Specialty Surgical Center

When preparing for your surgery, your pre-operative nurse at Specialty Surgical Center may instruct you not to eat anything anywhere from 4-8 hours before your surgery. If your surgery does not target the digestive tract, you may be wondering why this is necessary.

Ultimately, eating or drinking before surgery puts you at risk for certain complications while under anesthesia.

There are muscles that prevent food from going into your lungs. You may have felt that “food going down the wrong tube” sensation before, especially if you’ve inhaled while swallowing. The muscles in your stomach and gag reflex are normally relaxed during surgery, so if you vomit your stomach contents while under anesthesia, food could get caught in your lungs. This is called pulmonary aspiration.

Pulmonary aspiration, or just aspiration, is when your stomach contents (food, saliva, acids) get into your lower airways. This is a serious condition that may lead to pneumonia or even death.

If you accidentally forget this pre-surgery guideline and have food during the restricted time frame, call Specialty Surgical Center right away. They may need to reschedule your surgery for a future date.

Depending on the type of surgery you are having, you may not be able to have beverages other than water, as you are fasting. Water may be permitted up until 2 hours before your procedure.

A common question that our specialists get asked is if it is ok to take medications while fasting. Prescribed medications for conditions such as seizures, asthma, or diabetes can still be taken with small amounts of water if your doctor allows.

However, you may be advised not to take over-the-counter aspirins or ibuprofens the week before surgery.  These medications affect the way your blood clots, and if you take them before surgery, you could experience excessive bleeding during your surgery.

Ask your doctor if you are unsure if your medication is safe to have before surgery, and if not, how long you can take it up until your surgery.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

Rhinoplasty is typically associated with getting a “nose job” by a plastic surgeon despite its many health benefits. The surgery is often used to resize and reshape the nose, but the surgeons at Specialty Surgical Center may use rhinoplasty to treat diseases of the ear, nose and throat, a specialty called otolaryngology. Due to the cosmetic nature of the surgery, you may want to ask your insurance provider if they offer coverage if rhinoplasty is needed for medical reasons instead of cosmetic purposes.

A surgeon may use this nose surgery in conjunction with septoplasty to treat a deviated septum, where the cartilage and bone separating your nostrils gets crooked and makes it hard to breathe. Patients who have nasal polyps may need rhinoplasty too. Nasal polyps, which are typically due to repeated inflammation from allergies or infections, could be painless. However, if they become larger, you could have a difficult time breathing. Surgery is usually only used after medication treatments fail. Children with birth defects like cleft palates may need rhinoplasty to help them eat.

Aside from nasal abnormalities and diseases, rhinoplasty is commonly used to treat injuries from sports like fractures if the nose needs to be reconstructed.

There are a number of conditions that require rhinoplasty, but they can also be performed at the same time as other surgeries. For example, a patient having sinus problems could also request rhinoplasty to reshape their nose at the same time.

Before the procedure, the patient is given general or local anesthesia. How the surgeon enters the nose depends on the surgeon. Some may go through the nostril and some may make an incision at the base of the nose.

Surgeries performed at Specialty Surgical Center are outpatient surgeries, so when you have rhinoplasty, it will be on the same day and you will be able to leave a few hours after the procedure. Recovery time depends on the procedure, but you may need to wear a splint to keep everything in place as you recover. Be gentle with your face when smiling, brushing your teeth or putting makeup on.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

The decision to circumcise a baby boy is typically made sometime before, or shortly after the child is born. A grown man may shudder at the thought of getting circumcised as an adult, but those feelings could change based on his social experiences or religious background. Nevertheless, the surgeons at Specialty Surgical Center explain what this procedure entails and why some men may decide to undergo it later in life.

A circumcision is a minimally invasive procedure that removes the foreskin surrounding the penis. A man may decide to undergo this procedure for several reasons. Some men find it easier to clean this area without foreskin getting in the way, making the practice more hygienic. Some cultures perform circumcisions for religious reasons, whereas other may not require or condone the removal of the foreskin. A man who has converted to another religion, no longer practices, or has assimilated into American culture may wish to have a circumcision.

Finally, certain infections and diseases may require a man to have a circumcision as a form of treatment. According to the CDC, the amount of circumcised babies in the United States has decreased since its peak in the 80’s, but more than half of all men living in the U.S. are circumcised today.

