Pre-Op MD

Preparing for a surgery or a surgical procedure is an important task.  There are many factors that must be evaluated.  It is particularly important to evaluate your Medical History.  Your history will be evaluated by your surgeon as well as your anesthesiologist. 
 
Anesthesia
Your past medical history and the kind of surgery you are having influence decisions about the kind of anesthesia you will receive. The decision is ultimately a collaborative effort between you and your anesthesia consultant.  It may be very valuable to spend some time going through the anesthesia section of the website.  In this section all of the different options for anesthesia are discussed.  The exact type of anesthesia you will be given is based upon your personal medical history.
 
The downloadable Medical Record can help you prepare for surgery by organizing your pertinent health information in one document.  When completed, this document can also help your surgeon and anesthesia professional as they review your medical history.  For example, the Medical Record allows you to keep track of all of your allergies such as an allergy to antibiotics.  It is important to relay this information to your healthcare providers because patients are often given antibiotics before surgery.  Having this information organized will help you avoid being given a medication to which you have an allergy.  Many patients experience another common problem - latex allergy.  If you have a latex allergy it is important that all of your providers in each area of the hospital or surgery center avoid using latex gloves.  By having this information printed and organized you keep your practitioners up to date on your health status.
 
Based upon your status and the type of surgery you are having, it may be necessary to do some laboratory testing or other pre op evaluations.  If such testing is needed, it will be ordered by your surgeon or anesthesia professional.
 
If you are pregnant and preparing to have your baby you may want to look at the OB Anesthesia section as pregnant patients have special considerations.