FAQ's

Patients are asked to arrive approximately 15 - 30 minutes before their scheduled appointment time. This allows enough time for the registration process to be completed before the actual appointment.

A grace period of 15 minutes will be permitted due to unforeseen delays a patient may encounter while traveling to the clinic location for their appointment. If a patient arrives more than 15 minutes late for their appointment, the patient will be given the option of either being seen that day as a walk-in, or rescheduled for a later date with their original provider. This process will ensure patients that do arrive on time are seen in a timely manner.

Patients must present a photo ID and health insurance card at the time of service. It is also beneficial to have some form of payment prepared for insurance purposes. Your visit may require a copay once your appointment is completed.

Visit this link: https://medicopy.net/roi then follow the prompts to request your medical records. All medical record requests are handled through MediCopy - a Health Information Management Service Provider that partners with healthcare facilities to release copies of medical records and complete Disability and FMLA forms.

Any patient of OrthoCincy, or their legal guardian.

You can call our Medical Records Department at to follow up on your request.

Yes. After you’ve requested your records, you can call our Medical Records Department at to let them know you would like to pick them up at our Business Office, second floor (South Loop Road).

Please allow up to 10 business days to complete requests.

For Medical Records:

For FMLA/Disability:

Please note there is a $30 fee per form that requires completion by our office. For each subsequent form, there is a $15 fee.

If you have further questions regarding MediCopy, you can visit this link:
https://medicopy.net/landing/frequently-asked-questions

You can request medications from your provider directly through your MyChart account. Please allow up to 48 hours for refill requests to be completed. Another way to request refills is by calling our office at where you can leave a message for the provider and their team in regard to your request. Please have the medication name, dosage, directions, and pharmacy information handy when leaving a message for your provider.

The surgery scheduler for your physician will discuss with you when and where your surgical procedure will be performed.

A patient advocate from our office may be in contact with you as well to verify that our services are “in-network” with your health insurance company and coordinate any necessary financial issues.

All patients are required to have medical clearance in the form of a preoperative history and physical that must be completed by their primary care physician within 30 days of the planned procedure. Also, depending upon age and other medical conditions, some patients will also be required to complete lab work or further diagnostic testing – this will be discussed with each individual patient upon scheduling.

Our physicians perform surgeries at a variety of hospitals and surgical centers around the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. Patients will be scheduled based on their specific patient needs, insurance, and equipment requirements.

Once you’ve scheduled your surgery, the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) department will be notified of your pending procedure if you require a DME product for your postoperative recovery. The surgery you have will determine the need for any special equipment. If possible, they will meet with you the same day you scheduled surgery to fit you with the appropriate piece of equipment. Once we know you have the correct item(s) and that they fit you correctly, we ask that you take your items with you and bring them to the hospital or surgery center on the day of your procedure. If we are unable to meet with you the day you schedule your surgery, we will call you to make certain that you have all the equipment you need prior to surgery.

It depends on the type of medication you are taking. Most medications, especially those prescribed by a doctor and taken on a regular basis, should be continued until the night before surgery with sips of water. However, there are many blood thinners that need to be stopped prior to surgery. If you are taking any type of prescribed medication, you should contact the prescribing physician to coordinate the proper management of this medication prior to your scheduled surgery. Prescription weight reduction medications should be stopped 2 weeks prior to your scheduled surgery.

Almost all surgeries are done as an outpatient procedure, which means you will go home later that day after your surgery. However, if there is a medical indication or you are scheduled for a more intense surgery, you may need to be admitted overnight, but this is rare.

We recommend that you dress in comfortable and loose fitting clothing. The surgical dressing you have can be bulky, so please prepare for this by wearing clothes that can easily be placed over this. If you are having surgery on the upper extremity (arm or shoulder), please wear a shirt or jacket that buttons or zips up the front rather than one that requires you to pull it over your head. If you are having a procedure on the lower extremity (leg), please wear shorts or loose fitting pants, such as sweats.

Majority of the time the answer is NO. You cannot eat or drink anything after midnight the day before your scheduled surgery. This includes gum, mints and tobacco products as well. If you must take some of your regular medications that day, then you may do so with just a small sip of water.

You must make arrangements to have a family member or friend over the age of 18 bring you to the hospital/surgery center and remain with you until you are discharged to go home. Your surgery may be canceled if no one is with you.

When you are discharged from the facility after surgery, you will be given prescriptions for a narcotic pain medication and one to help with postoperative nausea. It is always best to take pain medicines with food because taking them on an empty stomach can make you nauseous. Elevation of the extremity and placing ice on the surgical site will also aid in relieving post-surgical pain. Many people experience itching when taking pain medication. This is not a true allergy, but a common side effect of all narcotic pain medications. If you experience itching, you may take Benadryl, Claritin or any other antihistamine. Please take all prescriptions as directed, as there will be NO early refills.

This specific topic will be discussed with you when scheduling surgery. It will depend on the type of surgery, and the type of bandage(s) being utilized. Typically, the incision will remain covered for 24-48 hours and should remain clean and dry. Daily dressing changes may be required leading up to your initial post operative appointment where you will meet with your physician. You are able to shower, but you need to ensure the dressing/bandage is protected or covered to keep it from getting wet. Do NOT take a bath or submerge your surgical site in water until it is completely healed. Further incision care will be discussed at your post operative appointment.

If your surgical site has staples or stitches, these will need to be removed in the office at your initial post operative appointment. Do not remove them yourself – doing so may cause the incision to open up which might lead to bleeding or infection.

When you have stitches or staples removed, your doctor may order small adhesive strips (called Steri-Strips® to be placed over the incision. These will continue to support your skin as it heals. These strips should stay in place for about a week, and they gradually will fall off. You can shower with the Steri-Strips® in place; however, do not take a bath or submerge your surgical site in water until it is completely healed. This may take up to 4 weeks.

This will differ for each individual patient and is dependent on the type of surgery/recovery. In general, you may drive once you feel safe to operate a motor vehicle AND you are not taking any narcotic pain medications. This can be discussed in detail prior to and after your surgery.

This will differ for each individual patient and is dependent on the type of surgery/procedure, as well as the type of work you do. With some minor procedures, returning to work within a day or two is possible. If you have an intense or heavy labor job, the return to work process may take more time. In certain circumstances, we are ok with you returning to work if your employer is able to accommodate physical restrictions and it is safe. Many employers require documentation regarding this issue, so please remember to ask our medical staff for these notes at your scheduled appointment.

If it is a true emergency, please call 911 immediately or present to the nearest emergency room. Our orthopaedic urgent care is also available when needed (see hours below).

Orthopaedic Urgent Care Hours:

Edgewood & Eastgate Locations: Monday-Friday, 9 am - 9 pm; Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm

Florence & Highland Heights (NKU) Locations: Monday-Friday, 9 am - 5 pm

Our office can be reached at or . There is a physician on-call at all times, so even after hours you will be able to contact one of the providers. Your call will be answered by a service that will convey your message to the doctor on-call.

Some patients who have orthopaedic surgery need Physical or Hand Therapy to help their bodies recover after problems are surgically repaired. You will receive a prescription for this therapy if your doctor finds it is necessary for your recovery. Our physical therapists also have your surgeon’s latest protocols and progression specific to your surgery. It will depend on the type of surgery/procedure that was performed if you’ll need therapy or not. Frequency and duration will be discussed between you, your physician, and your physical therapist.