The procedure:

Before the scheduled circumcision, patients may be asked not to consume foods or beverages a few hours before. Patients should arrive at Specialty Surgical Center with the area cleaned. After the surgeon has provided the patient with information on how the procedure will be performed, the patient will be sanitized and given a general anesthetic; meaning, the patient will be asleep for the surgery. Some surgeons may perform the surgery with a local anesthesia, so the patient is awake during the procedure, but does not feel any pain.

During the procedure, the surgeon will retract the foreskin and trim it off with a special device or scalpel. Small sutures will be applied to close the incision. The procedure should not take longer than an hour.

The surgeon may use a bandage to cover the stitches. The patient should be careful when bathing and drying off so there is no damage to the stitches. Pain medication may be prescribed and should be taken following the surgeon’s specific instructions. Ice packs may also be recommended to minimize pain and discomfort. Intercourse should be avoided for at least four weeks after the procedure. Talk to your doctor about undergoing an adult circumcision.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

After a surgeon at Specialty Surgical Center performs a minimally invasive spine surgery procedure, they may recommend using physical therapy as a form of rehabilitation, especially if you want a faster recovery time. Physical therapy sessions typically start a few weeks after your surgery, but it all depends on how quickly your body has healed.

Surgeons may recommend physical therapy for a number of reasons. For starters, during all of the time you spent being inactive due to the injury and all of the time you needed to heal after surgery, your back muscles were probably very inactive. Physical therapy would help to strengthen the back muscles again. Another reason is because your flexibility goes away if you don’t move your back for a while. If you could not move before due to the pain of the injury, you may not be able to move after surgery because your back muscles lost their flexibility. Finally, your surgeon could recommend physical therapy because it promotes healing. In order for your injury to heal properly after your procedure, you may need to exercise so that you get a good blood flow to that area.

Your physical therapy session

The first time you come, your physical therapist may ask about the minimally invasive spine surgery at Southwest Spine and Pain as well as test you for flexibility, posture and other things they need to know. After the evaluation, he or she will come up with a plan to reduce your pain after surgery as much as possible.

At first, you may start out slow with some stretching and low intensity exercises. The exercises are meant to strengthen your back and other core muscles. Your physical therapist can teach you the proper way to do the exercises so you can do them at home too. The more you work on it, the faster your healing process could go.

Ultimately, the goal is to have you pain-free, so along with exercises, your physical therapist may do some massages. Additionally, heat therapy or electrical simulation could be performed if pain persists.Talk to your our team if they think physical therapy would help you after your back surgery.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

Having outpatient surgery means that you will be in and out of Specialty Surgical Center the same day as your surgery. It has fewer risks than more serious procedures such as open-heart surgery, but there are still complications that could happen, and our surgeons understand that it’s scary to our patients! Whether it is surgery for carpel tunnel syndrome, orthopedic surgery, or anything in between, everyone gets nervous to go under the knife.

The first step is to recognize why you are nervous. Is it because you’re afraid something will go wrong or how you’ll feel after anesthesia? Are you worried about feeling pain after or the length of the recovery process? All of these questions can help you target where your fear is so you can tackle your nerves before your procedure.

If the idea of surgery is overwhelming, it may help you to plan ahead. You could schedule all of your appointments ahead of time so you know exactly what day you need to be at physical therapy or your follow up appointment. If you’ll need a friend to drive you home or someone to just visit you at home, start calling your friends so they don’t have to come at the last minute. Plus, scheduling time to see loved ones always helps with nerves.

The next plan would be to get as much information as you can. Read about your procedure and see what risks are involved. Your surgeon knows your medical history and information about your lifestyle (like if you’re a smoker), so he or she will be able to see if the risk applies to you or not. A Specialty Surgical Center nurse will call you prior to your surgery and will be able to answer all of your questions at that time as well. Our team is very attentive to patient’s needs and concerns, so never feel bad for asking a lot of questions!

Now, all of your appointments are scheduled out and you are an Internet expert on your procedure, but you’re still nervous. What can you do? Studies have shown that listening to music before surgery can help tame hospital anxiety. Additionally, you can try to take your mind off of it. Keep busy with a craft or with something that needs a lot of attention. This can occupy your mind so you focus less on surgery.

Overall, the best thing you can do is to trust that your body will heal in the best way that it needs to. Understand that the Specialty Surgical Center surgeons are experts in their fields and routinely do the procedure you need. Trust is a very important part of the surgeon to patient relationship you need to feel secure and conquer your anxiety.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

A bunion is a prominent bump on the side of the big toe that usually develops from wearing ill-fitted shoes frequently, or from prolonged pressure being applied to the joint at the base of the foot. Depending on the shape or size of feet, some individuals may be more likely to develop bunions than others. Although there are home remedies that could work at mitigating large and small bunions (bunionettes), surgery is typically the best option.

