OUTPATIENT SURGERY

Our outpatient surgery center, The Hand & Wrist Surgery Center of Washington, is a state-of-the-art, Medicare Certified surgery center featuring the very latest in equipment, technology, and innovative surgical procedures of the hand, wrist, elbow & shoulder. The surgery center is staffed by an expert team of specialists whose experience with surgeries of the hand and upper extremity ensure that you will receive the finest surgical care available. Our team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and operative technicians are equally committed to providing the highest standards of care, focusing on patient comfort, respect, convenience and customer service.

Our surgery center is located at our Seattle office with on-site parking available immediately outside the main entrance to the surgery center. We perform surgeries Monday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., with later hours available for urgent procedures.

ANESTHESIA

Under the care of our highly experienced anesthesia team, our patients may elect to be fully asleep, completely unaware, or awake throughout the surgery except for about five minutes, depending upon the nature of the procedure.

The surgeon will typically administer a local anesthetic at the site of the surgery so that you will not experience pain after the procedure. The pain blocking benefits of this anesthetic usually last for 4 - 8 hours post-surgery, but can last several days.

PRE-SURGICAL INSTRUCTIONS

It is very important that you carefully read the following Pre-Surgical Instructions sheet and comply with every requirement. If you fail to follow any of these instructions, your surgery may need to be rescheduled to avoid complications during surgery.

The Week Prior To Surgery:

Stop taking Aspirin or any medication containing ibuprofen 5-7 days before surgery. Also stop all other blood thinning medications as discussed with your surgeon, such as Coumadin and Prednisone and notify the doctor who prescribed it. TYLENOL IS OK TO TAKE.
If you normally take a blood thinning medication, the clinic staff will arrange for you to have a special blood test 1-3 days before your surgery to check on your clotting time.

The Day Before Surgery:

Nothing to Eat or Drink after Midnight the night before surgery. This includes chewing gum and hard candy. We will instruct you on which medications you may take the morning of surgery, along with a sip of water.
We will call prior to your surgery to verify your check-in time. Please make sure we have a phone number where we can reach you or leave a message on this day. If you have not been notified, please call Surgery Center at 206 957 8111.
Notify your surgeon immediately if you develop a cold, infection, or illness prior to your surgery.
Take a bath or shower and scrub your hands and finger nails as well as possible.
Make sure you have arranged a ride home (or transportation home). You will not be able to drive yourself home. Arrange to have a responsible person available to you after surgery to help you with your care.
Do not smoke after midnight. Smoking can irritate your lungs.
Please remove artificial nails on the affected side only. These can harbor bacteria and be a source of infection for you. Make sure nails are clean and trimmed short.

The Day of Surgery:

Check in at the main reception area of the clinic.
Please leave all your jewelry and valuables at home.
If you wear contact lenses or glasses, please bring a case for them. You will be asked to remove them before surgery.
Your postoperative discharge instructions will be reviewed with you by a nurse prior to your discharge.
Recovery times vary after your procedure but generally you will be able to leave the Center in less than an hour after your procedure is completed.

Edwin D. Vyhmeister MD, C. Hendrik Kirchhoff MD and Harold J. Kirkpatrick MD - Providing services in hand and wrist injury surgery, tennis elbow and shoulder therapy and tendinitis treatment to the areas of Everett and Seattle, Washington.