Team Contact Information:
Please be aware that we are in clinic on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, and as a result, we may be unavailable by phone. The best way to contact us is via My Health Connection. Do this by messaging Dr. Dragoo or Lisa Raaf in the patient portal.
Dr.Jason Dragoo,MD
Professor & Vice Chair of Academic Affairs for the CU Department of Orthopedics Head Team Physician for the Denver Nuggets
Lisa Raaf, PA-C
Physician Assistant to Dr. Dragoo
Jennie Morgan, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant to Dr. Dragoo and Lisa Raaf
Contact Jennie: Pre/Post-Operative Questions, General Scheduling Questions
Phone: 303-694-3333
Fax: 720-872-4898
Cameron Street, Certified Athletic Trainer to Dr. Dragoo and Lisa Raaf
Contact Cam : Surgery Scheduling, Pre/Post-Operative Questions, General Scheduling Questions
Phone: 303-694-3333
Fax: 720-872-4898
Pre-Operative Information
You will have 1 pre-operative appointment with Dr. Dragoo’s team about 5-7 days prior to your surgery, during this visit we will go over medical history and important surgery information.
IMPORTANT!- At your visit with either Dr. Dragoo or Lisa when surgery is discussed as your recommended treatment plan, please inform us of any pertinent prior medical history, including blood clots, hyper-coagulable disorders, pulmonary embolism, stroke, cancers, diabetes, heart conditions, chronic pain management, etc. This will ensure we can plan accordingly for your pre-op appointment. Failure to disclose this information prior to your pre-op appointment could result in the cancellation or rescheduling your surgery.
We ask that you notify your primary care provider about your upcoming surgery.
Transportation:
Hospital regulations DO NOT permit patients to drive or take a ride share service/taxi home. We will need an individual 18+ to check you out and ensure you get home safely.
Food Prior to Surgery:
Please do not consume any solid foods after 11pm the night prior to your surgery. You can have clear liquids: water, black coffee, and Gatorade (no red color) up to 4 hours prior to your check in time.
Medications:
- Discontinue Fish Oil Supplements, Vitamin E, Diclofenac, and NSAIDS (Advil, Aleve, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Motrin, Naproxen, etc) 1 Week prior to surgery.
- Discontinue ALL Multivitamins 5 days prior to Surgery.
A nurse from our surgery center will contact you about a week prior to your surgery to discuss discounting medications. This will be a more detailed discussion.
Recreational:
- Do not smoke, chew tobacco, use e-cigarettes, cannabis vapor gas or recreational drugs the day of your surgery. No marijuana products for 24 hours prior to the day of surgery
- Consumption of alcohol is not recommended within 24 hours of surgery
Personal Care:
Wear comfortable and loose clothing. Due to the increased risk of nerve injury (with the potential tourniquet during surgery), please DO NOT wear tight fitting athletic undergarments or long baggy shorts like underwear. Wear loose fitting short- length briefs, boxers, or underwear.
- Shower as normal
- No nail polish or artificial nails
- No Makeup
- No Perfume/Cologne
- No jewelry, piercings
- Leaveall valuables at home
Travel:
It is our protocol that patients do not travel by air for 6 weeks after surgery. You are at a higher risk for developing a blood clot. If you have travel, plans that you CANNOT re-schedule please notify the team immediately.
DME/Equipment:
All DME items (crutches and brace if applicable) will be provided to you at the time of surgery. However, if you already have a brace or crutches, be sure to inform the team during your pre-op call. Please bring these with you at the time of surgery.
Post-Operative icing and ice/cold therapy options: Optional but highly recommended. Ice machines are not covered by insurance, as they do not consider them medically necessary. Please make a decision by your pre-op appointment on what type of ice therapy you will use. You will be asked what route you have chosen for icing after surgery and the answer will be documented for Dr. Dragoo.