Bunion surgery may be necessary for those who experience intense, debilitating foot pain that interferes or limits everyday activities. At Specialty Surgical Center, our specialists can remove your bunion by fusing the big toe joint, reshaping or removing the metatarsal head (bump on toe joint), or by surgically cutting and realigning the big toe joint. Other methods may be required depending on the patient’s specific case.

If left untreated, a bunion can cause arthritis, especially if the joint in the big toe has sustained extensive, long-term damage. Bunions may cause the cartilage in the joint to deteriorate. While bunions can be remedied through surgery, arthritis and the possibility of chronic pain are not curable. However, there are interventional treatment options that could help with discomfort.

Crossover toe is another problem people may encounter if they do not seek the surgery they need. When you have crossover toe, the second toe sits on top of your big toe. While it is usually caused by an irregular foot structure, having an untreated bunion puts you at greater risk of developing crossover toe.

These are just a few of the complications that could occur if patients do not receive the surgery or treatment they need. On top of increased risks of this condition, quality of life could also go down. Bunions have a reputation for getting worse over time, which could lead to various inconveniences like having the toes rub against each other causing pain while walking, or the inability to wear shoes that fit.

Inflammation from a bunion puts you at risk of developing other conditions and pain. If you’d like to have your bunion evaluated and surgically removed, please do not hesitate to contact one of our orthopedic surgeons who specialize in foot and ankle surgeries.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

When patients feel a lump, the diagnosis may be a tumor, but not necessarily mean cancer. A benign tumor is usually left alone unless it keeps growing or causes pain, but a malignant tumor is cancerous and damages the surrounding prostate tissue. A physician will usually determine the severity of the tumor before deciding on a treatment option before the tumor becomes metastatic and spreads to the rest of the body. An oncologist is a physician who studies and treats tumors, and one such way to treat them is with radiation oncology, a specialty and Specialty Surgical Center.

Radiation therapy helps prostate cancer patients by using specific doses of radiation in an attempt to eliminate cancer cells that form tumors. Cancer cells do not stop growing and dividing like normal cells. This causes a buildup of a lump of cells (a tumor). Radiation therapy works by using an X-ray machine to get into the cancer cells and disrupt their DNA so they die off and stop multiplying.

Many of our prostate cancer patients prefer radiation therapy because it targets only the areas around the prostate, whereas chemotherapy treatments affect the entire body. Radiation therapy is an outpatient procedure, but it is up to the oncologist to determine how long you need to come back and repeat the treatment for.

Patients may not feel any pain during the procedure, but may be left with side effects that may last a few weeks. Appearance wise, the patient may lose pubic hair and have red and irritated skin around the genitalia. The bladder may become inflamed causing frequent urination that may be accompanied with a burning feeling.

There are a few less-common side effects that may happen even years after radiation therapy treatment. They could include anything from problems getting and keeping an erection to increased bowel movements. The radiation therapy may shrink tubes in the penis making it difficult to urinate as well. All side effects will be reviewed with the patient and our staff will work with the patient to make sure they know that the patient and physician are working as a team. Together they will do their best to eliminate the prostate cancer for good.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

When children come in for surgery at Specialty Surgical Center, it is normal for both children and the parents to be nervous. We know that parents are the usually the best comforting mechanism, so we allow parents to be with their child in the recovery room as soon as it is medically safe. Our wonderful team of Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certified doctors and nurses will take great care of your child. To further ease the minds of our parent patients, we made a child care guide so parents feel knowledgeable and prepared before they bring their child to Specialty Surgical Center.

In order to ease everyone’s nerves, you may schedule a tour of our facilities. Sometimes seeing that it isn’t scary helps children sleep better the night before and helps them feel more comfortable. Having a fun night before the surgery also helps to ease nerves because the child is distracted from thoughts about surgery.

Before the surgery, we ask that you do not give your child food or drinks. A nurse will call you before your appointment and let you know just how many hours before the procedure the child should stop eating, because it depends on the type of surgery. Even if the child is uncomfortable, it is vital that you do not give in and give your child food or drink. Under anesthetic, your child’s swallowing muscles become relaxed and they could aspirate (See: Why You Need to Fast Before Surgery). You should bring:

• Medical insurance cards
• A list of medications the child is on and their dosages
• Current immunization records
• Items to make your child more comfortable

Sometimes, we allow the patients to be in the operating room with the patient. However, those are special cases and it is up to the surgeon and anesthesiologist to decide if they will allow you there. Otherwise, we encourage parents to stay in the waiting room because that is the first place our receptionist or doctors will look for you to give updates.

