Improving your health before surgery can reduce your risk for surgical complications and help you recover faster after surgery. Conditions like uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as tobacco use and being overweight or underweight, can have negative impacts on surgical outcomes.
That’s why the Pinnacle Health Surgery Optimization Clinic continues to grow and help more patients improve their overall health before they have elective surgery.
Prior to surgery, your surgeon may recommend that you make modifications to your health, including changes to current routines or medications. He or she may refer you to the PinnacleHealth Surgery Optimization Clinic to help you reach these goals.
During your first appointment at the clinic, a certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP) will spend an hour consulting with you, conducting a thorough assessment of your health, educating you about your health conditions, addressing concerns, and determining a plan of care. The CRNP will share this care plan with your surgeon and primary care provider. The plan will include appropriate education, treatment recommendations, and referrals to specialists if needed. This ensures coordinated care from start to finish for each patient.
In the weeks following your visit, a nurse from the clinic will call you regularly to offer support and evaluate your progress. The nurse will also be available to answer questions regarding your optimization plan and help you achieve your goals. Your nurse will then summarize your progress and contact your surgeon to determine the need for continued optimization.
By working with the team at the PinnacleHealth Surgery Optimization Clinic before surgery, patients may be able to:
- Improve heart, lung, and other organ functions
- Decrease the risk of infection and other complications
- Decrease the amount of time spent in the hospital
- Improve activity level and overall fitness
- Reduce recovery time and improve outcomes
- Decrease pain after surgery
“Through better control of pre-existing medical conditions before surgery, we can reduce complications, readmissions, and same-day surgery cancellations and even reduce the length of hospital stay,” says John Cinicola, MD, medical director for the PinnacleHealth Surgery Optimization Clinic. “Our clinic gives patients the tools and support to create better outcomes for themselves.”
Talk to your surgeon if you have additional questions about the optimization clinic. Learn more about the UPMC Pinnacle Surgery Optimization Clinic.