How to Prep for Brain Surgery
Surgery in and of itself is scary. The thought of going under anesthesia and the fear of the unknown is terrifying to most individuals. More serious surgeries such as brain surgery, heart surgery, and organ surgery in general add even more fear and tension. In preparing for brain surgery, here are the bases that you need to cover to ensure that you are well taken care of throughout surgery and recovery, as well as in the instance that something happens and you cannot make decisions for your care and well-being.
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Instructions
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See your internist to confirm that you are medically cleared for surgery. This may involve different tests to ensure your circulatory system is functioning well enough to undergo anesthesia. If any medical conditions are found that may interfere with surgery, they will be treated immediately. Your internist could be a cardiologist or a gastroenterologist, for example. He will check his respective areas of expertise and clear you for surgery or not.
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Inform your neurosurgeon if you are taking anticoagulant medications or if you are a hemophiliac. Either of these could cause problems but the neurosurgeon will take this information into account and prepare for anything to happen in order to protect your life. Also tell your surgeon about any herbs, oils, creams, or supplements you may be taking. The neurosurgeon will tell you which medications to stop taking and for how long before surgery, and then make recommendations on when you can resume medications or if some will need to be altered to go with any other medications you might need to take after your surgery.
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Speak with your spouse and/or loved ones concerning your wishes, should a complication occur and you are unable to make reasonable decisions regarding your condition. Put your wishes in writing, have it placed in your medical file, and give a copy to the person who will be making decisions for you. A will needs to be drawn up before surgery in case the worst should happen. Your will should indicate the name of the executor of the will and include where your assets will go and what you wish to have done with your remains.
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Speak with your neurosurgeon about all of the risks involved with the surgery. This may frighten you for days and you may have the worst-case scenarios running through your head, but it is best to know all possible outcomes so that you may plan accordingly. For instance, one of the risks of brain surgery is a coma; if you go into a coma, you need to designate someone to make all of your medical decisions, be very clear with that person as to your wishes regarding life support, medical procedures, and medications that you will and will not take.
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Before surgery occurs, several tests and X-rays may be done to minimize the surgery. An MRI or CT scan may be performed to minimize the physical digging around for the actual issue. Other tests such as an EKG may be performed to ensure that there are no underlying problems to complicate, or eliminate the need for, having brain surgery.
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