Post-Procedure Information
Preparing for Post-Procedure
3 Day Follow Up Call
The medical team will reach out to you 3 days post-procedure to check in with you. If you need to speak with the medical team prior to the post-procedure call, please use the contact information below.
To reach the medical team in
Sarasota/St. Pete: Call 941-357-1773 ext 104 or email ashleyb@newregenortho.com
Tampa: Call 813-544-3123 ext 203 or email anariliz@newregenortho.com
Miami: Call 786-855-4800 ext 300 or email taniaf@goldcoastorthopedics.com
6 Week Follow Up Appointment
A 6-week follow-up appointment is scheduled as part of your procedure. This appointment may be in-office, via TeleHealth, or by phone. For TeleHealth visits, you will use the link provided for your Regenexx Physician and log in 5 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time to enter the “virtual waiting room”. The doctor will join you as soon as he is available. This link can be accessed by computer, tablet, or smartphone. The doctor will want to know the following information for this visit, please keep this in mind while preparing for your visit.
- Is the pain less severe? If so, by what percentage?
- Is the pain less frequent? If so by what percentage?
- Does the pain last as long as it did before? In other words, do you recover more quickly?
- Does it take more activity to reach the same level of pain as it did before?
- Does the body part have more endurance? If so what percentage?
- Do you have more confidence (stability) in the body part than you did before? If so what percentage?
- What is still most concerning to you regarding this body part?
Booster/Maintenance
Your Regenexx Physician may have included a booster as a part of your procedure plan. In other cases, a booster or maintenance schedule may have been suggested. The typical booster/maintenance recommendations, if necessary, are 6 weeks, 6 months, biannually, or annually. If you would like to schedule a booster injection or if you would like to be added to a maintenance schedule, please contact your Care Coordinator and they will schedule the procedure or add you to the maintenance schedule of your choice. Boosters are beneficial and can help push you past a plateau or maintain the progress made post-procedure. Boosters are a reduced fee platelet procedure that requires a blood draw appointment and a 15-30 minute procedure appointment.
Physical Therapy
You will be provided with a copy of your PT orders and protocol following your procedure. At this time the medical team will send the order to the PT facility of your choice. Most patients will have ongoing physical therapy care for at least 6 weeks after the procedure. Physical therapy is billable through insurance and is not covered in the cost of the procedure.
Bracing
In some cases, your Regenexx Physician may require bracing following your procedure. Our Bracing coordinator will arrange for your brace to be available to you following your procedure. Your procedure summary will provide the details in regards to duration. For most procedures involving the upper extremity, a sling is recommended for post-procedure comfort.
Weight-bearing Restrictions
For lower extremity procedures you may be instructed to be non or limited weight-bearing for 24-72 hours. If this is required for you, it will be indicated on your Patient Plan.
Post-Procedure Driver/Transportation Policy
Our primary goal is patient safety. One of our concerns is whether you are safe to drive home. Our general recommendation is that you plan to have a driver following your procedure.
A DRIVER WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING
EPIDURALS AND SPINE PROCEDURES Injections in the neck, mid or low back (any spine injection). This may cause your arms and or legs to be numb for several hours. This can impair your ability to walk or operate a vehicle safely. Until these areas are no longer numb or weak, you are at increased risk of falling or injury.
ANY PROCEDURE USING PRE-PROCEDURE MEDICATION OR SEDATION Pre-medication (Xanax or Ativan) is ordered for each procedure. These sedative medications can cause drowsiness and impair one’s cognition for many hours after taking the medication. It is important to avoid operating a vehicle for up to 8 hours after taking these medications and longer if feelings of sedation or alteration persist.
EXTREMITY PROCEDURES/NERVE BLOCKS When performing injections on any part of your extremities, numbing medications and/or local nerve blocks are used to reduce the pain associated with the procedure. These can cause local numbness and weakness for several hours and can impair one’s ability to use the associated extremity. This may impair your ability to operate a vehicle and may put you at increased risk of falling or injury.
If you do not have a driver in these circumstances, then your procedure will be rescheduled.
If you choose to drive after any procedure/sedation, then you understand your risk of injury to you and others are increased by operating a vehicle and you take full responsibility for any injury that may occur to yourself or anyone else.
A Driver Will Be Optional For the Following
- Blood Draw appointments that do not require pre-medication or sedation.
- Pre-injection (only) appointments that do not require pre-medication or sedation.
- Some injections for upper extremities or lower left extremities that would minimally impact driving that does not require pre-medication or sedation.
For your safety, it is the express recommendation that you have a driver for each of your procedure visits.
