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Presurgery
Q.) Can I drive home after surgery?
A.) If your surgery involves being sedated or going to sleep, you
will need someone to stay in our office with you during your surgery and drive you
home. Although it is not mandatory, it is probably a good idea to
have someone with you for all but the most minor procedures with local
anesthesia.
Q.) Can I eat before surgery?
A.) If you are having intravenous anesthesia, it is vital that you
DO NOT have anything to eat or drink for at least 8 hours prior to
surgery.
Q.) If I take medication(s) on a regular basis, should I discontinue
before surgery?
A.) This may vary depending on the type of medication. In general,
it is a good idea to take any regular medications as scheduled. If
you have been directed to not eat or drink prior to surgery, you may
take your medicine with a small amount of water. You should review
this with your doctor at your presurgical consultation.
Q.) How should I dress the day of surgery?
A.) You should wear loose, comfortable clothing. Short sleeve shirts
are best for obtaining accurate blood pressure monitoring. Ladies
should avoid lipstick, nail polish, acrylic nails, panty hose, or
tights.
Q.) If I go to sleep during surgery, will I remember anything, or
will I wake up in the middle of the procedure?
A.) Intravenous anesthesia affects the central nervous system in such
a way that normal functions and reflexes such as respiration, cough
and gag are intact, but conscious memory is lost; therefore, even
though you will be responsive during surgery, you will have no memory
of the procedure.
Postsurgery
Q.) To what degree of pain, swelling, or bleeding should I expect
following surgery?
A.) Some discomfort is natural following any surgical procedure, but
this should be well controlled with analgesic medication. Swelling
is also normal, but should peak in 48 hours and resolve completely
in a few days. Ice for the first 48 hours following surgery will help
minimize swelling. Bleeding for most procedures should subside within
a few hours.
Q.) Is nausea usually a problem following surgery?
A.) Nausea is an occasional (though not frequent) problem following
surgery. An anti-nausea medication is given to patients having intravenous
anesthesia, and this will usually control any postoperative nausea.
Should nausea occur, further medication can be prescribed.
Q.) How long will I need to recover after surgery?
A.) Recovery time will vary depending on the type and extent of your
procedure. Your doctor will review the surgical process with you at
your presurgical consultation. In general, patients with advanced
procedures can expect to return to normal in just a few days. More
complex hospital surgery may require a longer recovery period.
Q.) Will I need to follow a special diet following surgery?
A.) If you have anesthesia, it is best to begin eating slowly with
a clear liquid diet and advance to a soft non-chewing diet as tolerated.
Following local anesthesia, a soft non-chewing diet is recommended.
Q.) Will I have stitches?
A.) Stitches, or sutures, are frequently used in surgical procedures.
These are generally the resorbable type and do not need to be removed.
Non-resorbable sutures will only be used in rare occasions and are
usually removed in 5-7 days.
Q.) Will a doctor or nurse be available if I have problems or questions
following surgery?
A.) There is always a doctor on call for emergencies or postoperative
problems. Patients needing refill prescriptions for narcotic medications
previously prescribed are asked to call during normal office hours
due to problems with regulations governing controlled substances.
The doctor on call can be reached at all hours by calling the main
office.
Insurance/Billing
Q.) Are oral surgery claims filed under my medical or dental insurance
plan?
A.) Oral surgery can be filed under either coverage. Some procedures
are considered dental and are filed under your dental plan. Others
are medical and are filed with your medical carrier. At the time of
your consultation, we can determine which is appropriate in your case.
Q.) Do you participate in my insurance plan?
A.) We do participate in a few plans, but not all. Please call our
Insurance Coordinator to check for yours.
Q.) I have an HMO. Will I need a referral to come to see the doctor?
A.) If your HMO requires a referral, call your primary care physician
to obtain one. We usually handle obtaining surgical authorization
from our office after your initial consultation.
Q.) If you do not participate in my insurance plan, will I have
to file my own claims?
A.) No. We will file all claims for you. Even those instances when
our patients pay in full, we will file for you to receive reimbursement.
Q.) My family is not insured. Can we make payment arrangements?
A.) When indicated, alternative financing may be available. Please
contact our Patient Services representative for information on financial
arrangements.
Q.) After you file my claim, how long before the balance due becomes
my responsibility?
A.) Our office generally allows 45-60 days for insurance to respond
to our claims. After that length of time, the balance will become
your responsibility.
Q.) What do we do if our claim is denied or disputed by the insurance
company?
A.) Our Insurance Coordinator is experienced in dealing with troublesome
claims. We will make every effort to be sure your claim is resolved
in a timely manner even when the insurance company balks at making
payment.
Q.) I am going to have surgery at the hospital. How will that be
handled with insurance?
A.) Our Patient Services Coordinator will be your contact in our office.
She will arrange with your insurance company for prior approval, schedule
the surgery time at the hospital and advise you of your down payment
or our surgeon's fee.
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