- Standard ice packs/ice bags: you will ice underneath your ace bandage on top of the white cast
- Breg Polar Cube Ice Machine (Provided by our DME department)
- Cube: No compression $240 Self Pay Only
- Wave: With Compression $375 Self Pay Only
- Game Ready: With Cyrotherapy and Active Compression: Rental Only $325 for a 2 week period; each additional week is $150
- Amazon: Those that have a prime account may purchase many different types of ice machines online from Below are links of the ONLY ice machines we recommend a patient purchase if they choose an online purchase.
https://a.co/d/04fdqC4o
https://a.co/d/0a8wsFGK
https://a.co/d/0iZqjY40
https://a.co/d/0gpBSzd9
- If you choose to purchase one online or borrow from someone you may know that has one, you must bring the bladder with you on the day of Please leave the cooler/cube at home. Please also ensure the hose detaches from the bladder and that the hose is not significantly long once it does detach.
If you are interested in a game ready ice machine, please contact our rep delivery options. Taylor Padilla: Game Ready Rep
PH: 303-888-8035
Email: Taylor.Padilla0891@Gmail.com
What to Expect Day of Surgery
Location:
Steadman Hawkins Clinic/UCHealth Inverness
Please enter the Inverness Building (175 Inverness Drive West Suite 200, Englewood, CO 80112) through the main doors, please take the elevators to the right to the 4th floor and check in at the desk.
Time Of Surgery
Surgery time is not finalized until 1 day prior to surgery. You will get a call from the surgery center anytime between 12pm and 4pm the day before surgery notifying you of your check in time. If you are unable to answer, a voicemail will be left.
You will arrive 2 hours prior to your scheduled procedure start time.
Post-Operative Information
Physical Therapy:
- You can choose the location of your therapy that you will be doing after surgery. We recommend doing therapy at a site convenient to you. If you are completing PT outside of UCHealth, you will needan order and protocols to bring to your first This will be discussed when you are scheduled for surgery. If you are completing PT at a UCHealth site, we will electronically send orders within the system. Please contact your therapy site of choice to set up appointments. The order is written for 1- 2 sessions weekly for 12 weeks. Some patients require more or less visits than this depending on the surgery and recovery.
- Please know the location you wish to do physical therapy at once you are called to schedule your procedure.
- Physical therapy will begin the day after surgery regardless of the procedure you are having done.
- Once a physical therapy location is decided upon, the orders will be sent and then you will need to call physical therapy to set that up, we are not able to schedule the appointments for you. We recommend calling to schedule physical therapy as soon as possible after you schedule surgery in order to give yourself the best opportunity to schedule due to the high demand for physical therapy.
Ice/Cold Therapy:
Ice/Cold Therapy: If you have an ice machine, this will be placed under your dressings at the time of surgery (please bring the bladder only on your surgery day). If you are using ice packs, please place these over the cotton wrap, but underneath the ace bandage.
Continuously (as close to 24 hours a day as possible) for the first 5 days to control swelling and pain
- Never place ice directly on your skin
- After Day 5: Use ice for 20 minutes 2-3 times a day as needed only
Positioning and Elevation to Reduce Swelling:
- Swelling occurs after any surgery and can be treated with ice and elevation.
- If you had a lower extremity surgery (knee) your extremity should be elevated above the level of your heart (i.e., toes above the nose). Elevate as much as possible for the first 7 days after your Surgery.
Incision Care: Sutures, Dressings, & Showering:
Sutures: If removable sutures have been placed at the time of surgery, these will be removed at your 2 week post-op appointment. Not all procedures have removable sutures. Some have dissolvable sutures, which are not removed. Which ones you have will be discussed at your 1st post-op appointment.
Dressings: The dressing will consist of gauze; clear tegaderm directly over the incision, your leg will be wrapped with cast padding, and an ace bandage. Please do not change your dressings prior to your first post-op appointment. We will remove all dressings at your 2-week post-op appointment. If you notice bleeding or oozing from the dressing, please call the clinic at 303-694-3333
Showering after Surgery: If your surgery required a brace this MUST remain on when you shower. To keep your incision dry, please cover your leg with a cast bag or trash bag (with tape and saran wrap around it) to keep out the water. DO NOT sub merge your wounds in water for at least 4 weeks after your surgery or until your incision appears to be completely closed.
