The Importance of Pre-Operative Assessment before General Surgery

The Importance of Pre-Operative Assessment before General Surgery

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General surgery is a procedure which treats various conditions that affect the organs and tissue of the body. This is performed by general surgeons who are medical professionals and perform both minimally invasive and open surgery to treat the medical condition. Book an appointment to visit the best general surgeon in Siliguri, if you are suffering from various disorders that require immediate medical attention or surgery.
 
The doctor conducts a pre-operative assessment approximately 3-4 weeks before the general surgery. This assessment is necessary as it helps the doctor to ensure whether a patient needs special care during or after the surgery. This is because the anesthesia is given to your body before surgery which causes stress to your body and can cause harm to your vital organs.
 
Pre-operative assessment is done for various reasons including:  

Past Medical History

One of the main reasons for preoperative assessment is to know the past medical history of the patients. During this procedure, the patients are provided with a list of questions which are required to be filled up. This helps the doctor to know whether you are suffering from various diseases that may cause complications during the procedure. The following past medical history is asked, which includes:
 
Cardiovascular Diseases: This includes hypertension and exercise intolerance, and this is asked of the patients who are willing to undergo this surgery. This is because anaesthesia can increase the chances of an acute cardiac disease. If you have suffered from a heart attack in less than six months then you cannot undergo this surgery.
 
Respiratory disease: Adequate oxidation and ventilation are essential as they help to reduce the risk of damage to brain cells during the pre-operative period. The question also includes whether the patient can lie flat for a prolonged period or if suffering from a chronic cough as these may delay or prevent spinal anaesthesia.
 
Kidney disease: This includes renal problems including anaemia, coagulation problems, and electrolyte imbalances which increase the risk of complications.

Past Surgical History

Another reason for conducting the pre-operative assessment is to know about past surgical history which includes the type of surgery, complications you faced, and anesthetic reactions. The questions asked in past surgical history include:
 
Past aesthetic history: This question is asked due to various reasons which include; whether the patient has been given anesthesia before, for which operation and type of anesthesia is given, and whether you have faced any complications like nausea and vomiting etc.

Patient History

Drug history: This is to know the full drug history of the patient as there are certain medications that need to be stopped or changed before the procedure. This also helps the doctor to know about drug allergies and other adverse reactions.  
 
Family history: Hereditary disease related to anesthesia is rare but it can trigger life-threatening conditions such as malignant hyperthermia.
 
Social history: This is to ensure that whether the patient is consuming alcohol or involved in smoking it hampers their healing process. If you are willing to undergo general surgery you need to quit smoking approximately 8 weeks before.

Educating Patient

You can consult with a Surgery specialist in Siliguri if you want to make informed decisions about surgical procedures. This helps to reduce the fear and anxiety in patients during the surgical process. By getting the necessary information you can make better decisions for pre-operative surgery and post-surgical care. When you are familiar with the procedure and all the instructions you can enhance your recovery process and improve your healing outcomes. The doctor will inform you about various complications that you can face during the procedure including shock, haemorrhage, wound infection, pulmonary complications, and allergic reactions due to anesthesia.

Manage Financial Resources

The pre-operative assessment before general surgery helps a patient to utilize his financial resources effectively. This makes you aware of the surgery procedure which helps you to avoid unnecessary tests. Pre-operative assessments give you a clear understanding of the surgical procedure including its risks, and benefits, and provide an estimated cost. This can also improve your satisfaction as it does not compromise your safety and gives you quality healthcare service.

Reduce Side Effects

The pre-operative assessments can provide you with a customized surgical plan which allows you to reduce side effects by identifying risk factors. This helps you to identify the medical abnormalities and create a surgical plan that is created depending on your history and current health status. Since you will be aware of the procedure you can prepare for the procedure accordingly and reduce complications.

Conclusion

General surgery is a procedure which diagnoses and treats a disease in a particular area of the body. You can consult with the best general surgeon in Siliguri for pre-operative assessment. This assessment is done approximately 3-4 weeks before the procedure and it helps you to minimize the complications while going through this procedure. The pre-operative assessment is done for various reasons including; to know your past surgical and medical history, to educate, to utilize your financial resources properly, and to reduce side effects.

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