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Instructions, Resources, Forms & More
Patient Information
Welcome to the patient information page. Here you can find digital and printable versions of our splint care and cast care instructions, pain management schedule, forms, insurance information and more.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Patient Forms
Want to cut down on time spent in the waiting room? Download our patient packet to complete the forms before you even come to the office. If you have had previous diagnostic studies like an X-Ray, MRI, CT scan, or EMG please bring a copy of the report and the CD containing any images.
Patient Packet
- New Patient Questionnaire
- Consent for Medication
- Financial Policy
- Treatment Authorization
- Request for Release of Medical Records
- Health History Form
- Release of Information Authorization
- Disclosure of Physician Ownership
Workers’ Compensation
If your injury is work-related, please provide the case number, insurance carrier name, adjuster name, telephone number and date of injury prior to your visit. This allows us to obtain authorization to treat you and bill the worker’s compensation insurance company for all charges incurred in our office. If your case is pending or not authorized, you will be responsible for all charges until a determination has been made regarding your case. Please call with any questions.
- Workers’ Compensation Examination Questionnaire
- New Patient Questionnaire
- Consent for Medication
- Financial Policy
- Treatment Authorization
- Request for Release of Medical Records
- Health History Form
- Release of Information Authorization
- Disclosure of Physician Ownership
Insurance
At Dr. Abeye’s office, we accept most major insurance plans in addition to Medicare, Medicaid (secondary only) and Workers’ Compensation. For questions regarding the use of your insurance benefits at our practice, please give us a call.
Accepted Insurance Plans
- AETNA PPO/HMO/MEDICARE
- BLUE CROSS ADVANTAGE PPO
- BLUE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE HMO & PPO
- BLUE PREFERRED/BLUELINCS
- CIGNA PPO/OPEN ACCESS
- FIRST HEALTH
- GOLDEN RULE (No Global Health or Generations)
- HUMANA PPO/GOLD PPO (No Humana HMO)
- INTEGRIS HEALTH PARTNERS
- MEDICA-MEDICA HARMONY
- MEDICARE/MEDICARE RR
- MULTIPLAN/PHCS
- NPPN
- OHN
- OSMA HEALTH
- PACIFICARE
- PCC
- SECURE HORIZONS
- TRICARE PRIME/TRICARE STANDARD
- UNITED HEALTH CARE PPO, HMO, SIGNATURE VALUE ALL OK
Pain Management
Pain Medications
You may have been prescribed an opioid-containing pain medication. To decrease the need for opioid-containing medications, plan to alternate the following over-the-counter pain medications:
Ibuprofen (also known as Motrin, Advil)
Do NOT take if you are taking aspirin or another blood thinner, have kidney disease, if you are pregnant, have a stomach infection, history of peptic ulcers, history of gastrointestinal bleeding, or if you have had a CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting) surgery.
Do NOT take more than 3200 mg daily.
Acetaminophen (also known as Tylenol)
Do NOT take with alcohol or if you have liver disease.
Do NOT take more than 4000 mg daily.
Plan
Start by taking acetaminophen. Then, take ibuprofen three (3) hours later. Take acetaminophen again three (3) hours after taking the ibuprofen. Take ibuprofen again three (3) hours after taking the acetaminophen. Repeat schedule as needed.
We recommended writing down the time, dose and type of medication each time you take it to help keep track of what you’ve taken and when.
Example Schedule
9:00 AM
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 650 mg (2 pills of 325 mg)
12:00 PM
Ibuprofen (Motrin) 600 mg (3 pills of 200 mg)
3:00 PM
Acetaminophen 650 mg (2 pills of 325 mg)
6:00 PM
Ibuprofen 600 mg (3 pills of 200 mg)
Continue to repeat this schedule every 3 hours for the first 2 days, then every 3 hours as needed.
If you continue to have pain while following this schedule, you may take one of your opioid-containing pain medications. Beware that some common opioid-containing medications, such as Norco, Vicodin, Lortab, and Percocet, also contain 325 mg of acetaminophen in each pill. Read your prescription bottle carefully. You may take these in addition to your regularly scheduled acetaminophen and ibuprofen, keeping in mind not to take more than the total acetaminophen limit of 4000 mg per day.
What If I Had A Nerve Block?
If you had a nerve block for your surgery, your arm or fingers will be numb immediately after surgery and you will likely have little to no pain. To not fall behind on your pain control, start the schedule of alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen BEFORE you begin to feel pain and the block wearing off. If it is bedtime and your arm or fingers are still numb, take pain medication before you go to sleep and resume the schedule when you wake up.
What If I Cannot Take Either Acetaminophen Or Ibuprofen?
If you cannot take one of these medications, then plan to keep the above schedule while skipping the medication you cannot take.
Splint Care
Do
- Do FOLLOW your Doctor’s instruction.
- Do KEEP the splint clean and dry.
- Do ELEVATE your splint if it begins to feel tight.
- Do COVER your splint to prevent it from getting wet.
Do Not
- Do NOT put pressure through your splint as this may cause damage to the splint and disrupt healing.
- Do NOT put anything inside the splint. Scratching under the splint may break the skin and lead to infection.
- Do NOT get splint wet.
- Do NOT submerge the splint in water even with a cast cover on it. Cast covers are effective in keeping the cast/splint dry while showering but less effective when they are submerged in pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, etc.
- Do NOT put any powders, colognes, perfumes or air fresheners down or your splint. This may cause harmful skin reactions and lead to infection.
What To Do For Swelling
Elevation
Elevate the hand above the level of your heart and, if possible, wiggle the fingers to help move the swelling back towards your body. If you are having trouble wiggling the fingers on your own, use your other hand to gently move the fingers.