After the surgery, your child will be moved to the PACU, also known as the recovery room. At first, only one parent will be allowed to enter the PACU, but once the child is moved into Stage II Recovery, both parents may stay with the child. Please be prepared and know that your child may still be hooked up to an IV, be wearing an oxygen mask and be connected to a monitor. Siblings or other children will not be allowed in the PACU, so please make other accommodations. Once they get home, our doctors recommend plenty of rest! Your child may be hungry since they couldn’t eat the night before, but be sure to give light meals because anesthesia may cause queasiness.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

Even though the chances of developing an infection after your procedure at Specialty Surgical Center are very low, surgery naturally makes the body more susceptible to developing an infection. First, the body is under stress, and the stress is only amplified when the patient is nervous about the procedure and loses sleep. This makes the immune system do a worse job at protecting the body from infection. But most dangerous of all, the warm, moist incision wound can be a breeding ground for bacteria that now has direct access into the body. Still, to reiterate, according to the Centers for Disease Control, patients only have a 1-3% chance of developing a surgical site infection.

There are still steps that should be taken to avoid a surgical site infection. Most importantly, patients should follow the post-op instructions on the Specialty Surgical Center website. Vital tips to follow include:

• Wash your hands every time you need to touch the surgical area
• Do not soak in a bathtub
• Follow the regular bathing instructions as directed by the surgeon
• Call the nearest hospital if an emergency occurs to avoid infection

The Specialty Surgical team will follow precautions like giving you antibiotics and possibly shaving the surgical area with electric clippers before the surgery to avoid surgical site infections, but in order to do your part, you must also follow your surgeon’s instructions about handling your wound or changing the bandages.

During the healing process, patients should look for signs of infection. Sudden redness, fever, and the presence of white pus or drainage are all indicators of infection. Call your primary care physician or Specialty Surgical Center if you have these symptoms, because antibiotics may need to be prescribed.

Finally, a good way to avoid a surgery site infection is to keep bacteria away from the wound. This means that you should not shave with a razor around the incision site. Razors irritate the skin and increase the risk of infection. Sponges are also bacteria breeding grounds so if you are instructed to take a sponge bath, make sure that your sponge is clean.

The risk of infection after surgery is very low! As long as our patients follow post-operative care instructions from their surgeon, the recovery stage should be smooth sailing. If you are at all concerned about infection after your surgery or forgot what the surgeon told you, please do not hesitate to call our reception desk.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

At Specialty Surgical Center, we have three gynecological partners on our team who are experts at OB/GYN care. In order to diagnose or treat a current condition, they may do what is known as a pelvic ultrasound. For women, it is used to take images of the bladder, ovaries, uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes. For men, a pelvic ultrasound looks at the bladder, prostate gland, and seminal vesicles.

When to have a pelvic ultrasound

Pelvic ultrasounds are great at detecting urinary problems. It can see if the bladder is fully emptying by looking at how it changes in size before and after urination. Another reason a patient might come to Specialty Surgical Center is if they have blood in their urine and need to find out why. Finally, a pelvic ultrasound is a meaningful tool that can detect certain cancers and growths.

How it’s done

When patients first come in, they may be asked to wear a surgical gown. Transrectal ultrasounds evaluate a man’s prostate. First, the surgeon will lubricate the imaging tool called a transducer. As the surgeon does this, the patient will roll onto his side and tuck in his knees. The lubricated transducer is then placed into the rectum. A transvaginal ultrasound is similar to a gynecology exam. Your feet may be put up in stirrups and the device is similar to that used during a pap smear. Fortunately, the transducer is smaller and only goes a few inches into the vagina. Finally, there are transabdominal ultrasounds. This type of ultrasound does not get inserted into anything. The transducer is placed on the abdomen and uses gel to easily move around to see the pelvic muscles.

All pelvic ultrasounds work by producing sound waves to get an image of the pelvic floor muscles. It’s different from X-ray imaging because it does not use radiation to collect the images. Overall, it should only take a few minutes. Our team will be able to look at the images in real time and look for the underlying problem. Based on their conclusions, they will be able to determine the next steps in treatment if an abnormality was found. Generally, patients will not need to get regular pelvis exams unless specifically requested by their doctor.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.