Sometimes the mere sound of the word ?surgery? makes people weak in the knees. Although it is understandable that people would rather not have to undergo surgery, sometimes they have to if they want to regain a healthy body. I think that surgery wouldn?t be so scary if people just understood it a little better. Maybe if they knew what to expect, they would feel more at ease when the topic of surgery came up.
Surgeries are performed in an operating room (OR), which is a very sterile environment. Everything from the equipment that is being used to the people that are in the room must be sterilized. The OR staff is required to wear scrubs, a scrub cap, and a sterile surgical gown. They also must wear a surgical mask and sterile gloves.
Before a patient is taken in for surgery, they are given a medical examination and other medical tests. If the results of these tests are satisfactory, then the patient can give consent for surgery and the doctors can proceed. Patients are also supposed to abstain from any food or drink after midnight on the night before the procedure.
Another step that is done before any surgery takes place is that an IV line is placed in the patient and any necessary medications, antibiotics, or sedatives are given. After the patient is taken into the OR the part of the body that will receive surgery will be cleaned and will receive an antiseptic, which will reduce the risk of infection. The patients body will be completely covered by sterile drapes with the exception of their head and the surgical site.
The patient will receive anesthesia, which will help to prevent pain, before the surgery begins. There are several different types of anesthesia, namely local, general, and spinal anesthesia. It will depend on the type of surgery as to which one is used. Some keep you awake, while others make the patient unconscious during the procedure. It will depend on the specific procedure as to what the surgeons will do during surgery.
After surgery the patient will be closely monitored. Things that will be monitored are the patients general function, the outcome of the procedure, and if there is any infection. The patient will then be given instructions on how to care for themselves while they are healing from the surgery.
The most important thing when facing the possibility of surgery, is to ask you doctor any questions that you may have. It is very important that you feel confident about your procedure and that you understand all that is involved.