Ice
Cover splint with plastic and apply ice over the splint. If you do not feel this is helping, you may place the icepack in the front of the elbow or under your armpit to help cool the blood as it goes to your hand.
Do NOT place ice directly on your skin, make sure there is a barrier between your skin and the ice to prevent skin injury.
Massage
Grasp the tip of the finger and slide your hand towards the wrist in a “milking” motion. Massage in ONE direction only for 5 minutes at a time.
NSAIDs
Take NSAIDs (anti-inflammatories) as directed, these medications can help with pain and swelling.
What To Do If The Splint Is Too Tight Or Too Loose
If your splint feels too tight and the above recommendations for swelling do not help, you may carefully unwrap part of the ACE or coban wrap and re-wrap at a looser tension. When doing this, do NOT fully remove the splint (white padding and hard plaster material), only adjust the ACE and coban wrap.
If your splint feels too loose, you may use an ACE wrap to wrap OVER the existing ACE wrap or coban that is covering the splint.
Do NOT remove the ACE wrap or coban during this step.
How To Bathe/Shower
Cover the splint with a “Cast Cover” or a plastic bag without holes and secure the end with a rubber band or tape.
Do NOT use grocery bags as these are not effective. “Cast Covers” are manufactured to seal out water during bathing and can be purchased at medical suppliers or online retailers.
What To Do If Your Splint Gets Wet
Splints wet enough to have the skin underneath become wet require a call to the office. Wet skin under a splint for an extended period may cause skin breakdown or infection.
When To Call the Office
- If the splint is too tight or too loose and the above recommendations do not improve the problem.
- Splint gets wet enough that the skin gets wet under the cast.
- Splint emits an unusual odor (mildew or mold).
- Splint begins to break down.
- Development of a fever.
- Pain, swelling, numbness or tingling that is not alleviated by any of the above recommendations for swelling.
- Experiencing a burning sensation or feel a blister or sore developing inside the splint.
- Change in skin temperature (skin feels cold) accompanied by the pink color in the fingertips not returning after being squeezed (capillary refill).
Cast Care
Do
- Do FOLLOW your Doctor’s instruction.
- Do KEEP the splint clean and dry.
- Do ELEVATE your cast if it begins to feel tight.
- Do COVER your cast to prevent it from getting wet.
- Do FILE DOWN ROUGH EDGES from the cast with a metal file if they are irritating your skin.
Do Not
- Do NOT put pressure through your cast as this may cause damage to the cast and disrupt healing.
- Do NOT put anything inside the cast. Scratching under the cast may break the skin and lead to infection.
- Do NOT get cast wet.
- Do NOT submerge it in water even with a cast cover on it. Cast covers are effective in keeping the cast dry while showering but less effective when they are submerged in pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, etc.
- Do NOT put any powders, colognes, perfumes or air fresheners down or your cast. This may cause harmful skin reactions and lead to infection.
What To Do For Swelling
Elevation
Elevate the hand above the level of your heart and if possible, wiggle the fingers to help move the swelling back towards your body. If you are having trouble wiggling the fingers on your own, use your other hand to gently move the fingers.
Ice
Cover cast with plastic and apply ice over the cast. If you do not feel this is helping, you may place the icepack in the front of the elbow or under your armpit to help cool the blood as it goes to your hand.
Do NOT place ice directly on your skin, make sure there is a barrier between your skin and the ice to prevent skin injury.
Massage
Grasp the tip of the finger and slide your hand towards the wrist in a “milking” motion. Massage in ONE direction only for 5 minutes at a time.
NSAIDs
Take NSAIDs (anti-inflammatories) as directed, these medications can help with pain and swelling.
How To Bathe/Shower:
Cover the cast with a “Cast Cover” or a plastic bag without holes and secure the end with a rubber band or tape. Do NOT use grocery bags as these are not effective. “Cast Covers” are manufactured to seal out water during bathing and can be purchased at medical suppliers or online retailers.
What To Do If Your Cast Gets “Wet”:
Slightly Damp Cast
You may place a hairdryer on the cool setting ONLY to blow air over the cast. Fiberglass allows air to flow through and assist in the drying process. If you have any trouble getting the cast dry, call the office to find out if the cast needs to be replaced.
Wet Cast
Casts wet enough to have the skin underneath become wet require a call to the office. Wet skin under a cast for an extended period may cause skin breakdown or infection.
When To Call the Office
- If the cast is too loose, especially if the cast is irritating the skin.
- Rough places irritate the skin and filing does not work.
- Cast gets wet enough that the skin gets wet under the cast.
- Cast emits an unusual odor (mildew or mold).
- Cast begins to breakdown.
- Development of a fever.
- Pain, swelling, numbness or tingling that is not alleviated by any of the above recommendations for swelling.
- Experiencing a burning sensation or feel a blister or sore developing inside the cast.
- Change in skin temperature (skin feels cold) accompanied by the pink color in the fingertips not returning after being squeezed (capillary refill).
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Hand, Wrist & Elbow Specialist
Hand, Wrist & Elbow Orthopedic Expertise
Self-Pay
If you have limited, high-deductible or no insurance at all, we can work with you to set up convenient credit terms or other payment plans to help you get the care you deserve.
About Our Office
Dr. Abeye is an experienced orthopedic hand surgeon, dedicated to – and fascinated by – the intricacies of the fingers, hands, wrists and elbows.
Reach Out
Our office staff is here to help with whatever you need. Please don’t hesitate to call with your questions, concerns, or just to schedule your next appointment!