Your Joint Journey experience will begin with a consultation with one of our board-certified OSMS orthopedic surgeons.

The OSMS PREP Team works closely with your surgeon and the anesthesiology department to determine if your surgery can be safely performed at Orthopedic Surgery Center of Green Bay or Orthopedic Surgery Center of the Fox Valley or if your surgery should be performed at one of the community hospital locations.

Click here for a list of detailed selection criteria.

Once your surgical location is determined, you will meet with the OSMS PREP Team and one of our total joint coordinators. They will work closely with you to help prepare you and your family for your joint journey. They will equip you with the necessary tools to be successful before and after surgery.

The OSMS PREP Team will set up an appointment at Orthopedic Surgery Center of Green Bay or Orthopedic Surgery Center of the Fox Valley for you to have your preoperative testing. If you are unable to come to either location for testing, the OSMS PREP Team will help set up an appointment to have testing done closer to your home at a facility of your choice.

Testing required prior to surgery is based on your health history. Some common examples are:

• If you take a water pill or a medication containing a water pill we will check your potassium by drawing your blood. Potassium is important to keep your heart in a normal rhythm.
• If you have a cardiac history and have not seen your Primary Care Provider in the past 12 months or take cardiac medications and have had a recent change in your medication dose, we will conduct an EKG. An EKG is used to identify the rate and rhythm that your heart is beating.
• If you have been diagnosed with renal disease, hepatic disease, congestive heart failure or uncontrolled hypertension we will draw a lab called a Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP). The BMP will help determine the general health of your kidneys and liver.
• If you are diabetic and have not had your A1C tested in the last six months, we will check your A1C by drawing your blood. The A1C is a measure of how your blood sugars have been managed over the past three months.

The PREP Nurse will set up any necessary appointments to have your pre-operative testing done. If your testing is done at one of our orthopedic surgery centers, testing fees will be included in your surgical charges. For those patients who are unable to come to our orthopedic surgery center for testing, we can help set up an appointment to have testing done closer to home at a facility of your choice, however you will receive a bill from that facility for these tests.

To see preoperative surgery instructions, click here.

All joint replacement patients and any patients who have multiple comorbidities will need clearance from your primary care provider prior to having surgery at Orthopedic Surgery Center of Green Bay or Orthopedic Surgery Center of the Fox Valley.

Our Total Joint Coordinator will work closely with you and your primary care provider to obtain all the necessary information.

On the day of your surgery, you will arrive one and a half hours prior to your scheduled surgery time. This allows your care team the necessary time to get you ready for surgery.

Before surgery, you will meet the anesthesiologist, they will review your health history and answer your questions.  You will also have time to meet with your surgeon, they will verify and mark your surgery location and also address any questions you may have.

During surgery, your safety is our top priority.

Once your surgery is complete, you will be closely monitored in the recovery area and moved to a private suite until you are ready for discharge.

Once in Extended Stay, your care team will get you up and moving and provide important tips to help make your recovery easier.

Your surgeon will visit you at your bedside and provide additional instructions and answer any questions.

Based on insurance guidelines for ambulatory surgery centers, it is expected that your stay will not exceed 23 hours and 59 minutes from the time of admission to time of discharge.

Physical therapy plays an important role in getting you back to the life you love. At  Orthopedic Surgery Center of Green Bay or Orthopedic Surgery Center of the Fox Valley, we have highly experienced physical therapists on-site to consult, engage, and monitor your journey to recovery. Before discharge, a physical therapist will visit you to review recovery exercises. Your therapist will work closely with your OSMS surgeon following your procedure. Many patients will continue physical therapy following surgery.