What To Expect On The Day Of Your Orthopedic Surgery: A Step-By-Step Guide For Patients In Noida

Surgery day is the day most patients dread the most, not because of the surgery itself, but because of the unknown. What exactly happens when you walk in? How long will you wait? What does anaesthesia feel like? When will you be allowed to walk? When will you go home?

The anxiety that surrounds these questions is real, and it is almost always worse when left unanswered. Patients who understand what to expect on the day of surgery consistently report lower pre-operative anxiety, cooperate more effectively with the care team, and recover more smoothly in the immediate post-operative period.

This guide walks through the entire day of orthopedic surgery at Dr. Ankur Singh's practice in Noida, covering arrival, pre-operative preparation, anaesthesia, the procedure, recovery, and what happens before you go home. It applies broadly to joint replacement surgeries (knee, hip, shoulder) and arthroscopic procedures.

The Night Before

The preparation that happens the night before surgery sets the stage for the day itself. By the evening before:

• Stop eating after midnight or as instructed by your surgical team. Most protocols require fasting from solid food for six to eight hours before surgery.
• Certain medications continue as normal (blood pressure tablets, thyroid medication) unless told otherwise. Other blood thinners and NSAIDs must be stopped in advance.
• Shower or bathe the night before. Skin preparation is an important infection-prevention step. Your team may provide a specific antiseptic wash.
• Pack your bag comfortably, loose-fitting clothes (particularly for the operated leg or arm), slip-on footwear, your medications list, ID documents, and any scans or reports.
• Arrange your transport home in advance. You will not be able to drive after surgery, and most patients need a family member or caregiver present for discharge.

Arrival At The Hospital

You will be asked to arrive at the hospital, typically KDSG Superspeciality Hospital in Greater Noida, for surgical procedures at a specified time, usually one to two hours before the scheduled operation. On arrival, you check in at the reception and are directed to the orthopaedic pre-operative area. Your documents, ID, insurance papers, and pre-operative reports are verified. If any outstanding tests are required (last-minute blood work or an ECG if not done recently), these are completed. A nurse will take your vital signs: blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and temperature. These baseline readings confirm that you are in good condition for surgery.

A word about waiting: Hospital schedules sometimes run slightly behind, particularly if a morning case before yours is more complex than anticipated. This is normal in any surgical facility. Use the waiting time to rest, ask any remaining questions you have, and remind yourself why you made this decision.

Pre-Operative Preparation

Once in the pre-operative area, several things happen in sequence.

1. Confirming The Details

The surgeon, Dr. Ankur Singh, will come to see you before the procedure. He will confirm the side and nature of the surgery, answer any last-minute questions, and sign the operative site. This bilateral confirmation (surgeon and patient) is a required safety protocol. Do not hesitate to ask about anything that occurred to you overnight.

2. IV Line

A nurse inserts an intravenous (IV) cannula, typically in the back of the hand or forearm. This provides access for fluids and medications during and after surgery.

3. Anaesthetic Assessment

The anaesthesiologist visits you pre-operatively to review your medical history, check your airway, discuss the planned anaesthetic technique, and obtain consent for anaesthesia. For joint replacement surgeries, spinal anaesthesia is most commonly used, an injection in the lower back that numbs the lower body while keeping you awake (though sedation is given to make you comfortable and drowsy). Most patients prefer not to be fully aware during the procedure; sedation takes care of this.

For shoulder surgeries and some knee arthroscopy cases, general anaesthesia or a regional nerve block may be used instead. Your anaesthesiologist will explain which technique is planned for you and why.

4. Skin Preparation

The surgical area is cleaned with an antiseptic solution. The limb is shaved if necessary. Sterile draping isolates the operative site.

In The Operating Theatre

The operating theatre at KDSG Superspeciality Hospital is a modern, climate-controlled environment with the equipment needed for both conventional and robotic-assisted joint replacement surgery. You will be transferred from the pre-operative area to the theatre on a trolley. The team theatre nurses, scrub staff, and the anaesthesiologist introduce themselves. The anaesthetic is administered.

If you are having spinal anaesthesia, you will sit on the edge of the operating table while the injection is given into your lower back. Within a few minutes, you will feel warmth and numbness spreading into your legs. Once the spinal is confirmed effective, you lie down, and sedation is administered. Most patients remember very little of the procedure itself. Time in the operating theatre varies by procedure:

• Arthroscopic procedures (knee, shoulder): 45 to 90 minutes
• Total knee replacement: 60 to 90 minutes
• Total hip replacement: 60 to 90 minutes
• Robotic-assisted procedures: similar duration, though pre-operative registration and confirmation steps add time at the beginning.

During the procedure, your vital signs are monitored continuously. Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and temperature are tracked throughout by the anaesthetic team.

