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Day in Health
by Lisa Collier Cool
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There are many mysteries about surgery, including why its usually scheduled in the morning, the best ways to avoid errors and infections, and why its safer to avoid having an operation in July. Another scary question: Patients always wonder, Will I wake up during surgery, says Marc Gillinov, MD, author of Heart 411 and a heart surgeon at Cleveland Clinic. Fortunately, he adds, The answer is no: We monitor the depth of your sleep with an EEG-like device. More than 15 million Americans have surgery annually, and in some cases, what they dont know could hurt them. But there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of a bad outcome, including getting a second or third opinion and exploring nonsurgical options. Heres an insider guide to what every patient should know before going under the knife.
published in Quality and Safety in Health Care. Researchers looked at data from over 90,000 operations and found that nausea and vomiting after surgery, pain management problems, and other post-operative complications were four times as likely in operations which started at 4 p.m. compared to those which began at 9 a.m. The Most Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures
they are removed. Dr. Gibbs of NoThing Left Behind, a national project to prevent retained surgical items, told the New York Times that technology should be used in addition to counting sponges manually. Another concern is that surgeons will operate on the wrong limb. To prevent this, says Dr. Gillinov, Restate the operation. Say something like Thank you for fixing my left knee. Some patients even write wrong leg in magic marker on the limb that doesnt need surgery.
Take a Shower
Neurosurgeon Alain C.J. de Lotbinire recommends washing up before checking in--and has another surprising suggestion. A very simple thing to prepare for surgery is to shower the day of the procedure with an anti-bacterial soap. You would not believe how many patients present for surgery in a filthy condition and then wonder why they experience post-op infections! he groused. In addition, make sure that staff members wash their hands and don fresh gloves in your presence before touching you. Tarrytown, N.Y.-based book author Caitlin Kelly, who recently had hip replacement surgery, recommends taking hygiene precautions after surgery as well to guard against infection. We bought a bottle of hexachloride solution (the same stuff surgeons use to wash their hands before surgery). The visiting nurse was very impressed with our thoroughness (in home wound care), and my recovery was excellent, she reports.