Preparing for Your Spine Surgery
What to do in the six weeks before spine surgery — nicotine cessation, medical optimization, medication review, and the day-before/day-of routine.
Pre-OpUniversal
Patient Education
Patient education you can read
Read our growing library of guides on surgical preparation, recovery, medications, and caregiving — right here on the site. Every guide is reviewed by Dr. Tuchek before it is marked published, and any draft you read is clearly labeled while it awaits his review.
Document type:
Anatomy:
Available to read
Draft
Preparing for Your ACDF
What is different about preparing for an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion — the front-of-the-neck approach, why the number of levels changes your plans, and the sore throat to expect.
Pre-OpCervical Spine
Draft
Preparing for Your Lumbar Fusion
What is different about preparing for a TLIF or PLIF — the longer calendar, the hospital stay, three months of activity restriction, and why nicotine matters most for a fusion.
Pre-OpLumbar Spine
Draft
Preparing for Your Lumbar Laminectomy
What is different about preparing for a lumbar decompression — what the operation does and does not do, what to expect from leg pain versus back pain, and the four-to-six-week restrictions to set up for.
Pre-OpLumbar Spine
Draft
Preparing for Your Microdiscectomy
What is different about preparing for a lumbar microdiscectomy — a same-day round trip, and the six weeks of light walking with no bending, lifting, or twisting that protect the result.
Pre-OpLumbar Spine
Draft
Preparing for Your Posterior Cervical Fusion
What is different about preparing for a posterior cervical fusion — the back-of-the-neck approach and its wound-care implications, the one-to-three-night stay, the collar question, and what to know about stiffness and C5 palsy beforehand.
Pre-OpCervical Spine
Draft
Preparing for Your Lateral Lumbar Fusion
What is different about preparing for a staged lateral and posterior lumbar fusion — a long day in the operating room, being repositioned partway through, and the questions to bring to your preoperative visit.
Pre-OpLumbar Spine
Draft
Day of Surgery
What to do the morning of surgery — Hibiclens shower, what to bring, what to expect at check-in.
Pre-OpUniversal
Anticoagulant & Antiplatelet Medications
When to stop and restart blood-thinners before surgery — aspirin, Plavix, Eliquis, Xarelto, Pradaxa, Coumadin.
Quick RefUniversal
GLP-1 Medications and Surgery
Pre-operative timing for Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Trulicity, and other GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Quick RefUniversal
Draft
Spine Surgery Recovery
Recovery guide for the first three months after spine surgery — pacing, PT progression, sleep and pain management.
Post-OpLumbar Spine
Draft
Caregiver Preparation Guide
For family members and friends caring for a patient after spine or brain surgery — practical setup, warning signs, when to call.
CaregiverUniversal
Caring for Your Incision
How to care for your surgical incision while it heals — dressings and closures, showering vs. bathing, and telling normal healing from a problem.
Post-OpUniversal
Recovering After Brain Surgery (Craniotomy)
A general guide to the first weeks after a craniotomy — the fatigue arc, medications, incision and activity, and warning signs for patients and caregivers.
Post-OpBrain, Cranial & Nerve
In production
These handouts are planned or in draft and are not yet available. Drafted ones are being reviewed by Dr. Tuchek before they publish; call our office with questions in the meantime.
Coming soon
Post-Op Medication Reconciliation
How to safely restart your home medications after surgery, and what to do if anything was held.
Post-OpUniversal
Coming soon
Spine Surgery Recovery (Active Adults Under 50)
Recovery guide for younger patients — return-to-activity timeline, exercise progression, when to call.
Post-OpLumbar Spine
Coming soon
Spine Surgery Recovery (Ages 65+)
Recovery guide for older adults — fall prevention, home setup, when caregivers should be alarmed.
Post-OpLumbar Spine
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