What are the PRECAUTIONS before surgery and WHY?
The weather in Korea is getting quite chilly so I had to take my cardigans out🍁🍂.
 |
| Autumn in my apartment :D |
Today I have brought some useful information regarding the precautions before the surgery and WHY you should follow them :)
I'm sure that many of you have had experiences in going under surgery or anesthesia and wondered why the hospital asked you to follow certain steps before the surgery. Today I will clarify your curiosities😆.
To start with, why do we have to fast before surgery?
Well, this is due to the anesthesia. When you are put under general or IV Sedation (sleep anesthesia), the food left in the stomach can cause gastroesophageal reflux. As a result, it can lead to a blockage in the respiratory tract.
*gastroesophageal reflux disease: a condition in which acid-containing contents in your stomach persistently leak back up into your esophagus, the tube from your throat to your stomach (Chronic Acid Reflux, 2019).
If the vomit flows into the respiratory tract it can cause aspiration pneumonia (a lung infection caused by foreign materials and hospital bacteria entering the lungs or the respiratory system. Its symptoms include high fever or 38.3°C higher, phlegm, coughing, chills, etc).
Thus, it is very dangerous to consume food before the surgery. This means coffee, water, or gum, and candy are all prohibited before a surgery. However, if you are on prescribed medication you can take that with a small amount of water after consulting with the doctor :) In other words, if you don't have any special medications, you should not drink or eat from 8 to 12 hours prior to surgery for your safety.
On top of that, why do patients have to remove nail polish before surgery? What does that have to do with the procedure?
When you are under the operation, your oxygen level will be monitored by the surgical team for your well-being. The equipment for measuring the oxygen is called an oximeter.
Does the picture look familiar to you? :D
Using the sensors, the machine measures the oxygen saturation in the peripheral blood vessels. Thereby, if we make the fingertip touch the equipment, the number shows up and that is the oxygen saturation level. However, if you have other substances on your nail, the sensor cannot work through it as it is supposed to. Then, the oxygen saturation level won't be measured correctly which can be very dangerous while you are under surgery.
*oxygen saturation: % of oxygenated hemoglobin (hemoglobin that carries oxygen) out of a total number of hemoglobin cells. Usually, 95- 100% is normal. If it's less than 90%, it is hypoxemia (insufficient oxygen saturation). If it's below 80%, then many body tissues and organs get severely damaged.
The surgery cannot be done without the correct measurement of the patients' oxygen level. If you come with only one finger removed, what if something happens and we need to use a different finger? Therefore, you have to remove AT LEAST 4 to be safe (the same goes with the foot).
Lastly, why shouldn't I drink water right after I wake up from the operation?
After the surgery, many patients feel like their throat is dried up and are thirsty. The first thing many patients ask after the surgery is "Can I drink water?" Then we would ask them "Do you feel nauseated, vomiting, or dizzy?" If the answer is YES, then we recommend patients to drink water after they feel better or else they will feel much worse😨
It is normal for patients to feel dizzy, vomiting, or nauseated after the surgery This is because when they go under anesthesia, their entire muscles are relaxed and if they drink or eat immediately after waking up from the anesthesia, their stomach cannot exercise properly and can cause vomiting. And in the worst case, it can also cause aspiration pneumonia which is fatal. Thus, this is why patients are encouraged not to drink water right after the operation.
These were some explanations for why we have to follow the instructions required by the hospital before the surgery. Hope I satisfied your curiosity regarding things you should know before the surgery :D
SOURCE: GERD (Chronic Acid Reflux): Symptoms, Treatment, & Causes. (2019, June 12). Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17019-gerd-or-acid-reflux-or-heartburn-overview#:~:text=GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or,your throat to your stomach.
Comments
Post a Comment