Preparing for Surgery
The weeks before, the day of, and the first days at home.
Before your surgery
Dr. Cole completed fellowship training in Surgery of the Hand & Upper Extremity at Washington University, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, and his surgical practice at OrthoSouth is focused on the hand, wrist, and elbow. If you are scheduled for surgery on one of these areas, a few things are easiest to settle ahead of time. Arrange a ride home: hand, wrist, and elbow surgery often means you will not be able to drive yourself for a period afterward, even when the procedure is brief. Ask a family member or friend to be available on the day of surgery and for at least the first day after. If the surgery involves your dominant hand or wrist, think through daily tasks that normally need two hands, such as dressing, cooking, and opening containers, and arrange help or adjust your routine for the first week or two. Plan time off from work or from activities that involve gripping, lifting, or repetitive hand motion.
Your surgical team will confirm which medications to pause before your procedure, including blood thinners and certain supplements, and will tell you when to stop eating or drinking beforehand. Bring a current medication list, your insurance card, and a photo ID. If you wear a ring or other jewelry on the hand being treated, plan to remove it before surgery day: swelling afterward can make rings difficult to take off.
On the day of your procedure, you will check in, confirm your identity and the surgical site, and meet briefly with the surgical team beforehand. Several of the procedures Dr. Cole performs, including endoscopic carpal tunnel release and the TENEX procedure for epicondylitis (a treatment for chronic tendon pain at the elbow, often called tennis elbow), are commonly done on an outpatient basis, meaning you go home the same day. Whether your anesthesia is general, regional (numbing the arm), or local depends on the specific procedure and will be discussed with you in advance. Afterward, you will spend time in a recovery area before being discharged to the person who brought you.
Some swelling, stiffness, and discomfort in the treated hand, wrist, or elbow are expected. Keeping the arm raised above the level of your heart in the first few days commonly helps reduce swelling. A splint or bandage may be in place, and your surgical team will tell you when and how to begin moving the joint again. Many patients notice pain and swelling gradually easing over the first one to two weeks, though recovery after procedures such as fracture care or treatment for thumb CMC (carpometacarpal) joint arthritis, which affects the base of the thumb, can take longer depending on the injury and your activity needs. Your surgical team will give you a plan specific to your procedure.
Contact OrthoSouth right away if you notice any of the following: increasing redness, warmth, or drainage at the incision; a fever; numbness or tingling that is new or getting worse; fingers or a hand that turn pale, blue, or cold; or pain that is not controlled by the medication your surgical team prescribed. These can signal infection, nerve irritation, or a circulation problem, and they are easier to address when caught early.
Dr. Cole is accepting new patients for hand, wrist, and elbow evaluation and surgical care at OrthoSouth in Memphis. If you have questions before your scheduled date, contact our office; your surgical team can also answer questions specific to your procedure.
What do I need to arrange before my surgery date?
Most patients need someone to drive them home and stay with them for the first day.
Surgery on the hand, wrist, or elbow often means you won't be able to use that arm normally for a stretch of days or weeks, so line up help with everyday tasks like dressing, cooking, and driving before your surgery date, not after. Take time off work if your job depends on both hands, and ask whoever is helping you to be free on the day of surgery itself.
What should I bring, and what should I stop taking before surgery?
Your surgical team will confirm the exact list for your procedure.
In general, plan to bring a photo ID, your insurance card, and a current list of your medications. Take rings and jewelry off the hand being treated well before surgery day, since swelling afterward can make them hard to remove. Wear a loose shirt with a sleeve wide enough to fit over a splint or cast. Ask your surgical team which medications, including blood thinners and certain supplements, you should pause and when to stop them.
What happens on the day of surgery?
The day follows a set order: check-in, a pre-operative visit with your care team, the procedure itself, and a period of monitoring before you go home.
You'll change into a gown, go over your medical history, and meet briefly with the anesthesia team, who will explain how they'll keep you comfortable, whether that's a regional nerve block (a numbing injection limited to the arm) or general anesthesia. Many hand, wrist, and elbow procedures, including endoscopic carpal tunnel release (a procedure done through a small incision with a camera) and fracture care for hand and wrist injuries, are done on an outpatient basis, meaning you go home the same day once your care team clears you.
What is normal to feel after surgery?
Some swelling, stiffness, and soreness in the hand, wrist, or elbow are expected in the days that follow.
You'll likely leave in a splint or bandage that protects the area, and you may need to keep your arm raised above your heart for the first day or two to limit swelling. Dr. Cole trained in surgery of the hand and upper extremity at Washington University, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and that training shapes the post-operative instructions you'll receive, which are tailored to the joint and procedure involved. Your care team will give you a written plan for pain management, splint care, and when to start moving the area again.
What symptoms mean I should call, and who do I call?
Call OrthoSouth right away if you notice pain that isn't easing with your prescribed medication, a fever over 101 degrees, spreading redness, drainage with a bad smell, or numbness and tingling that is new or getting worse.
Fingers that turn pale, blue, or unusually cold also call for an immediate call, since the hand and wrist depend on close blood flow and nerve function. Keep the office number from your discharge paperwork where you can find it, and call rather than wait for your next visit if something feels wrong.
How do I reach the office with a question before my procedure?
Call OrthoSouth directly; staff can answer most pre-operative questions over the phone without a separate visit.
If your question is specific to your procedure or recovery plan, they'll connect you with Dr. Cole's team. OrthoSouth is accepting new patients in Memphis for hand, wrist, and elbow evaluation and treatment.
- 01Request a visitCall the office or use the booking link to choose a time.
- 02Bring your recordsImaging, prior reports and a medication list help make the first visit useful.
- 03Examination and discussionAn exam and a plain explanation of what is going on.
- 04Decide togetherThe options are laid out so you can choose the plan that fits.
Ready to talk about your care?
Call the office or request an appointment. Accepting new patients.