Prepare for Your Visit With Orthotics & Prosthetics

Before Your Appointment

Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. We may ask you to reschedule if you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your appointment. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please call us at 312.227.6210 at least 24 hours in advance.   

Consultation Appointments

The first step to orthotic or prosthetic treatment is a consultation appointment. This is typically a 30-minute appointment where a clinician will obtain a brief history, perform an initial assessment, and gather clinical information to determine which course of treatment and device are most appropriate. Once your clinician has developed a treatment plan our team will contact your insurance company to determine your coverage and obtain pre-authorization. Coverage determination and pre-authorization typically takes 14-21 business days. Our team will then contact you to schedule an evaluation appointment and a pick-up appointment if necessary. 

Evaluation Appointments 

An evaluation appointment may range from 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on your child’s conditions and specific needs. Please have your child wear clothing (or bring clothing to change into) that allows for full evaluation of the involved body part(s). Please bring: 

• Shorts for lower limb evaluations  
• Short sleeve shirt or tank top for upper limb evaluations  
• Form fitting clothing (e.g. sports bra, compression garments, leggings, one piece swimsuit) and a hair tie for long hair for spinal evaluations 

If your child currently uses an orthosis (brace), prosthesis, or adaptive equipment (e.g., crutches, walker or wheelchair), please bring these items to their evaluation. 

Spinal evaluations require current x-rays. If your x-rays have been taken outside of the Lurie Children's network, then please bring these with you to the evaluation.  

Custom-made devices require detailed measurements, a cast of the affected body segment, and/or a 3-dimensional scan to aid in their fabrication.  

During a typical evaluation visit, our specialists will: 

• Discuss your child’s diagnosis and treatment plan 
• Assess your child’s mobility Assess muscle strength  
• Determine appropriate body alignment  
• Obtain necessary measurements, scans, and/or casts 
• Answer all of your questions 

 Some prefabricated devices may be delivered at this appointment, while those that are custom-made can take 2-3 weeks to fabricate. Most custom-made devices are made in our Outpatient Center in Lincoln Park by our on-site technical experts. 

Pick-up Appointments

Your child must be present at this appointment to ensure appropriate fit and function of their device. In addition, you may be asked to bring specific shoes, socks, or an undershirt to wear with their new device. Your orthotist will provide you with specific instructions. Custom devices will be fit and modified at the pick-up appointment to optimize comfort and function. The fitting may last 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on your child’s conditions and specific needs.

Follow-up Care

Depending on your child’s diagnosis and their growth rate, there may be ongoing treatments and follow up visits with our orthotics/prosthetics team. Your specialist will indicate when to return for routine follow-ups. Our team works closely with the following specialists to ensure continuity of care: 

• Orthopedic surgeons 
• Neurologists 
• Rheumatologists
• Pediatric surgeons
• Plastic surgeons
• Neurosurgeons 
• Physiatrists 
• Occupational therapists
• Physical therapists

After Your Appointments

Your child’s specialist and our scheduling staff will assist you with scheduling future appointments. Please call us at 312.227.6210 with any questions you may have. You may receive a patient satisfaction survey in the mail. We encourage you to take the time to share your thoughts with us.