Coronavirus is not going away anytime soon, and elective surgeries will commence before we have a vaccine, cure, or other treatment. So what should you do before your plastic surgery?
This was part of a statement put out my national society for Board Certified Plastic Surgeons. It echoes a lot of what I was saying/doing before, and even reiterates a bunch of what I put in a prior blog. The ASPS goes a little deeper, and I agree with it, so I will put it here.
Bottom line, you do not want to have active infection when you go into surgery. As we know, some people are asymptomatic for the first few days. The disease course varies, but for those who get sick, it tends to have a one – two punch, with a low grade fever and achiness, then you feel like you are getting better, and then you get sick rapidly in the second stage, often with lowering of your oxygen levels (many times without “feeling” how low your oxygen really is).
Bottom line as well, for those of you who are asymptomatic, if you have active disease when going into surgery, even if you have few symptoms, you are putting tons of people at risk. For many general anesthetic procedures you are intubated. This is a time where the virus can aerosolize, and put all of the surgical staff (anesthesia, circulating nurse, surgeon, and scrub tech) at risk. Other patients could be exposed during their time in the preop area, surgery room, or recovery.
So.
- Do you know your status? Did you have it before (with testing positive)? Have you had an antibody test which showed you were already exposed?
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- Preop PCR testing for acute infection before elective surgery.
- Do this close to surgery as feasible, with allowing enough time to get results before surgery.
- Know there is a false negative rate for the test.
- The test may not be available.
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- Self quarantine prior to surgery for 5-7 days.
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- This means potentially not sharing a bed with your spouse, don’t hug your children, etc.
- Do not go out and about- no restaurants, dinners, friend gatherings.
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- Have you had exposure? Have you been at home and not seeing people? Did you go to Aunt Judy’s birthday party with 20 members of your family? Have you been wearing a mask? Has anyone in your family tested positive? Been sick? Recently traveled? When?
- And I would add….Postpone if you are higher risk.
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- If you are over the age of 60
- If you have other medical problems: high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes
- If you are a current smoker, vaper, pot aficionado
- If you are obese (that means BMI over 30 for sure)
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