In order to prevent complications or unforeseen issues during surgery, a surgeon needs to take plenty of time before the procedure to familiarize themself with the specifics of the procedure and the individual receiving surgery. No two patients are the same, which means individual attention needs to be given before every single operation in order to reduce the controlled risks. To do this, a surgeon needs to be aware of a number of patient-related factors. Below, we take a closer look at five things your spine surgeon should know prior to your back procedure.
What Your Surgeon Should Know Pre-Op
Here’s a look at five things your surgeon needs to be aware of before they meet you in the operating room:
- The Root Cause Of Your Issue – If your surgeon doesn’t have a precise understanding of the full scope of your issue, there’s no guarantee that a procedure will fix the problem. If they are addressing the symptoms, not the root cause, you may not achieve the relief you seek. They need to conduct their pre-op examination and take all the necessary imaging tests to ensure they know that what they are targeting during the operation is what’s causing your back pain.
- Your Medical History – It’s also important that your surgeon conducts a thorough review of your medical history and asks you personally about your medical background before proceeding with an operation. They’ll want to know about conditions like hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea or other conditions that could cause complications during the procedure. Not only do surgeons need to review it, but patients need to be open and honest during pre-surgical consultations about their whole family history.
- Medications – Your doctor also needs to be aware of any medications you are taking, even if it’s just over-the-counter medication. Your medication can cause problems for your anesthesia, so it’s very important that you are open and honest about your medication regimen and that you follow your surgeon’s pre-operative instructions for managing medications in the days and weeks leading up to your surgery.
- Your Allergies – This should be made obvious during the pre-operative review of your medical history, but any known allergies need to be made expressly clear to your surgical care team. In order to do everything we can to prevent complications with your anesthesia or any medication that will be administered throughout the course of your care, we need to know about potential allergies. We have safeguards in place to care for any unknown allergies, but talking about them throughout the pre-op stages can account for any known allergies.
- Your Goals – Finally, it’s important that your surgeon understands your short-term and long-term goals as they pertain to your operation and your recovery. If your goals and expectations don’t fall in line with the expected results of the procedure, we need to reconsider whether an operation is truly in your best interests. We’re not going to move forward with a procedure that a patient doesn’t want or doesn’t need, which is why we need to understand why you want to have the surgery and what you hope it will help you achieve physically in the long-term. Your doctor needs to understand your goals in order to ensure this is the right treatment for you.
If you want a surgeon who works hard to ensure he knows all of these things and more prior to your procedure, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and his team today for more information or for help with your spine pain.
