal assistant or one of our staff on 08 8362 7788.

Pre-admission clinic and pre-operative appointments

You may be asked to attend a pre-admission appointment or clinic depending on the type of surgery you will be undergoing. Your surgeon’s personal assistant will arrange for you to be contacted by the pre admission nurse.
The appointments/clinics are staffed by experienced nurses who will:

• Talk to you about your care before and after surgery
• Commence discharge planning to help you plan for your return home and rehabilitation
• Answer any questions you may have about your surgery and your hospital stay
• Pre-admission clinics/appointments help you know what to expect from your surgery and your hospital stay. They help ensure your admission on the day of your surgery is well planned and relaxed as possible.

Pre-operative surgery preparation

To minimise the risk of infection after your surgery, you may be requested to clean your operative site with the E-Z chlorhexidine scrub provided, the night before and morning of your surgery WHILE SHOWERING.

• Clean your hands prior to opening scrub packet
• Open scrub packet, discard the plastic nail cleaner and wet the sponge
• In the shower use the sponge to wash the operative site first then the remainder of the limb followed by the rest of your body, then rinse off
• Pat dry the skin with a clean towel/paper towel and discard sponge
• Repeat procedure on the morning of your surgery.

For further information please contact our Infection Control Coordinator from Tuesday to Friday from 8.30am – 4:30pm on 08 8130 1100 (extension 3154) or alternatively speak to one of our nursing staff.

It is our aim that your surgical expectations are met and best outcomes are achieved.

Referral to a consultant physician and/or anaesthetist prior to admission

Some patients will be referred to a consultant physician and/or anaesthetist for a pre-operative review.

The purpose of this review is to assess your suitability for surgery and to reduce any potential health risks and complications associated with your proposed surgical procedure.

The nominated physician and/or anaesthetist is well known to our facility and is highly regarded, experienced and thorough in assessing patients.

The physician and/or anaesthetist will provide a summary and recommendations to your surgeon and relevant nursing personnel to ensure that the best possible preparation is arranged. The physician and/or anaesthetist will also be available to visit and treat you in the hospital should the need arise post-operatively.

Your surgeon’s personal assistant will arrange an appointment at a mutually convenient time.

Your completed Patient Health History form, if available, will also be provided to the physician and/or anaesthetist in preparation for your consultation.

Patient weight and body mass safety

sportsmed specialises in the provision of orthopaedic surgery and for safety reasons, there are some restrictions on patient admission in relation to weight and body mass index (BMI).

If your BMI is over 35 you are classified as being severely obese and your risk of post-operative complications may be increased. If you develop significant complications you may require a transfer to a hospital which has an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It may be in your interest to consider:

• Sleep studies
• Weight loss
• Deferring surgery until your weight is reduced.

If you are concerned about your weight or BMI, please discuss this with your surgeon as alternative hospital arrangements may be available.

Patients that weigh more than 150kg cannot be admitted to sportsmed due to equipment weight safety limits. Patients with high weight or BMI may need access to a specialised bariatric unit available at other hospitals.

Preventing infections

We have a dedicated Infection Control Coordinator who works with staff to help reduce and prevent infections.

Infection control is an important part of your hospital stay and involves many aspects such as standard and transmission based precautions, aseptic technique, safe handling of sharps and other waste, environmental cleaning, appropriate use of antibiotic therapy, prevention and management of infections and processing of medical devices.

We encourage all patients to direct visitors to utilise our hand sanitiser stations positioned across the facility.

For more about information on preventing infections and hand hygiene, please speak to our nursing staff or request an Infection Control brochure.

On the day of your surgery and hospital admission, please arrive at the hospital reception at the time designated by your surgeon. Please bring all current medications in original packaging along with all current and relevant x-rays and scans (USB, CD, films).

Fasting instructions

Unless your surgeon or anaesthetist gives you special instructions, do not eat anything six hours prior to your admission. Do not chew gum or suck on sweets. Water may be taken up to two hours prior to your admission (max one glass per hour). Prescribed medication can be taken with a sip of water as directed by your doctor.

What to bring with you

Please wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes and avoid high heel shoes and jewellery. If you wear glasses or contact lenses please ensure that you bring along a glasses case or a container for storing these items. Please do not bring any valuables, apart from money, or a credit card required for payment of your account.

If you have a medical power of attorney, advanced care directive and/or a living will, please bring these with you the day of your admission.

Remove all piercings, make-up and nail polish. Wedding rings can be removed/taped prior to surgery.

To assist you in your preparation, please see the below checklist.

Patient checklist

Please ensure that you bring the following with you to hospital:

• Medicare card
• Private health membership card
• DVA card (if applicable)
• Claim number (for workers’ compensation patients) and contact details for your case manager
• Pharmaceutical benefits and pension card (if applicable)
• Your current medication in original containers
• Up-to-date list of all current medications from your GP
• A list of any known allergies
• Any relevant x-rays (USB, CD, films) and medical reports
• Glasses, hearing aid and reading material if desired
• Any legal documents relating to your health care such as a Medical Power of Attorney, Advanced Care Directive and/or a Living Will.
• Favourite toy, games, DVDs, iPad etc. (children and adolescents)
• Pyjamas and/or dressing gown.

Planning for going home

Your surgeon will advise you the length of time you will be in hospital. Try and plan your surgery for a time when you will have someone at home to assist you when you are discharged.

