Please understand that we are unable to diagnose and treat over the phone. If you are experiencing an emergency, please go to the nearest emergency room, preferably Swedish Medical Center. If you need to be seen for a concern that is not an urgent matter, please call our office during business hours to schedule an appointment. We can get you scheduled to see a doctor or APP within 24-72 hours.

Please note, Colorado law allows us to prescribe narcotic pain medications for one week at a time for acute injuries. During the course of your treatment opioid medications may play a role in your recovery, but will be tapered as quickly as possible starting at 2 weeks post op to reduce side effects, lessen dependence, and promote overall health. If pain becomes a chronic problem, alternative strategies or a referral to a pain management specialist will be employed. We limit narcotic prescriptions to 4 weeks post op. If you are having severe, intolerable pain that is unable to be controlled with OTC and narcotic pain regimen after surgery, please go to the nearest emergency room, preferably Swedish Medical Center.

If you should run out of pain medication, you may call our main office during business hours to request consideration for a refill by one of our Advanced Practice Providers (APPs). It is our office policy that we do not refill prescriptions after normal business hours or on weekends. Please allow 3 business days for refill requests.

Upon discharge/check out, your prescriptions are electronically sent to the pharmacy of your choice. There are no more written prescriptions or paper copies provided per Federal DEA regulations. Unless you have any medical reason not to take Tylenol (acetaminophen) or NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen), we recommend you take these over-the-counter (OTC) medications as first-line pain control medications, reserving the narcotics for breakthrough pain only. Generally, patients may take up to 1000mg Tylenol every 8 hours, and 800mg ibuprofen every 8 hours on alternating schedules – for example: 1000mg Tylenol at 6:00AM, then 800mg ibuprofen at 10:00AM, Tylenol at 2:00PM and ibuprofen again at 6:00PM, so on. Narcotics are to be taken as needed for worsening pain every 4-6 hours in addition to OTC medication. Some narcotic medications include Tylenol (acetaminophen). Do not take additional Tylenol while taking prescribed pain medication. Please confirm with your primary care physician if there are questions as to whether or not you can take these medications as they can affect the liver and kidneys.

If your post-op appointment has not been scheduled upon discharge from the hospital, you will be given paperwork with your surgeon’s name and time frame to schedule your follow up appointment (10-14 days unless otherwise specified). Please call our main office number during regular business hours at 303-209-2503, to schedule your post-op appointment.

Upon discharge from the hospital, you will be given instructions on if and when you may change your surgical bandages. In most cases, original post op dressings/splints should be kept in place as long as possible, preferably until your follow up office visit. If your dressing was changed in the hospital, or falls off, please cover wound with 4x4 gauze and paper or adhesive tape. These can be purchased at Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, etc.

Unless otherwise advised by your Physician or APP, you can shower after surgery. Cover splints and casts with a water-tight covering. Dressings still in place should be covered with waterproof material. After your sutures/staples are removed, do not submerge wounds or incisions (no bathtubs, hot tubs, pools) and do not apply ointments, creams, salves or lotions to your incision until completely healed. This could be at least 4 weeks or longer after surgery.

Some bleeding on your dressing or splint can be normal. Reinforce dressings with gauze and ace bandages as needed. If bleeding persists or if your incision opens up, becomes red, or develops new drainage - please go to the Emergency Room at Swedish and call our office during regular business hours to schedule an appointment.

If you have just recently been injured or had surgery, most often we will not recommend formal physical therapy at this time for at least the first 2 weeks. Your physician will determine if outpatient physical therapy is indicated at your follow up visit. You should, however, continue any home therapy regimen instructed by your physical therapist in the hospital if you were admitted.

Your sutures or staples will be taken out at your follow up visit around 2 weeks after surgery. If you are in the rehab unit at Swedish Medical Center during this time, one of our APPs will see you in the unit and arrange to have your sutures removed.

If you have paperwork you need completed, please contact the office about it as soon as possible. Once we receive the paperwork, there is a 10-14-day turnaround time for completion. This includes letters, FMLA, and disability paperwork.

If indicated by your injury we will provide you with a physician-signed 90-day temporary handicap parking authorization. Ask for a parking permit form at the clinic or from your nurse before being discharged from the hospital. You will need to take the completed form to the Department of Motor Vehicles for a temporary parking permit.