The thought of getting surgery is stressful to most and terrifying to some. For those who have never gotten operated on before, it is a completely new experience. It is also naturally a stressful process. Not only is there pain involved, but you might have complications during the surgery itself. You could have difficulty healing properly or contract an infection. However, if you must get surgery, these are some things that you can do to make the whole process safer for you.
Get electrosurgery
Traditional surgery includes cutting open wounds with knives and then letting them heal on their own. Electrosurgery procedures, on the other hand, use monopolar or bipolar forceps to cut open a wound, then immediately dry it with an electric current and destroy the excess tissue. It is a much safer procedure as there is less chance of bleeding during the surgery.
The wound heals faster and without complications, so the risk of contracting an infection during a long hospital stay is minimized. You also might not require general anesthesia during electrosurgery; simply getting local anesthesia can do the job. By doing this, you can avoid the risk of anesthesia-related problems. However, this method is not applicable for more complicated surgeries that require a lot of incisions.
Do an allergy test beforehand
The terrifying thing about allergies is that you won’t know that you are allergic to something unless you have been exposed to it. You can work around this by getting an allergy test beforehand. This way, you will find out about anything that might come in contact with you during the surgery that you are allergic to.
Many people are allergic to certain medications such as types of antibiotics or injections. Instead of reacting negatively and creating a crisis at the operation table, you can find out about your allergies beforehand so that your doctors can do something about them. If you are allergic to the medication, your doctor will sit down with you to figure out an appropriate alternative. Remember that you can be allergic to almost anything, from metal to water. It is important to always be aware and careful.
You can bank your own blood
One of the complications of surgery involves atypical situations when there is the need for a blood transfusion. This can happen if there has been excessive bleeding during the surgery. If your blood group is very rare, such as B negative, you might not be able to get blood from the blood bank. If you know that you have a complicated surgery coming up, you can bank your own blood and store it in the hospital. This way, you will not have to worry about things going wrong on the operation table.
The most important thing to remember during the whole process is to consult your doctor every step of the way. Listen to their advice on how to get rest better. With enough preparation, you will find that the thought of getting surgery becomes much less scary.