Discharge Guidelines

Discharge Guidelines

You can find discharge guidelines for your specific surgery below. Your surgeon or nurse practitioner may give you additional instructions, but the PDFs below are very thorough and informative.

Please note: These are general guidelines to help answer the most common questions after surgery. The photos in these guidelines WILL NOT necessarily match your exact surgical site. Your surgeon/team may ADAPT these guidelines depending on YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS and/or current research.

Biopsy: Soft Tissue

• Tru-Cut, Ultrasound or CT-Guided Needle Biopsy for Soft Tissue Masses
• Open Biopsy of a Soft Tissue Mass (Upper Arm/Forearm/Hand)
• Open Biopsy of a Soft Tissue Mass (Thigh/Leg/Foot)

Biopsy: Bone

• Open Biopsy of a Bone Tumor (Humerus/Radius-Ulna/Hand)
• Open Biopsy of a Bone Tumor (Femur/Tibia-Fibula/Foot)

Benign Soft Tissue

Upper Extremity: Upper Arm/Forearm/Hand

• Excision of a Benign Soft Tissue Mass
• Excision of a Benign Soft Tissue Mass of Neck

Lower Extremity: Thigh/Leg/Foot

• Excision of a Benign Soft Tissue Mass

Benign Bone

Upper Extremity: Humerus/Radius-Ulna/Hand

• Benign Bone Lesion: Curettage, Packing with or without Internal Fixation
• Benign Bone Lesion: Excision (of an exostosis/osteochondroma)
• Arthroscopy

Lower Extremity: Femur/Tibia-Fibula/Foot

• Benign Bone Lesion: Curettage, Packing with or without Internal Fixation
• Benign Bone Lesion: Excision (of an exostosis/osteochondroma)
• Arthroscopy
• Total Hip Replacement
• Total Knee Replacement

Malignant Soft Tissue

Upper Extremity: Upper Arm/Forearm/Hand

• Resection of a Malignant Soft Tissue Mass with our without plastic reconstruction (muscle flap/skin graft)

Lower Extremity: Thigh/Leg/Foot

• Resection of a Malignant Soft Tissue Mass with our without plastic reconstruction (muscle flap/skin graft)

Malignant Bone

Upper Extremity: Shoulder/Humerus/Radius-Ulna/Hand

• Resection of a Malignant Bone Tumor with Reconstruction: Metal Prosthesis with or without Allograft

Lower Extremity: Hip/Femur/Knee/Tibia-Fibula

• Resection of a Malignant Bone Tumor with Allograft Reconstruction
• Resection of a Malignant Bone Tumor with Metal Prosthesis (Hip/Upper Femur)
• Resection of a Malignant Bone Tumor with Metal Prosthesis (Lower Femur/Knee/Tibia)
• Complex Total Hip Replacement/Pelvic Reconstruction

Spine/Pelvis: Cervical/Thoracic/Lumbar/Pelvis/Sacrum

• Resection of Malignant Bone Tumor with Spinal/Pelvic Instrumentation

Metastatic Disease

Upper Extremity: Humerus/Forearm

• Surgeries for Metastatic Tumors of Bone

Lower Extremity: Femur/Tibia

• Surgeries for Metastatic Tumors of Bone

Amputation

Upper Extremity: Upper Arm/Forearm/Hand

• Amputation

Lower Extremity: Femur/Tibia-Fibula/Foot

• Amputation

Infections

Upper Extremity

• Infected Joint Implants

Lower Extremity

• Infected Joint Implants

After Discharge from Mass General

When discussing your discharge, the terminology you will hear is “post acute level of care.” This means figuring out where you will be discharged to following your surgery at Mass General. Placement decision is based on:

• Assessment of a patient’s individual clinical needs
• Plans for ongoing treatment pre- and post-discharge
• Patient/family/responsible person choices and input
• Interdisciplinary team input
• Available post-hospital care options
• Available insurance/financial resources

You and your care team will determine what’s best for your needs in order to maximize your level of function and independence.

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