Schedule Appointment Ask a Doctor / Nurse Medication Request
Insurance Types Accepted
All insurance types are accepted by Dr. Heddings including Kansas and Missouri Medicaid. In addition, Dr. Heddings will also see uninsured patients with complex fractures that require surgical intervention.
Patient Forms
Important Information for Patient Caregiver(s) and Loved Ones
Caregivers, family, and friends play an important role in the recovery of patients with traumatic orthopedic injuries. There is a lot of information that would be beneficial to know prior to ensure the process is smooth.
You will most likely be needed to help the patient get to and from the hospital, for obvious reasons if the patient has an injury that doesn’t allow them to drive, but also required after anyone has anesthetic or sedative medication. This vital role may require several hours spent waiting. Bringing a book, magazine, or some other form of quiet entertainment could help with the wait.
Each case and person will vary in length of time spent in surgery and in the recovery room, but you will be notified by a nurse liaison who will check in during surgery and report back to you with a time estimate, and will also let you know how the surgery is going.
Your continued help, support, and patience will be needed when you get home. It’s good to keep in mind that the patient may spend the first day and even longer adjusting and recovering from the stress of anesthesia, and beyond that the healing process.
You will undoubtably be needed to help with tasks that may have been routine before: dressing, bathing, and eating, and also the addition of tasks involved in the healing and recovery process: administering medications, range of motion exercises, dressing maintenance, and emotional support.
You may also need to drive and assist your family member/friend to doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, or other appointments. This process may be more or less extensive depending on the injury, some will be ready to be back to life as usual in a couple of weeks, while others may take months to heal and recover.
Be sure to let our team know of any questions you may want to discuss with Dr. Heddings or nurse before surgery.