Surgery & PMR
Posted , 8 users are following.
I am going for surgery in 2 weeks. Am a little concerned about that since I am only down to 9mg Prednisone & with a suppressed immune system. Any thoughts?
Also to help others going into surgery....the surgery center in my area suggests using no makeup, no nail polish & wash with liquid antibacteria soap the morning of the operation. And one thing I didn't think of was that the caregiver helping you return home must wash their hands well before leaving the Center.
0 likes, 9 replies
EileenH joey_12298
Posted
Several people on various PMR forums have had surgery while on 10mg or above with no problems. Whether your immune system is suppressed or not seems to be a debatable question - certainly I've not had worse infections whilst on pred, in fact, I've probably had fewer, that I'm aware of at least.
Yes - it makes sense not to use make-up and nail polish. During surgery they would mask any palor due to deterioration - and the oxygen monitor is placed on a finger tip over the nail. Would be a shame to be told to remove it when you arrive! And it saves you time before you go.
EileenH
Posted
PS - don't forget to make sure the entire team is aware you are on pred! Then they can't deny knowing. Whether you get a bit extra to cover you during/after surgery very much depends on the surgeon/anaesthetist. Some do, some don't.
joey_12298 EileenH
Posted
dea13 EileenH
Posted
It has been a worry to me being on the preds and having surgery because of slower healing and infection. I guess now I will just have to accept and chill out : Thanks
EileenH dea13
Posted
If the team were concerned they wouldn't do it - and steroids are used in cancer therapy too. Good luck.
snapperblue joey_12298
Posted
Normally the adrenals would increase corticosteroid production in response to the stress of having surgery, but the prednisone has suppressed the them. You might ask your doctor about that. My anesthesiologist gave me a boost of prednisone at the time of the surgery.
dea13 snapperblue
Posted
steve_1 joey_12298
Posted
I had surgery for bilateral hernias back in early spring whilst on 9mg and made a full and speedy recovery with no hiccups.
All the washing and cleaning is obvious if you think about it, but what I found ammusing was that the nurse who did the pre admission checks told me that they use a very powerful agent to clean the cutting area prior to cutting and that if you have a fake tan it takes it off leaving a stiped pattern, so if it's on a visible part of the body the results can be embarassing for the patient.
1951grumpa joey_12298
Posted
I had a total knee replacement surgery in June. I was at g prednisone and 15 mg mtx.
The only problem I had is a bout with cold sores, and I got them before PMR and any med's. When I get rundown that's usually that's what occurs. Be sure to talk over all of your concerns with your Dr.