Dear patient,

The Surgical Center North at the Klinikum rechts der Isar is one of the most modern OP centers in Europe after its expansion in 2018. The department of sports orthopeadic has three state-of-the-art operating theatres at its disposal, in which arthroscopic, minimally invasive and open surgeries take place.

Our nursing team consists of staff nurses, surgical assistants and nurses with specialist training as operating room nurses. Through continuous further training and cooperation with other specialties (e.g. anesthesia) as well as close cooperation with the sports orthopedic doctors, we are able to treat you according to the latest medical and technical standards.

You will be continuously cared for by us before, during and after the operation.

After arrival from the ward to the operating theatre, the anaesthetist will begin the anaesthesia. You will then be positioned in a way specific to the operation to ensure optimal access to the limb which is to be operated. Following disinfection and sterile draping, the agreed operative procedure will take place. After the end of the operation and anaesthetic you will be monitored in our recovery room. When you have recovered from the anaesthetic, you will be taken back to the ward.

We will accompany and guide you throughout your stay in the operating theatre in order to relieve potential feelings of nervousness.

Kind regards

Your OR-team

Preparation for surgery

After determining the necessity of an operation during the clinical examination in the department of Sports Orthopaedics, the date of the operation is planned together with the patient.

Before the operation is performed, further investigations (e.g. blood tests and ECG) and consenting for the anaesthetic and the surgical procedure are necessary. Usuallythese preparations take place the day before the planned surgical intervention (pre-operative day).

The first step on the pre-operative day is the pre-inpatient admission of the patient in the central patient admission (located at the main entrance of the Rechts der Isar Hospital).

After this, we ask you to report to ward R1a, on the first floor of building 524, in the “waiting area for inpatient admission”. This is where a resident doctor from the department of Sports Orthopaedics will explain the surgical procedure, the possible risks and complications, and the postoperative treatment.

In the course of this information session, the results of the examinations carried out by your general practitioner (laboratory tests, ECG, if necessary chest X-ray) will be checked (please bring all preliminary findings and laboratory values with you!) and, if necessary, further examinations will be arranged in our clinic. It is also possible to have the entire preoperative assessmentdone by us. However, this is only possible for generally “healthy” patients. In the case of patients with pre-existing medical conditions (e.g. heart and lung diseases, rheumatic diseases, diabetes, patients taking blood-thinning medication, etc.), a preliminary examination by a general practitioner or specialist is urgently required to determine whether they are fit for surgery.

A further consultation takes place in the premedication clinic of the department for anaesthesiology. Here you will discuss with an anaesthetist which type of anaesthetic is suitable for you.

As part of the preparation for the operation, we will also check that the imaging (X-ray, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT (computer tomography), any other special examinations) is up to date and complete, and will arrange for further examinations if necessary. We ask all patients to bring along existing X-ray images etc. on film or – preferrably – digitalized on CD. Paper printouts are usually of very poor quality, which  makes it necessary to repeat the examination.

Finally you are introduced to the nurses, admitted on our ward R1a and given information about the nursing care.. A single room can only be occupied if there is sufficient bed capacity and can therefore not be guaranteed.

Please plan about 3 hours for the entire preassessment, admission and all examinations.

Since all health insurance companies only pay for inpatient admission on the pre-operative day (i.e. an overnight stay before the operation) if it is medically necessary, our patients usually leave the clinic for overnight stays in a hotel or at home after completion of the pre-operative examinations.

In the case of a long journey, it is possible to reserve a hotel room near the clinic. In this regard, we can name suitable hotels in the area on request.

If the bed capacity allows, there is also the possibility of an overnight stay in the hospital: as an optional service “hotel overnight stay” (costs approx. 137,- € to be paid in advance at the cash desk of the clinic). However, this is usually not reimbursed by the health insurance companies.

On the day of the surgery, please do not eat or drink anything and arrive at 6:45 a.m. for inpatient admission on our ward R1a, where you presented to the nursing staff the day before.