Operation tomorrow and I have a cold

[jedimistress]

Hi,

I am due to go under general aneasthetic tomorrow and today I can feel a cold coming on. Everyone else has got this at work. Would it affect the operation or should the op be cancelled?

[Sqad]

Go as usual and the anaesthetist will decide if your are fit for general anaesthesia.
If your symptoms are much worse in the morning then ring the hospital.

[237SJ]

Do you have an admission letter regarding your op? You could phone the number of the consultant`s secretary and ask. I needed to ask something before an op a few years ago and they were really helpful.

[China Doll]

As 237SJ said. No point going in if they can tell you outright the surgery will be cancelled. I have cancelled surgeries in the past for this precise reason. The secretary should be able to confirm with the consultant fairly quickly.

[Sqad]

It´s not the surgeon who cancels the operation, it is the anaesthetist when one is considering fitness for anaesthesia.

[rowanwitch]

short GA and if the cold doesn't affect your breathing you would probably go ahead so if it is for a minor op you should be ok...longer GA and they might be a bit more careful but as Sqad said it is not your consultants final decision it is the anaesthetists..What op is it?

[China Doll]

It's only the anaesthetists decision if the consultant tells the patient to come in in the first instance. I've known consultants (hence the cancellations) who will not operate on a patient with a cold (nature of the surgery, recovery etc) so no point in the person coming unless they want a really nice sleep and no messy stiching/bandages/dressings afterwards ;0)

I'd make the call first. Last thing you want to do is get out of bed and lumber up there if you're sick only to find there was no need.

[Sqad]

The real world:

NHS..Patient..secretary speaks to surgeon "Mrs so&so has a " Surgeon" Cancel her"

Private.Patient...secretary speaks to surgeon "Mrs so&so has a....Surgeon "Tell her to come as usual and my anaesthetist will see her.

Let us know what happens when you ring today ......I know what my money will be on ;-)

[China Doll]

You gotta be kidding.... One of my old consultants was a bu88er for trying to squeeze as much as possible on a list and always wanting extra lists, he hated cancelling! (Mainly because he had such a long waiting list but I suspect there was a large element of avoiding his paperwork thrown in there as well). IThere may be some surgeons will say cancel at the drop of a hat (I've not met any), others, depending on what you're having done, just won't operate because of other risk factors involved and so the patient may as well be spared the journey where possible if the answer is already a given.

It's not good patient care to drag someone in when there's really no reason for them to be there, I'd be pretty cross if it was me.

[Sqad]

CD.......maybe........!!

[anneasquith]

hi jed, i think the type of surgery you will be getting, is a major factor

[milly143]

About 5 years ago I was booked in for an op and had a cold on the day. I decided not to say anything as I was desperate for the op so it went ahead and when I woke up from the GA - cold gone! Must be the oxygen or something but I was convinced I had discovered the cure for the common cold.