If you are having day surgery you will require a responsible adult to accompany you home from hospital and stay overnight. You will not be admitted unless you have a known and responsible person accompanying you home.

When you are admitted, a nurse will assist in preparing you for surgery by undertaking any necessary checks and discussing plans for your care whilst in hospital. If you have any questions regarding your surgery please speak to one of our nurses.

Your nurse will advise you of the name of your anaesthetist and the estimated time of your surgery.

In preparation for your surgery you will need to shower (if you haven’t already done so) and change into a hospital gown. In most cases, unless otherwise advised by our staff, please leave your underpants on. Your nurse will prepare the area or limb on which the surgery will be conducted and paint it with antiseptic lotion. Some patients may be given an anti-microbial sponge with instructions to use on the area of surgery prior to admission.

Your anaesthetist will see you prior to your surgery, either in your room or in the theatre suite. They will discuss the type of anaesthetic with you and any associated risks.

A hospital nurse will escort you to the theatre where a theatre nurse will meet you and check all your details.

Recovery

Following your surgery you will be transferred into recovery, a special observation area where you will be closely monitored by our staff while you wake up from your anaesthetic.

Depending on your surgery you may have:

• An intravenous drip (iv)
• A dressing, bandage or plaster
• A wound drain to drain any excess fluid/blood (this will reduce swelling and help healing)
• Oxygen mask and/or plastic nasal specs in your nose.

When you are comfortable, the recovery staff will arrange for you to be transferred back to your room.

Close observational unit

In some circumstances it is medically appropriate for patients to be nursed in an area where closer observation is required. In most cases this will be discussed with you at the time of admission and you will be shown the area. The duration of time you are nursed in this Close Observational Unit is usually overnight on the day of your surgery, then you will be transferred back to a private room.

Pain relief and medications

Pain relief medication will be provided to you by your nurse either through an injection, tablet or patient controlled analgesia (PCA). You will be asked to assess your pain/comfort level from a scale of one to ten.

The aim is to relieve the pain sufficiently for you to rest, move around and perform your exercises comfortably. Do not wait until your pain is unbearable before requesting medication.

It is important to take your tablets for pain relief regularly as this will provide an even control of your pain. Some pain relief can cause constipation in some people. If you are experiencing any problems with this, please speak to one of our nurses.

If you are feeling sick or nauseous please alert our staff as they may be able to provide you with medication to help. Some patients may also require antibiotics. Where appropriate, regular use of ice packs on the surgical area during your hospitalisation and at home can reduce swelling and pain levels.

On the day of your discharge you will be provided with some pain relief or a prescription for them. Don’t forget to take your medications with you.

Your surgeon will advise when you will be going home, and of any special requirements, once you are home.

Occasionally patients may need to be discharged to a rehabilitation hospital. Your surgeon and our nursing team will discuss this further with you prior to your discharge. Discharge time is 10am. This assists us to prepare for new patients. Please discuss any alternative arrangements with the nursing staff on admission.

Our nursing staff will provide you with instructions for your ongoing care and safety, as well as telephone numbers for emergencies.

Sickness certificates are provided at this time, if required. If you do require a certificate, please advise our staff prior to your discharge.

If you are discharged within 24 hours of your surgery, ensure that you have a responsible adult stay with you overnight after your procedure.

The medication that was used to put you to sleep will be active in your body for the next 24 hours so you may feel sleepy. This will wear off over the next 24 hours.

During this period you should NOT:

• Drive a car
• Drink alcohol
• Make important decisions or sign any paperwork
• Travel alone on public transport
• Use hazardous machinery
• Engage in sports, heavy lifting or work
• Smoke.

If you are flying, please contact your airline before your surgery to check their medical requirements. Many airlines require a medical flight clearance.

Discharge checklist

To assist you in your preparation for discharge, please ensure that you:

• Check all the cupboards, drawers and bathroom for your belongings
• Ask for the return of any valuables that may have been locked away
• Collect medications that you brought from home and any new ones or scripts
• Take all your x-rays
• Received and understood discharge instructions.

If you have any questions about your discharge, please speak to one of our nursing staff.

When surgery is recommended you will be given a comprehensive financial estimate from your surgeon’s personal assistant for the operation, attending surgeon, his assistant, anaesthetist and incidental charges at the time of booking.

Please ensure that you ask any questions you may have about the fees and charges before your surgery. While we make every effort to provide you with a detailed and accurate estimate prior to your admission, additional expenses may be incurred.

All private health funds and patients including uninsured are welcome at sportsmed. sportsmed is also a Bupa Members First Healthcare Provider, ensuring patients with Bupa private health receive exclusive benefits including more money back on claims.

Medicare

Private health insurance

Workers’ Compensation or Third Party

Prior to admission we require written approval from your workers’ compensation or third party provider confirming that all costs will be covered. Your claim number must be included on the written approval. Written approval is required for each admission. Just because you may have been covered under a claim for a previous admission does not automatically mean you will be covered for your next admission.

All liability for expenses associated with hospitalisation lies with the patient. Please ensure that you confirm with your private health fund your level of cover so you know exactly what excess you may be expected to pay. In the event this prior written approval is not received, your surgery will be cancelled. If the surgery proceeds, you will be financially responsible for all costs incurred.

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