How To Be Calm And Relaxed Before Surgery

7 medical problems associated with surgery,

and 7 steps to reduce surgical risk.



Last week there was an article in the newspaper as well as on TV regarding Donda West, Kanye West’s mother, who died the day following surgery. When a member of my family dies, I feel great sadness and emptiness in my heart. Loosing a loved is one of the most desolate, lonely feelings in the world. I extend my deepest sympathy to the family and pray they may experience peace in their time of sorrow.



This event caused me to reflect upon how fragile life is and how great the responsibility I bear as a practicing surgeon. I know surgery has risks. In fact, 12 years ago I developed a safety pharmaceutical system for use in doctors’ offices. Safety has always been a concern of mine.



I did some soul searching following this event and I asked myself these questions:



· What do we do to ensure our patients’ safety?

· Can I make things even more reliable than they are now?



Here are some of my insights on safer surgery.



Surgical Problems:

There appear to be seven main medical problems that can be associated with surgery.



1.Allergic reactions to medications

2.Drug overdoses

3.Trouble with blockage of the airways

4.Infections

5.Bleeding

6.Pneumonia

7.Deep blood clots that break off and go into the lungs



Reducing Risks:

There are seven areas of focus and ways to reduce risk



Proper Patient Selection
- Know the patient: have appropriate medical information, clearance and patient management. Not every patient is a candidate for surgery.



Patient Preparation
- Remind patients that eating before surgery creates a high risk of lung problems such as pneumonia. I once had a patient arrive for surgery after eating an egg McMuffin 30 minutes before. I didn’t operate on her that day.- One of the most important things is getting patients off medications and supplements that increase the risk of bleeding, such as aspirin, garlic and fish oil.


The Proper Support Person
- The time after surgery is a very important period, so having a reliable support person is important. He or she is responsible to give appropriate medicines, to call if there are concerns and make sure the patient is walking as prescribed. Walking expands the lungs, prevents pneumonia and keeps clots from forming in the legs.




Operating Room Certification
- There are different certifying organizations for operating rooms. It is important to have proper certification, which ensures that the standards have been met.




The Proper Emergency Equipment
- Equipment must be in place to ensure appropriate action if something happens. Staff Training to Respond in Case of Emergency Emergency Protocols
- If an emergency arises, everyone knows what to do.





Your role as a patient is to be informed and understand your responsibilities. Nothing is more gratifying than having a successful surgical outcome and a happily transformed patient.