You Probably Shouldn’t Do This Before Surgery

I know having surgery can be a nerve-wracking experience. Even the most routine of procedures carries the risk of unforeseen complications. But it’s important to handle your concerns the right way. Doing the wrong thing could actually make your recovery far worse.

I’ve written before about some of the steps before going under the knife. A)establishing a good rapport with your doctor and making sure there’s a crash cart with certain medications available. One type of medication you don’t want to have available to you is anti-anxiety medication.

People sometimes think taking an anti-anxiety med prior to getting on the table will help them stay calm for the procedure. Sure it may work but it’s not worth it. According to research conducted at Timone Hospital in France, taking the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam prior to a surgery can make recovery a lot harder.

In particular, the patients who took this particular drug tended to need ventilation tubes for longer and also slept more poorly afterward. There was also an increased level of amnesia. Patients had a harder time getting their cognitive abilities back after. as compared to those who took a placebo or nothing at all.

It’s true that having surgery can be scary. Try some non-prescription calming techniques instead, such as deep breathing or mediation to help you relax before a procedure.

Yours in Health

Dr. Jack Belitz,DC

PS. If you or a loved one is considering surgery, I would highly suggest you stop in the office a week or 2 before the surgery. We can run a computerized exam of your nervous system. If the system is all out of kilter, you will want to get that squared away before you have surgery. For one thing, if the nerves aren’t working it could cause you to have symptoms that may lead you to believe you need surgery. Having open and clear nerves will help you recover faster and respond more efficiently to the drugs the medical doctor gives you.