Frequently Asked Questions

If you registered and provided your medical information online you only need to come to the office 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. The same is true if you downloaded the registration forms and have completed them in advance.

However, if you were unable to do the preregistration or complete the forms in advance you will need to arrive at least 25 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to fill out the required paperwork.

Our providers and staff work hard to treat each patient as close to their scheduled appointment time as possible. However, orthopedic surgeons often have emergency situations that need immediate attention. Our doctors will do everything possible to handle these emergencies in a timely fashion and return to their scheduled clinic patients.

On the other hand, chiropractic and physical therapy patients have a more structure schedule and they can expect to be seen within their schedule time.

1. You will need to bring your insurance card and complete billing information, including claim number and address of responsible party.

2. Bring photo ID and/or your Driver’s license.

3. If you have received treatment for this condition from another office, please bring all records, test reports and images (x-rays, MRI, CT scan, etc).

4. Bring a list of all medications you are currently taking including over-the-counter medications and supplements.

5. Bring a list of all your allergies.

Will you need to wear clothing that will allow access to the body part you are being seen for (example: shorts for a knee injury, sleeveless shirt for a shoulder injury). If this is not possible due to your work dress code, we have shorts and gowns you can change into for your exam.

If your insurance company requires an office co-payment, you will be required to make that payment at the time of your visit.

Insurances We Accept*
-Aetna
-BCBS
-Careplus
-Cigna
-Humana
-United Healthcare
-Health First
-Medicare
-Wellcare

* We may accept additional plans not listed here. Call or email our office for more information. Please Verify your eligibility for services with your insurance company. If your insurance coverage has changed since your last visit, please inform the front office.

You won’t need to get preventive antibiotics for most dental procedures. But because you have an artificial joint, your risk of contracting a blood-borne infection is higher than normal. So preventive treatment is advised if the dental procedure involves high levels of bacteria.

• Dental extractions
• Periodontal (gum disease) procedures
• Dental implant placement and reimplantation of teeth that were knocked out
• Endodontic (root canal) instrumentation or surgery
• Initial placement of orthodontic bands (not brackets)
• Injection of a local anesthetic into the gums near the jaw
• Regular cleaning of teeth or implants where bleeding is anticipated

You should get preventive antibiotics before dental procedures if:

• You had a joint replacement less than two years ago
• You have an inflammatory type of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus
• Your immune system has been weakened by disease, drugs, or radiation
• You have insulin-dependent (Type I) diabetes
• You have poorly-controlled non-insulin-dependent (Type II) diabetes
• You’ve had previous infections in your artificial joint
• You are undernourished or malnourished
• You have hemophilia.

Hospital stay after major joint replacement surgery has rapidly changed in the last few years. Thanks to improved pre-operative preparation and education, most patients are only staying overnight and some even going home the same day. Your particular condition will ultimately dictate how quicky you can return home. Our goal is to allow you to return home as quickly and as safely as possible.

More than 95% of our patients are able, and infact encouraged, to go home after surgery. It has become clear the your home environment is not only familiar to you, but also safer and more conducive to a prompt recovery. If necessary, nursing and physical therapy services will be provided at home.

Many procedures require the use of a surgical assistant. This is medically necessary to ensure that you receive the best possible results.

The name of our practice is The Orthopedic Center. However, the legal name of our practice is “Jeffrey T. O’Brien, MD Inc.” All the providers in the practice work under that umbrella. For billing purposes we must use the legal name of the company. Therefore your billing statement will have it. Rest assured that this is perfectly fine and your claim will be appropriately processed.

The Orthopedic Center works closely with an outside billing agency, REP Medical, to ensure prompt and accurate claims processing. Any questions or concerns regarding billing should be directed to REP Medical.

To contact them, please call REP Medical at 321-848-0930.

This would be for a procedure called arthrocentesis. The physician inserts a needle through the skin and into a joint, bursa, tendon sheath or fascia. He may aspirate (take a fluid sample) and /or inject medication for lavage or drug therapy. The needle is then removed, and pressure is applied to stop any bleeding.

Because the needle placed into the joint, bursa, tendon sheath or fascia requires exact placement, it is considered by insurance companies to be a surgical procedure. It is much more than a standard injection. Although they consider this a surgical procedure, insurance companies do not require additional pre-authorization for the procedure itself. Some medications, however, may require pre-authorization and our staff will take care of obtaining it prior to the arthrocentesis, as needed.

Because each surgery is different, please refer to the instructions given to you at the facility where you had your surgery. In general, the physical therapist will remove the dressing for the first time. Otherwise, your dressing will be removed at the first postoperative visit.

If you have had an arthroscopy, you can shower once your initial bandages have been removed and you have covered the incisions with waterproof bandaids.

If you have had another procedure, it is advisible that you keep your wound and dressing clean and dry until your stitches have been removed and the wound(s) is(are) healed.