Surgical procedures are varied in their nature. Some procedures are minor procedures where as some are classified as major surgeries. Some surgeries needs only local anaesthesia where as some require general anaesthesia. When some surgeries take nearly 12 hours to perform, e.g Neurosurgeries, some take only 10-15 minues, e.g excision of a lump. Therefore, preparations and precautions needed to be taken in each type would be different to the other. But, in general a few things would be worthwhile knowing when going in for any type of surgery, specially major surgeries.
Making sure you are free from any infections:
If you feel feverish and are on antibiotics for such infections, it probably is not a good time to undergo surgery. Even a viral fever or a common cold can sometimes complicate the recovery process of a surgery and body might not be in a state of possible quick recovery. Therefore, take plenty of rest and cure youself of any infective type of illnesses prior to undergoing any surgeries, unless it is an emergency.
Ensuring your blood sugar is controlled:
Hyperglycaemic states are not the ideal environment for the wounds to heal better and quicker. It can make a wound a perfect culture medium for the bacteria to grow and lead to infection. Therefore, if you are diabetic, take your treatment and get the sugars done and make sure they are controlled prior to going for surgery. If not, take some time and see a physician to get things in order.
Be vigilant about the drugs you take:
It is possible that some of the medicines that you are taking interact with the body physics of wound healing, arresting bleeding and maintain good heart lung functioning. In order to be certain, it is vital that you inform the surgeon or the anaesthetist of all forms of drugs that you are taking and for how long are you taking, along with in what doses. Based on the information that you provide, the doctors will decide which is to be stopped and which needs alteration and if there is any new drugs to be added.
Avoid constipation:
This itself will be a discomforting experience and far better to take on a surgery while maintaining good bowel habits. Proper dietary intake with probable introduction of some laxatives would do good and the later need advice of a medical profession.
State your allergies:
This is of paramount importance in undergoing surgeries as it is possible that you may develop a sudden allergic reaction and things get complicated. Although most of the time there will be no way of knowing what can cause this. But, in some instances you will know. E.g Penicillin allergy..etc. Stating what you know to the surgeon and the anaesthetist would avoid such complications.
State your medical problems:
Hypertension, diabetes, heart problems, wheezing and gastric ulcers are largely associated with the complications of a surgical patients. So, if you are one of them, you need to get these under control. Usually, you will be referred to a physician for further management.
Avoid possible infections:
Prior to a surgery, it’s best to avoid places which make you more prone to getting infections. Even wearing a mask would be beneficial if you are planning on a major surgery. The idea is to be healthy throughout the recovery process.
The above is by no means a complete list, and depending on the surgery there are many more precautions to be taken. Therefore, it’s a good idea to get some advice regarding specific precautions to be taken by you from the doctor concerned.
