Do you smoke or use a product with nicotine in it?

Are you a smoker? Your recovery can be affected if you smoke. Your surgery may be cancelled due to the major interference of bone healing by smoking. Stop smoking at least six weeks before your surgery. Nicotine in any form, chewing gum or patches, must be stopped before and after surgery (up to six months after surgery).

Have you made travel arrangements?

How will you be getting home from the hospital? Who will drive you? Will you take a taxi? An Ambulance? Are you flying home? Will you take the ferry? You will need to make arrangements in advance.

IMPORTANT: ARRANGE TO HAVE SOMEONE PICK YOU UP FROM THE HOSPITAL AND STAY WITHYOU AT HOME UNTIL YOU CAN MANAGE ON YOUR OWN

Have you purchased or rented equipment to help with your recovery?

Walker Boot

Your surgeon may give you a prescription for a foam-lined Walker Boot. A list of Walker Boot retailers is available on this site, in the Contact Information section.

Some extended medical benefits will cover part or all of the cost of the Walker Boot. MSP does not cover this. If you do not wish to buy a boot, you will be given a second cast, which will cost $65 at two weeks and a third cast at the same price and at six weeks. These casts are also not covered by MSP. If you do not have the funds, speak to the social worker at the pre-assessment appointment about the need for casts. They can approve the funds on occasion, but it takes 4 to 5 weeks to process, so this has to be arranged well in advance of surgery.

Consider donating your boot once you have finished with it to the clinic so that a patient unable to afford a boot can use it.

Crutches

Can be purchased or rented from medical supply stores, some pharmacies, St. Vincent's Hospital and St. Paul's Hospital. The Red Cross offers crutches on loan. A prescription is required from a health care provider for most extended medical plan reimbursements and also for a Red Cross loan.

Wheelchair

Walker