Whether you’re suffering from a sports injury, an autoimmune disease like arthritis, or a degenerative condition such as osteoarthritis, a visit to orthopedic surgeons in St George Utah can be an important step on the road to recovery. Surgery can help to stop degenerative damage, relieve pain, and improve your range of motion and overall quality of life.
Making the decision to undergo surgery is never an easy one. But finding the right orthopedic surgeon can help set your mind at ease and get you back to doing what you love, pain-free.
If you’re looking for the best orthopedic surgeon St George Utah has to offer, you’ll want to start by scheduling an appointment to discuss your condition and treatment options. During this meeting, you’ll have a chance to ask questions about the orthopedic surgeon, the surgery you’ll have, and what your recovery will look like.
Questions to Ask Orthopedic Surgeons in St George Utah
When you meet with orthopedic surgeons in St George Utah for the first time, they’ll have a lot of questions for you about your injury or condition. They’ll ask about your medical history, how your injury occurred, when your symptoms began, and more.
But during that first appointment, you’ll also be able to ask questions of your own. Asking the right questions can be a great way to help set your mind at ease ahead of your procedure, and ensure that you’ve chosen a surgeon that you trust. Let’s take a closer look at a few questions you might choose to ask during your search for the best orthopedic surgeon St George Utah has to offer.
What are the alternatives to surgery?
When damage is extensive, unlikely to heal on its own, or other treatment options have failed, surgery may be necessary. In some cases, surgery may be a patient’s best option for recovering quickly or getting back to enjoying physical activities they are unable to do with their injury or condition.
But if you’re hesitant to have surgery, there may be other treatment options. You’ll want to ask your orthopedic surgeon about these options during your meeting. Ask about what they are, and what outcome could be possible. Another great question to ask is whether these treatments will help you avoid surgery, or simply push it further in the future.
For instance, non-surgical treatments are often used to treat arthritis. However, if arthritis has progressed past a certain point, surgery may be the only effective option for providing pain relief.
What is your experience with this type of surgery?
Some orthopedic procedures are more common than others. Some of the most common procedures performed by orthopedic surgeons include:
- Trigger finger release
- Joint replacement surgery
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Arthroscopy
Other procedures are less common. One great question to ask orthopedic surgeons in St George Utah is what their experience is like with this type of surgery. Have they performed it many times in the past? If so, what kind of results have their patients seen?
This question can help set your mind at ease ahead of a routine procedure. It can also help you to better understand what to expect post-surgery.
What are the risks of this surgery?
Every kind of surgery comes with some risks of complications. Understanding what these risks are, and what your orthopedic surgeon will be doing to mitigate them, is important.
Individuals with certain conditions, like diabetes or heart disease, may also be at risk of certain complications. Your orthopedic surgeon will help you to understand what those risks are, and how they’ll be monitoring them during your procedure.
What is the recovery period like?
Another important question to ask when meeting with the best orthopedic surgeon St George Utah has to offer is about what the recovery period will look like.
The answer to this question is specific to each individual person. Your age, health, and the type of injury or condition you have, as well as the type of surgery being performed, will all impact your recovery. Understanding how long you’ll need to avoid weight-bearing activities or return to work can help you make a plan for post-surgery.
Additionally, your orthopedic surgeon may recommend physical therapy post-surgery to aid in your recovery. They may also offer some exercises that you’ll need to do on your own at home to help get your range of motion back or build strength in your affected hand or wrist.
If you enjoy any specific physical activities, like going to the gym, riding your bike, or jogging, you’ll want to ask your orthopedic surgeon how long you should wait before enjoying these as well.
What follow-up care will be necessary?
Physical therapy is one type of follow-up that might be necessary after a hand or wrist surgery. But return visits with orthopedic surgeons in St George Utah are often also necessary to check the progress of your recovery and make sure that everything is healing properly.
During your post-surgery meeting with your orthopedic surgeon, ask about these appointments. It’s important to make sure that you’ll be able to schedule them at the correct intervals after surgery. Asking early on when you’ll need to be back in the office will allow you to plan things like vacations or other obligations around these important appointments.
Choosing the Best Orthopedic Surgeons in St George Utah
If you have suffered a hand or wrist injury, the first thing you’ll want to do is schedule a visit to the best orthopedic surgeon St George Utah has to offer. The team at our St George orthopedics office specializes in helping patients find the best course of treatment for them.
Surgery isn’t always the only treatment option for common hand and wrist conditions. Physical therapy, steroid injections, immobilization, and other treatments may also be prescribed by your orthopedic surgeon.
If you’ve suffered an injury or other hand and wrist condition, our orthopedic surgeons in St George Utah can help. Schedule your appointment today to learn more about your treatment options.