What if I live out of the area and come to Santa Barbara for treatment?
We have many patients who travel to Santa Barbara for treatment. In the event you would like to stay overnight, we will refer you to several hotels in Santa Barbara. From the time you arrive, most evaluations last about an hour and a half.
What records should I bring with me?
We ask that all patients bring any prior MRI, X-ray and/or consultation reports with you to your first visit. Radiology facilities can provide you with a CD of all your films. Most doctors can fax reports to us prior to your arrival.
How long will I need to stay in Santa Barbara following surgery?
Once a patient has been scheduled and cleared by their primary physician for surgery, they will be seen in our office the day before the scheduled procedure. It may be necessary to be seen post-operatively the day after surgery.
Some patients are more comfortable staying in town the night prior to and the night of surgery and then travel home the day after their first postoperative visit. Others prefer to go home following the procedure and return the next day. Thereafter, postoperative visits are scheduled on a weekly or bimonthly basis throughout the postoperative period.
What if I decide to have surgery and extend my stay rather than fly home and back again?
Following surgery, we can provide a note detailing why you have had to change your reservation due to medical necessity. We suggest that you inquire about airline cancellation policies prior to scheduling your flight.
How long can I expect to be in surgery?
There is no need for an overnight admission to the hospital for arthroscopic surgery. At the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Out Patient Surgery Center, most surgeries are scheduled the first thing in the morning with discharge by noon. If you are scheduled for surgery just before lunch, you will be released late in the afternoon. An average of four hours is needed from your scheduled arrival time until the time you are released to go home or to your hotel.
How long will I have to wait before returning to normal activities?
You are encouraged to move your arm or leg as soon as you leave the Out Patient Surgery Center. For most arthroscopic surgeries, bandages and sutures are removed within five days. As knee, ankle and foot surgery all require weight-bearing activities, you might benefit from a pair of crutches, a light walker or a cane during the first week. This is more to stabilize your lower extremity rather than to prevent pain from weight bearing activities.
To prevent swelling, lower extremity surgeries do require that your leg be elevated for three to five days following surgery. You will be able to walk for short distances. Showering is prohibited, as bandages and endoscopy sites must remain dry for ten days following surgery. As lower extremities will swell following repetitive stair climbing, extended periods of walking and/or strenuous activities, your activities might require modification for a few months following surgery. Patients can resume normal lifestyle and activities, as tolerated, within the first few weeks, especially with an upper extremity arthroscopy.
How often will I need to come back for treatment?
Treatment visits vary from patient to patient and from procedure to procedure. Some surgical patients might have a series of injections for diagnostic purposes before and after surgery. Those with chronic pain might be seen a few days in a row, or come back on a weekly or bimonthly basis. Others might have a single series of injections and come for a single follow-up visit and thereafter be released from treatment. Prolonged inflammation and pain might require injections at our office. Observance of a program of home isometric and stretching exercises performed by the patient several times a day likely will be recommended.
I have been told that I have a condition called “Frozen Shoulder” and was told Dr. Fareed has a unique procedure that he uses for treatment of this problem.
His “Hydroplasty” procedure utilizes local anesthesia in conjunction with saline injections for volumetric expansion of the joint capsule. These injections separate the surfaces within the shoulder joint capsule and between the muscle layers of the rotator cuff. Once the shoulder is fully expanded, he uses gentle manipulation of the shoulder joint to free these adhesive surfaces. Typically this restores full range of shoulder motion and normal anatomic function.
Dr. Fareed can treat frozen shoulder with the “Hydroplasty” procedure in our office under local anesthesia or it can be performed at the Out Patient Surgery Center under general anesthesia in conjunction with arthroscopic surgery.
Will I need to be seen again after this procedure?
This varies from patient to patient. When a shoulder is progressively frozen, the tissue within the shoulder is very inflamed. Dr. Fareed might need to see you following the procedure to assess your progress and to ensure that your shoulder remains fully mobile.
What other types of treatment for pain does your office offer?
Dr. Fareed might use an injection as a diagnostic tool. This injection will contain a number of different medications including lidocaine, an anesthetic and B12 for nerve health. He may add a small amount of water soluble, low dose anti-inflammatory medication. These injections will localize and treat the source of the pain. He might use multiple “trigger point” injections over muscle regions of reactivity. These bead-like bands of muscle fiber can become highly excitable and can cause unrelenting muscle spasm and radiating nerve-like pain, often mimicking degenerative spinal disc disease. Once injected, the cycle of spasm is interrupted and the once painful area is able to relax. The ischemic muscle pain, which is due to decreased circulation and oxygen deprivation, typically is reduced or eliminated.
