The Risk of Surgery as a Diabetic
When a patient with diabetes comes in to Specialty Surgical Center, there is a certain level of precaution that must be taken. While it is unlikely that anything will go wrong during the surgery, patients with diabetes are at an increased risk of surgical complications. Because of this, we need patients to notify us about their condition so we can properly accommodate to ensure the patient’s safety.
There are a few things that diabetics need to be aware of before surgery. First, when the body is under stress, there could be an increased risk of hyperglycemia, also known as high blood pressure. Hyperglycemia inhibits the body’s ability to heal incision wounds, so recovery time could take longer if the patient gets high blood pressure during the surgery. Additionally, patients could be more prone to infection or diabetic ketoacidosis.
In order to prevent the risk factors from becoming a reality, your surgeon will give you specific pre-operative instructions. During this appointment, you should be able to find out if you can take your insulin the night before or the morning of the surgery. We typically tell patients not to have food or beverages in the hours leading up to the surgery, but the surgeon may give you other instructions based on how you should handle your blood glucose level. Finally, you’ll want to be sure to check and see if you can continue taking your diabetes medication in the weeks before your surgery.
Fortunately, since Specialty Surgical Center performs outpatient surgeries, your risk of infection is significantly lower compared to a traditional hospital. Outpatient surgery also means that you will be home sooner, so the body will not be under as much stress. However, during your stay at our facility, we may monitor your blood sugar frequently and we may administer insulin intravenously in order to keep levels healthy.
As for post-operative care, we advise all patients to look for signs of infection and to keep the wound clean. Since diabetics are more prone to infection, we recommend paying extra attention to the incision and all dressings for signs of infection including redness, itching, excessive drainage, and more.
If you have any questions or concerns, we would be happy to speak on the phone to put you at ease about having surgery while living with diabetes. During your call, we will be able to address questions specifically catered to your procedure.
Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.
For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.