If Only I Had Known Before Surgery

#Anxiety, #fear, #pain - these are what my patients initially feel before their #surgery. I show them how they can thrive through their surgery and be healthier than ever before. I show them the immense power they have in their surgical outcome.

Learn more at www.integrated.doctor to see how you can take back your health through surgery.

Transcript below:
Surgery can be stressful. Many of my patients are anxious, concerned about complications, and afraid of losing control. Unfortunately, all too often, I hear patient say “if only I had known”.
For example, if I had known that my stress would lead to me requiring more anesthesia, and more anesthesia could lead to more side effects, like nausea and more pain. That same stress could increase my risk of opioid addiction. Or if only I had known that my anxiety before surgery could lead to post-operative complications, like blood clots and reduced immune function leading to longer recovery.
As the patient, you have incredible power over the anxieties, complications, and recovery from your surgery. It comes with preparation, just like how your surgeon and anesthesiologist prepare for your surgery. We can’t do it alone though – we can only do the best for you when you come prepared. There is no doubt that your mindset heavily impacts your surgery and recovery. Your nutrition and physical fitness before and after surgery also play an important role.
The key is that your preparation needs to be evidence based and safe, just like what we use as your doctors for your surgery. There are many resources to help relieve anxiety for surgery in hopes of giving you better results, but not all of them have evidence. Your time and money around surgery is valuable, and I don’t want patients to waste either on methods that aren’t proven, or worse, unsafe. Perhaps you’ve heard of certain supplements, meditation techniques, diets, or other alternative treatments that sound like they may make you stronger for surgery. Some can be incredibly powerful, but most simply have no proof behind them, and you don’t want to waste effort that can make you feel even worse than before.
Your preparation also needs to be based on your specific surgery and your pre-existing medical conditions. If you’re a diabetic having shoulder surgery, you have different preparation than if you have heart disease before a hysterectomy, or sleep apnea for gall bladder surgery. Having anxiety or depression on top of any other conditions has additional preparation that too often goes overlooked.
Preparing your mindset for surgery can help you avoid serious complications that your doctors may not be able to control, such as chronic pain, nausea, longer recovery time, infections, and blood clots. That same preparation can also be your starting point to make lasting changes to your health to prevent the need for further surgery and take back control of your health and mental #wellbeing.

#integrativemedicine #wellness #wellbeing