Preparing for Surgery

Surgical Clearance

• Prior to your surgery date, you will be scheduled to see a physician in the Northwestern Medicine Preoperative Clinic to undergo presurgical tests and obtain surgical clearance. Additional testing may be required per physician discretion.
• Northwestern Medicine Preoperative Clinic: 259 E Erie St, 17th Floor Lavin Family Pavilion Chicago, IL 60611. Phone: 312.926.4566
• What to Bring to yoYour current medical insurance card
  • Medicare card (if you have Medicare)
  • A photo ID
  • A complete, up-to-date list of all current medications, herbal supplements and over-the-counter medicines (or all your medication bottles) with the following information:
  • Medication dose
  • How often you are taking the medication
  • The reason you are taking the medication

• Preparing for Your Appointment at the Preoperative Clinic
  • You may eat, drink and take your medications according to your normal schedule before a preoperative exam or test unless advised otherwise by your surgeon. Your visit at the Preoperative Clinic will last approximately 60 to 90 minutes depending on which tests or studies you may need.
  • On the day of your visit, you will receive detailed information on:
    • How to prepare for your surgery, including medication and dietary instructions
    • What to expect the day before your surgery
    • What to expect the morning of your surgery
  • To schedule an appointment call 312.926.4566 or call 312.926.4343 if you have questions for the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Preoperative Clinic.
• Specialty physician clearance: Prior to your surgery we will need to obtain clearance from any specialists that you may be seeing such as cardiology, pulmonology, endocrinology, nephrology, oncology, etc. Please be prepared to provide the doctor’s name, phone number and fax number.

Pre-op Medications

You may be required to stop certain medications prior to surgery, so it is important to discuss this during your preoperative evaluation.

• Anti-Inflammatories
  • It is advised to stop all anti-inflammatory medications 7 days before surgery (all surgeries) and avoid reintroducing anti-inflammatories after surgery (cervical and lumbar fusions only). You can re-introduce anti-inflammatories to your regimen 3 months after surgery or earlier if approved by the team. Anti-inflammatory medications can slow down the healing process when taken after surgery.
• Blood Thinners
  • Typically, blood thinners need to be stopped 7 days prior to surgery (including baby aspirin). Please confirm this with the prescribing doctor or give our office a call with any questions.
• Vitamins/Minerals/Supplements
  • It is advised to stop all vitamins, minerals and/or supplements 7 days before surgery
• Other Medications
  • Please discuss medications to stop/hold before surgery at your preoperative visit

Post-op Medications

Post-operative medications will be prescribed after surgery. Please make sure your pharmacy is updated with our office at least 1 week before surgery.

Smoking: The most important thing you can do to ensure the success of your spinal surgery is to quit smoking. You may be required to undergo nicotine testing prior to surgery to ensure cessation. It is advisable to speak with your primary care provider about ways to help you quit smoking. For spine fusion surgery you must stop smoking 6 weeks before surgery.

Prior authorization/pre-approval will be initiated with your insurance company 3 weeks before surgery per NM protocol. This will not be initiated the day your surgery is scheduled. If you have additional questions regarding benefits or approval status you can call the number on the back of your insurance card.

Surgery Time

The hospital or surgical center will call you the day before (or Friday for Monday surgery) to relay the final surgical and arrival times. Please call our office by 3:30PM the day before surgery if you have not yet received a surgery time.

Visitor Policy

The visitor policies are different and fluctuate for each surgical location. Feel free to call NM with the most up to date policies or check the website of your surgical location.

• 1^st and 2^nd post-operative appointments will be scheduled at the time your surgery date is scheduled.
• 1^st post-operative appointments are typically conducted via telemedicine or phone call with the Physician Assistant, Janina Locascio at the 2-3 week post-operative mark.
• 2nd post-operative appointments are typically made in-person with Dr. Colman around the 6-8 week post-operative mark.
• Please note: In some circumstances patients will be required to make an in-person appointment and the office will make you aware post-operatively at Dr. Colman’s discretion.

1. No pre-operative narcotics will be prescribed unless directly approved by Dr. Matthew Colman
2. Pre-operative narcotic dependent patients require a pain management consult prior to surgery
3. Limited narcotic prescriptions for the 1^st 0-12 weeks post-operatively
4. Patients requesting refills must specify the frequency and strength of dosing
5. Prescriptions will be filled on a 1-2 week interval
6. Patients who are requiring narcotics greater than 3 months post-operatively will be referred to pain management for consultation, with the expectation of pain management taking over the pain medication script. We will not provide refills over 3 months out from surgery unless directly approved by Dr. Matthew Colman.
7. It is the patient’s responsibility to contact our office to request a pain management referral in advance if they are approaching the 3-month post-op mark and still requiring narcotic medication.
8. Our practice routinely checks the state prescription drug database to prevent against overlapping prescriptions. If you are found to be receiving any narcotics outside of our prescribed regimen, we will not provide any additional scripts moving forward.