I'm having a tummy tuck with Muscle repair done in 2 weeks in Ontario. I have a history of having low B12 and Iron levels. My pre admission appointment is next week. They will be drawing blood. Will they cancel surgery if they find my levels are low/deficient? And if so why wouldn't they have drawn blood months ago and tried to correct my levels before surgery? Thanks!
Answer: Safety First - Iron/Vitamin B12 deficiency Thank you for the question. With all elective surgeries, safety must come first. If you are aware of your low iron and vitamin B12, then I hope you and your primary care physician have been treating and monitoring it appropriately. If you have not been treating it and are found to have low levels, it is safest to wait until they are in the normal range, along with your hemoglobin. Depending on your medical history, it is not routine to check vitamin B12 and iron levels months before surgery. You would need to indicate that this has not been addressed by your primary care taker before this would be considered. Low iron and vitamin B12 can cause all sorts of issues; it is best for your health that you make sure your levels are good -- even when not scheduling surgery. You should make sure your levels are good postoperatively too for healing purposes. Be safe. Hope this helps.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
Answer: Safety First - Iron/Vitamin B12 deficiency Thank you for the question. With all elective surgeries, safety must come first. If you are aware of your low iron and vitamin B12, then I hope you and your primary care physician have been treating and monitoring it appropriately. If you have not been treating it and are found to have low levels, it is safest to wait until they are in the normal range, along with your hemoglobin. Depending on your medical history, it is not routine to check vitamin B12 and iron levels months before surgery. You would need to indicate that this has not been addressed by your primary care taker before this would be considered. Low iron and vitamin B12 can cause all sorts of issues; it is best for your health that you make sure your levels are good -- even when not scheduling surgery. You should make sure your levels are good postoperatively too for healing purposes. Be safe. Hope this helps.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
April 8, 2018
Answer: Iron and B12 Levels Excellent question. If you are currently treating your low B12 and Iron levels then there should be no problem once your labs are drawn. But if its untreated then your plastic surgeon might reschedule your procedure and ask your to start treatment. During any surgical procedure you can expect some blood loss, and it is up to the surgeon to determine if your levels are sufficient enough to handle that blood loss. Every practice is different with their pre operative requirements. But in most cases it is safer to have the pre operative lab work performed 1 month ahead of surgery to allow sufficient time to make corrections if needed. Best wishes with your procedure.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
April 8, 2018
Answer: Iron and B12 Levels Excellent question. If you are currently treating your low B12 and Iron levels then there should be no problem once your labs are drawn. But if its untreated then your plastic surgeon might reschedule your procedure and ask your to start treatment. During any surgical procedure you can expect some blood loss, and it is up to the surgeon to determine if your levels are sufficient enough to handle that blood loss. Every practice is different with their pre operative requirements. But in most cases it is safer to have the pre operative lab work performed 1 month ahead of surgery to allow sufficient time to make corrections if needed. Best wishes with your procedure.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
