Before and After a Surgical Procedure
Surgery is a branch of medicine that uses surgical intervention to repair, reconstruct, or restore bodily function, appearance, or mobility to a patient. Surgery can be either open or laparoscopic and is often associated with medicine and psychiatry. Surgery has become one of the most popular branches of medicine and people from all walks of life to take it up as a career. There are various kinds of surgery and they all have different purposes. Some surgeries you may have heard about include:
Abdominoplasty: This is an open surgery that involves the removal of excess fat, muscle, or skin that may be causing discomfort in the abdomen. The doctor may also reshape the abdominal wall if there is evidence of obesity in the abdominal region. Abdominoplasty is usually performed in patients who have been obese and it is one of the common procedures done to reduce signs of being overweight.
Breast augmentation: Breast augmentation is a very popular cosmetic procedure and this usually involves silicone implants inserted into the breasts after breast tissue is removed in the preop period. This is a very invasive procedure and preoperative preparations are essential as there may be significant scarring and swelling after the operation. Women who want breast enlargements may need surgery at the preop stage.
Emergency surgery: An emergency surgery is a very serious procedure and there are certain circumstances in which prior procedures may not be enough to protect the patient from further complications. Emergency surgery is used to save lives when people suffering from severe injuries or disease have to undergo major surgery. It is generally done on patients who cannot wait for normal preoperative procedures to take place. An emergency surgery may include such procedures as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), heart rhythm monitoring, and emergency tracheostomy. Cardiac arrest, seizures anencephaly are other conditions that require urgent preoperative procedures. In such cases, when a procedure cannot wait, an emergency procedure is undertaken by the doctor.
Surgery performed in the operating room: Only doctors and surgeons are qualified to perform invasive surgeries and they must be completely qualified. Surgeons are well trained and experienced in performing any type of surgery and the most important thing that one must remember is that surgery cannot be undone. All procedures should be conducted only by doctors. Surgeons have to ensure that they do not cause more damage than they are capable of and they need surgery scars. Therefore, one can be sure that these types of surgeries will always require an experienced surgeon.
What to expect after surgery: After surgery, a full recovery needs to take place. You should be able to return to work within a week and some days you may need to stay in the hospital for a few days. The amount of pain will depend on the extent and gravity of the procedure performed. Normally, surgical operations take less than two hours to perform, but in some cases it may require a longer time. Usually the stitches will start to loosen one day after surgery and you can start feeling normal and pain-free within a week or two. One must remember that it may take a while for you to resume normal activities and resume your normal lifestyle, so do not hesitate to ask for advice from your surgeon.
