Helping you prepare for spine surgery
Your spine surgeon will talk with you before your surgery to help you prepare for your procedure. You may need to stop taking some medications before the procedure, such as blood thinners and aspirin. If you smoke, you will need to stop smoking before surgery. Talk with your doctor about the right diet and exercise before your surgery to best support your recovery. Your care team will also tell you about any restrictions for eating and drinking before surgery.
Depending on the type of surgery you are having, your surgeon may recommend that you have a pre-surgery evaluation. This appointment may include a physical exam and other tests. Our goal is to help make sure you are prepared to have anesthesia and that you have a pre-surgery plan customized for your health needs.
There are also things you can do at home to prepare for surgery, such as adjusting your bed height, clearing walkways, making sure you have essential items and more. Your care team will help you prepare your home to help make your recovery smoother.
What to expect after spine surgery
After surgery, your physical therapist will evaluate your needs, create a care plan for rehabilitation and make sure you are prepared to go home. Your therapist will also help you with walking devices such as a cane or walker, if needed. Working with you and your care team, your physical therapist can help determine the level of physical therapy you may need to recover.
Financial assistance and support is available
We can connect you with resources and programs that may be able to help you and your family with options for financial assistance. Our financial counseling team is here to listen to your concerns and work with you to help find options that meet your needs.
Insurance coverage for surgery
Talk with your doctor or insurance provider about insurance coverage options for having spine surgery. Surgery may be covered by various insurance plans as well as Medicare. First, you may need to be evaluated by a spine surgeon.