Pay My Bill
Patient Pre-Registration
Call: (978) 818-6500Frequently Asked Questions
The Orthopedic Surgical Center of the North Shore (OSCNS) has passed a series of rigorous health and safety inspections, qualifying it for accreditation by the Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and licensing by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).
Please refer to our Preparing for Surgery Instructions.
The OSCNS team ensures you receive the safest, most compassionate care during all phases of your procedure. Each surgery is unique, but in general, surgical patients are attended to by their surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and OR technicians.
- General Anesthesia: Affects your entire body and may be given intravenously or as an inhaled gas.
- Regional Anesthesia: Affects only a section of your body, blocking sensation and making it numb. This includes spinal and epidural anesthesia.
- Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC): Medication given to make you drowsy and to relieve pain, often used to supplement local anesthesia.
- Local Anesthesia: Medication directed only to the location of surgery, usually injected. You may remain awake or be sedated. This type of anesthesia is most often used for smaller procedures.
The length of stay is determined by several factors, including your specific procedure and recovery requirements. Generally, longer procedures have longer recovery times, and shorter procedures have shorter recovery times. The average recovery time is between one and two hours.
You will not be permitted to drive home. You must arrange for someone to drive you, and you may not take public transportation home. Patients who have been given local anesthesia may drive home at their surgeon’s discretion.
Specific questions or concerns related to your procedure or recovery should be discussed with your surgeon or OSCNS clinical staff.