DME/Equipment:
Ted Hose: Stockings that help prevent blood clots and swelling in your legs.
- Wear for the first 2 weeks after surgery
- You can remove these to wash and dry, but please wear them as much as possible
- Be sure to move/rotate both ankles frequently during the This will help promote circulation and drainage of swelling
Brace: If you have been given a brace, wear it 24 hours a day. Specific bracing instructions will be given at your first postop appointment.
Medications for Surgery
Pain: Depending on the procedure, you are having you will receive either Norco or Percocet. This will be determined during your pre-op call
- Norcoor Percocet: 1-2 tablets every 6 hours as needed to control pain
- Tylenol (Acetaminophen): May be taken if you do not want to take prescribed pain medication.You may take up to 4,000mg of Tylenol in a 24-hour Please note both Norco and Percocet contain Tylenol (325mg per dose).
- You should take your pain medication as your physician has prescribed it.
- You can discontinue your narcotic pain medications as you feel the pain is tolerable. Narcoticsare "pain masking" medications, and do not do anything to actually treat the So if your pain is tolerable, we recommend stopping narcotics as soon as possible.
- Do not drink alcohol, use recreation drugs or prescription sedative medications when taking pain medication.
- To avoid the risk of nausea, please make sure that you are taking your medication with You will receive an anti-nausea medication to use as needed if you are experiencing nausea/vomiting.
Inflammatory Medications:
- Celebrex: Take once a day for 2 weeks
- Diclofenac: This will be prescribed ONLY if you are allergic to Sulfa. Celebrex will not be prescribed. This medication is to be started 4 days post op and taken for 30 Instructions will be clear on the prescription.
DO NOT TAKE any other NSAIDs while on Celebrex or Diclofenac (Advil, Aleve, Ibuprofen, Etc)
Nausea/Constipation: Over the counter stool softeners or stimulants may be taken after surgery to help with constipation which is common after surgery and when taking a narcotic.
- Zofran(ondansetron): Take every 8 hours as needed to control nausea Other Medications:
- Apirin 81mg: Take twice daily for 14 days to prevent blood clots
- Lovenox Injecions: If you have prior blood clot history or risk This will be prescribed if you have a history of a clotting or bleeding disorder, history of DVT or pulmonary embolism.
**Notify the team immediately if you have any hypercoagulable conditions or previous history of blood clot/pulmonary embolism or pertinent family history**
Medication Refills
- A minimum of 72 hours is required in order to process your medication refill request, so please anticipate your needs.
- All refill requests must be made during regular office hours: Monday – Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.
- Narcotic prescriptions are for short-term post-operative pain management. Should you require long term or chronic use of pain medication, please consult your PCP or a pain management physician.
Common or Normal Post-Operative Reactions
- Low grade fever (approximately 100.5 degrees) for up to one week.
- Small amount of blood or fluid leaking from the surgical site or dressing
- Bruising along the surgical extremity
- Swelling around the surgical site and surrounding area
When to Call Your Physician
- Signs of infection
- Rednessor pain around your incision (if you cannot see your incision, red streaking up your extremity should be reported).
- Excessive leg swelling and pain
- Intense calf pain
- Thick,dark yellow or foul smelling drainage at the incision site or from your
- Temperature over 101.5 degrees for more than 24 hours.
For questions/triage after hours please call (303) 694-3333 and the on call provider will be paged. Please reserve this line for urgent concerns, appointments and refills will not be addressed.
IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY, I.E., SHORTNESS OF BREATH, CHEST PAIN, OR ANY SYMPTOMS LISTED ABOVE IN SEVERE NATURE, PLEASE CALL 911 OR VISIT YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY ROOM
