When an issue or an injury occurs with your musculoskeletal system, it can cause debilitating pain that affects your work, play, or sleep. At Carolinas Center for Surgery, we have an experienced team of orthopedic specialists who are dedicated to finding the solution that gets you back to enjoying your life. We know the thought of surgery can be intimidating, so we’ve prepared 3 checklists to help you know if you need to see an orthopedic specialist and how to prepare for surgery.

Do I Need to See an Orthopedic Specialist?

If you’re not sure if it’s time to see an orthopedic specialist, consider the following:

  • Are you suffering from sciatica, low back pain, RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury), hip pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, or frozen shoulder, or have you recently experienced a sports injury?
  • Have previous treatments of medication or physical therapy not produced positive results?
  • Are you still living with the pain, and is it chronic and significant, causing discomfort during regular day-to-day activities?

If you checked off any of these items, it could be time to schedule a consultation with an orthopedic specialist to explore your options.

Our Orthopedic Specialists work together to offer a wide variety of procedure options, such as:

  • Joint reconstruction
  • Hip replacement surgery
  • Knee replacement surgery
  • Rotator cuff surgery
  • Arthroscopy for elbows, shoulders, wrists, knees, hips, and ankles
  • ACL surgery
  • Fracture repair

How to Prepare for Surgery

When you sit down with one of our orthopedic surgeons, we’ll want to know all pertinent information before we can fully assess treatment options.

The information we’ll need includes:

  • Full description of the pain, including when, where, and how the injury occurred.
  • Personal medical history.
  • Family medical history.
  • List of any medication you’re currently taking, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, herbs, and vitamins.
  • If you have any allergies or sensitivities.
  • X-rays, images, operative notes, and lab tests that examine the injury.
  • Any questions or concerns regarding the surgery.

What to Bring to Your Surgery

On the day of your surgery, you’ll come right to one of our surgery centers in Jacksonville, Swansboro, or Morehead City, NC.

When you arrive for your procedure, make sure to bring the following:

  • List of any current prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, herbs, or vitamins.
  • List of any food and drug allergies or sensitivities.
  • Insurance card.
  • Copies of your healthcare proxy, power of attorney, and living will legal documents.
  • Primary contact information if you are having in-patient surgery, or the contact information of your ride home for outpatient procedures.

Schedule Your Consultation

If you’re looking for orthopedic surgery options in Jacksonville or the surrounding areas, contact the Carolinas Center for Surgery at (252) 247-2101 to schedule a consultation.