Hand Surgery: Getting Ready For It

Hand surgery usually focuses more on reconstructive methods instead of cosmetic reasons

. Many reasons behind these kinds of operations are to ease pain and discomfort brought about by disorders and diseases which manifest themselves in the hands, wrists, forearms and even the upper arms. Candidates for this procedure are usually assessed by their surgeons with regards to general health, in both physical and mental fields as well as their susceptibility to the results.

How to Prepare: Once a person has been deemed a good candidate for hand surgery, he or she will receive instructions which specify what is to be expected from the individual a few weeks or days before the operation. Some of the foremost things to do are lab tests which will confirm or reiterate the suitability of a person to undergo it. These tests may show if there are other underlying conditions which may affect how suitable a person is.

Medications which the individual may be currently taking and which may affect the procedure should either be reduced or stopped altogether a few weeks before the proposed date of the procedure. Some individuals will also be asked to take certain medicines which will help them adjust to the coming event. Some herbal supplements and anti-inflammatory medicines are to be finished or stopped weeks before the scheduled time since these can drastically affect how a person's blood clots. Patients who take aspirin as a form of therapy should also stop this for the time being as recommended by the doctor.

Smoking may also affect a person's desired result when it comes to such surgery and other forms of surgeries. Surgeons will almost always ask their smoker patient to stop smoking long before the scheduled time in order to minimize certain risks connected to people who smoke and are subject to an upcoming operation.

Briefing: The physician will also give a brief description of what will likely happen during operation, such as where it will take place and what kinds of drugs and medications will be administered during and after. Post operative instructions will also be touched on during the briefing and these will also be given afterwards. Outpatients are advised to have someone with them to help facilitate their ride home and their welfare at home during the initial night after the surgery. People who are briefed are encouraged to ask questions that are not addressed properly by their surgeons or any other thing that might occur to them connected to the operation.

by: Andrew Stratton

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