By Jerome Edelstein, MD
At Edelstein Cosmetic, your safety is paramount. It is for this very reason that your surgery is scheduled during the day. We avoid scheduling any surgeries in the evening because it dramatically increases the rate of complications.
THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ANESTHESIA
Complications related to anesthesia are very rare, however problems that could possibly arise can be significantly increased when the surgery is scheduled late in the afternoon, according to a study conducted by researchers at Duke University Medical Center Surgical. The study found that patients have fewer problems with anesthesia if their surgery is scheduled earlier on in the day. The researchers analyzed over 90,000 operations, taking into account complications including postoperative nausea, vomiting and pain management. The probability of particular complications was four times greater when surgeries started late in the afternoon than when they were scheduled in the morning at 9:00. The majority of these complications were considered to be minor (ie postoperative nausea).
While the researchers were unable to state a reason for this with absolute certainty, several possible explanations were offered, including physiological changes in the patients.
YOUR PHYSICAL STATE
In the same Duke University study, researchers suggest that patients may actually be more susceptible to pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting in the late afternoon, though they aren’t sure whether it is due to the physical state of patients just prior to surgery. But consider this: before surgery, patients are generally advised not to eat beforehand. There is a severe limit on liquid intake as well. Can you imagine how hungry and thirsty you would be if you were a patient? Now imagine if you had to wait, in that state, until the late afternoon or evening for your surgery to take place. It would be natural to assume that the physical state of the patient would be less than favourable.
YOUR MENTAL STATE
A positive mental state has been proven to improve the outcome of surgery. It is very common to feel nervous before surgery, but this anxiety often increases in patients as the day goes on. By scheduling your surgery earlier on in the day, we effectively reduce the level (and duration) of anxiety felt by our patients, not to mention the hunger and thirst as well!
It is vital for our patients to have a positive surgical experience at Edelstein Cosmetic. While we may make exceptions for our patients as long as the reasons are medically sound, we have found that surgeries scheduled earlier on in the day maintain the greater level of care that our patients have come to expect. We avoid scheduling elective surgery in the evening or night because it may be riskier for the patient.