Orthopedic Special Care Unit (OSCU)

If you come to HSS with complex medical needs, following surgery, you may be admitted to our Orthopedic Special Care Unit (OSCU). The OSCU is overseen by our Critical Care Team, which is made up of anesthesiologists with advanced training in managing critical illnesses. The OSCU team includes doctors, nurses, nutritionists, physical and respiratory therapists, pharmacists, patient advocates, and clergy who work closely together to provide you world-class care.

Most patients are admitted to the OSCU because of the complexity of their operation. Occasionally, following surgery, a patient cannot breathe on their own without the assistance of a ventilator to keep them safe and comfortable. Less frequently, patients are admitted to the OSCU for complex medical problems of the lung, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, abdominal organs, blood, endocrine system, or to manage severe infections.

The OSCU staff understand how stressful a complex hospital stay can be and will do all they can to support the patient’s family members and friends. Patients and their visitors will speak with a doctor regularly to ensure they are fully informed of the medical condition at hand.

The OSCU allows HSS to safely undertake increasingly complex and challenging cases and maintain our leadership role in advancing the care of the orthopedic patient into the 21st century.

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