Plastic Surgery: Q&A
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Are Blood Tests Mandatory Before Surgery?
From reading other stories i was under the impression that i would have blood work done at my pre-surgical appointment. But when i went the nurse went over my history, checked my blood pressure, lungs, heart, etc. and looked down at her paper and said ok your all set to meet with the anesthesialogist your Doctor didn't order any blood work. Is that ok? Should i be concerned? My Tummy tuck and breast augmentation surgery is next week and i am starting to get really nervous.
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19 Doctor Answers |
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anon
+5
Blood Tests Before Surgery
Many agree that routine blood testing prior to surgery in young, healthy patients (say less than 30 years old) is not necessary. While to a certain extent that may be true, I feel otherwise. I require a CBC (complete blood count) prior to surgery on ALL patients. This is to check for anemia (uncommon but I probably advise 10% of patients to begin iron supplements before surgery) but also to check the white cell count (an indicator of infection) espcially...
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+3
Pre-operative blood tests
In healthy patients younger than thirty a pregnancy test is usually all that is required. However, some hospitals and surgical centers often require more extensive testing. For patients older than 30, we generally require a CBC, BMP, and PT/PTT. If you have any respiratory or cardiac issues, then we require a medical clearance from your medical doctor and also an EKG and a chest Xray. Your medical doctor may also decide to order more extensive tests as well....
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+2
Preoperative testing will vary with your surgeon and the facility
Hi there-
For healthy young women (under age 30 with no medical problems) having short procedures with limited blood loss and anesthesia time (breast augmentation), most surgeons and facilities would not require any testing at all, other than a pregnancy test done in timely fashion.
Similarly, most would agree that patients over 40 or 50, or those with medical problems, would benefit from testing before undergoing surgery.
The gray area therefore, is between the ages of 30 and 40....
How to best
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Your age and health status is relevant
Not every body need to have blood work and anesthesialogist will follow guide lines based on the surgery, age and risk factors. You should be able to discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon rather than asking other doctors. You are about to let your surgeon operate on you and you should be able to talk to your doctor freely about any concerns that you have.
+2
Blood tests are often unnecessary for tummy tuck and breast augmentation
If you are healthy and relatively young a blood test is not necessary for a breast augmentation or a tummy tuck procedure. Those who are on medication or have a history of anemia deserve a check beforehand, and those with a medical condition may require a checkup by their doctor for a medical clearance for surgery. A 'clearance' means that your medical condition is stable and well managed at the time and will not conflict with your procedure. Chest x-rays are a thing of the past. We do...
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It is better to be safe than sorry with pre-operative blood work
I have all of my patients get blood work if they are having anesthesia. This is true for someone 18 years old to someone 75 years old. A simple work-up is easy to do, minimally inconvenient and can potentially pick up a problem that could be exacerbated by a surgical procedure or anesthetic. It is better to be safe than sorry!
+2
Blood work often times is not necessary
In healthy patients under the age of thirty-five, without significant past medical problems, routine blood work isn't usually indicated. Assuming the patient hasn't had a tubal ligation or hysterectomy, the only lab work that we will require is a pregnancy test and that's usually obtained on the morning of surgery.
Hope this helps. Best of luck.
+1
Blood Tests Prior To Surgery?
Thank you for the question.
You'll find that every practice has a different routine when it comes to pre-operative appointments. This includes blood tests that are ordered. For most young, healthy patients minimal to no blood work is necessary. For example, often a hemoglobin check and a pregnancy test may be all that is indicated for a young healthy patient undergoing “mommy makeover” surgery.
In our practice, during the preoperative visit ( typically done...
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+1
Preoperative blood tests
I insist that all patients about to undergo surgery have recent blood tests. Although there is most often no abnormality, the rare finding of something unhealthy such as anemia or a blood clotting defect is worth the mimal cost of the exams and can prevent unforseen complications.
+1
Required lab work
Unless a particular hospital has "required" labs, for most small surgical procedures (such as breast augmentation) in a young healthy woman, the only necessary lab study is a pregnancy test. For procedures where a large potential space is created (such as a tummy tuck, or any intra-abdominal operation), I like to check the patients blood count to be sure a wide safety margin exists. (If bleeding were to occur after surgery, in procedures where a large space exists a significant...
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