What is the cost of surgery? Does my insurance cover this?
If our office is a participating provider of your insurance, we will contact your insurance company to see if a pre-authorization is required for your surgery. However, it is important for you to understand that the pre-authorization does not guarantee coverage. Each surgery is different, so if you would like an estimate of your expenses, we will give you the CPT codes that we anticipate will be billed to your insurance and our current charges for the planned procedure(s). You will need to contact your insurance company directly to verify current deductibles, out-patient copays, etc. Please be advised there will be three separate claims billed to your insurance carrier on your behalf - one for the surgeon (Dr. Weiss), one for the facility (hospital), and one for the anesthesiologist.
Will I have a co-pay at every appointment after surgery?
A global period is the period of time after your surgery during which you can be seen in the office for routine post-operative care - usually at no charge. However, there will be additional charges billed to the insurance carrier during your post op - these include, but are not limited to: x-rays, injections, etc. Each insurance carrier dictates the global period for each procedure. Please be advised that complications and/or visits that are unrelated to the surgical procedure(s) which require a return to the office to see Dr. Weiss during the global period are subject to additional charges. These additional charges will be billed to your insurance carrier. In such cases, a copay will be collected if your insurance plan requires a copay.
How bad is the pain after surgery?
Most patients say the pain following surgery is "no where near what they anticipated." It is important that you limit the time on your foot and keep the foot iced and elevated as much as possible in the days after surgery to keep the pain and swelling to a minimum.
What is the recovery like following surgery?
After surgery, your foot will be bandaged and placed in a surgical shoe or walking boot. Depending on the severity of your surgery, you will either be partially weight-bearing or non-weight-bearing with the use of crutches. If you are able to partially weight-bear, this means you can walk normally with the assistance of the walking boot or surgical shoe. Patients are advised to wear the given boot or shoe at all times for at least 4 weeks unless otherwise told by Dr. Weiss. We will see you in our office for the three Mondays following your surgery. Dr. Weiss will use these appointments to assess your healing and to discuss any questions or concerns you might have. Each patient and surgery is different, but patients typically begin to feel "normal" after about 8 weeks.
Can I drive after surgery?
You cannot drive after surgery. You will need to have someone take you to your surgical appointment and drive you home afterwards. Typically, patients are able to drive after their first two post-operative appointments (about two weeks after surgery) and have been given clearance to drive by Dr. Weiss.
Dr. Weiss or Melissa PA are readily available after any surgery to assist our patients 7 days / week. If you need us, you will have our contact information.