Waking Up: The Recovery Room

After the surgery is completed, you are moved to the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU), commonly called the recovery room. This is where the anaesthetic wears off, and the nursing team monitors your vital signs closely during the transition from surgery to full wakefulness. If you had spinal anaesthesia, the numbness in your legs will take one to three hours to fully resolve. During this time, you feel the lower body as "heavy" or absent. This is normal.

Pain is managed in the recovery room with IV medication. Most patients describe the post-operative pain as manageable, often better than the chronic arthritic pain they had been living with before surgery. You may feel slightly nauseous (a common effect of anaesthesia) and drowsy. Both settle within an hour or two. Your surgical team will have prescribed anti-nausea medication as a precaution. Once you are stable, alert, and comfortable, you are transferred to your room on the orthopaedic ward.

Your First Hours On The Ward

This is where things feel different from how most patients expect. A physiotherapist visits within hours of your surgery, often on the same day, for knee and hip replacement. The purpose of this first visit is to help you take your first post-operative steps, begin gentle range-of-motion exercises, and learn the safe movement patterns that protect your new joint. This early mobilisation is not optional; it is one of the most important things you will do for your recovery. Getting up and walking within the first 24 hours:

• Reduces the risk of blood clots (DVT) in the leg veins.
• Prevents post-operative stiffness from setting in.
• Begins the muscle activation that rehabilitation will build on.
• Psychologically reassures you that the joint works.

The first few steps are assisted by the physiotherapist and a nurse. You use a walking frame. Most patients find the experience simultaneously surprising (they can do it) and hard work (it is tiring). Both reactions are completely normal.

Pain Management

Post-operative pain is expected and planned for. Dr. Ankur Singh's team uses a multimodal approach combining medications from different drug classes to provide effective pain control while minimising the need for high doses of any single medication. Pain in the first 24 to 48 hours is managed with IV medication. As you progress, oral medications take over. Ice packs on the operated joint reduce swelling and provide additional comfort.

Most patients describe the pain as manageable and critically different in character from the chronic arthritic pain they were experiencing before surgery. Post-operative pain is sharp and localised; it reduces predictably with time and movement. Arthritic pain was deep, constant, and demoralising. This distinction matters.

Going Home

Most patients are discharged two to three days after joint replacement surgery. The criteria for discharge are:

• Pain is controlled with oral medication.
• You can safely mobilise with a walker.
• You can manage stairs safely (if required at home).
• The wound is clean, and the dressing is intact.
• Blood tests confirm no anaemia or other concerns.

Arthroscopic procedures are typically performed as day-care surgery, where you go home on the same day, a few hours after waking from anaesthesia.

At discharge, you receive:

• Prescribed medications for pain management and blood clot prevention.
• Wound care instructions.
• Physiotherapy guidance for home exercises.
• A follow-up appointment date (typically at two weeks post-surgery).
• Emergency contact information if you have concerns before your follow-up.

After You Are Home

The first week at home involves rest, wound care, medication adherence, and the physiotherapy exercises you were taught before discharge. Most patients have a family member helping with daily tasks during this period. Progress comes steadily week by week. Pain reduces. Mobility improves. Independence returns. The follow-up schedule, at two weeks, six weeks, three months, and one year, tracks your progress and catches any issues early.

Questions You Should Ask Before Surgery Day

Use your final pre-operative consultation with Dr. Ankur Singh to clear any remaining uncertainties:

• How long will I be in the hospital?
• What medications do I take the morning of surgery?
• When is it safe to drive again?
• What physiotherapy is arranged after discharge?
• What symptoms should prompt me to call the clinic urgently?

Having clear answers to these questions before surgery day means you arrive prepared and calm, which, as anyone who has been through surgery will tell you, makes a real difference.

Booking Your Surgery With Dr. Ankur Singh In Noida

If you are at the stage of scheduling orthopedic surgery in Noida or Greater Noida, Dr. Ankur Singh's team provides a thorough pre-operative pathway from the initial consultation and investigation through surgical planning, the procedure itself, and the post-operative follow-up. To book a consultation or discuss your upcoming surgery, call the number listed on this website.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can a family member be with me on surgery day?

Yes. A family member can accompany you to the hospital and wait during the procedure. They will be kept informed of your progress and can assist with the discharge process.

2. What if I feel anxious the morning of surgery?

This is normal. Tell the nursing team how you are feeling; they can provide reassurance and, if appropriate, a mild sedative before you enter the operating theatre.

3. How soon after surgery can I eat and drink?

Most patients can drink water within a few hours of surgery and eat a light meal by the evening of the operation day.

4. Is robotic surgery at KDSG available for all joint replacements?

Dr. Ankur Singh performs robotic-assisted knee, hip, and shoulder replacement at KDSG Superspeciality Hospital. Not every patient requires robotic assistance; the appropriateness is discussed during your pre-operative consultations.

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Dr. Ankur Singh | Best Orthopedic Surgeon in Noida | What to Expect Surgery Day | Knee Hip Shoulder Replacement Noida | KDSG Superspeciality Hospital, Greater Noida