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What To Do If You Get Sick Before Your Surgery

When having surgery or anesthesia, it is important that you are in the best possible health. If you have a new illness or a flare up of an old condition around the time of a planned surgery, sometimes the safest practice may be to delay the procedure until you are well.

Don't assume that your surgery will be delayed if you are sick. If the procedure is urgent or your illness is related to the surgical problem, then it might be best to go ahead with the procedure as planned.

Contact your surgeon's office as soon as you think you have an illness that might delay surgery.

If you get sick, call the Ambulatory Surgical Care Unit at (410) 328-6247 and ask to speak to the nurse in charge. The unit is open 24 hours on weekdays (Monday through Friday).

If your surgery is canceled, contact your surgeon's office to reschedule. Pre-operative testing will usually not need to be repeated.

Examples of Conditions that May Delay Surgery Include:

Cold or sinus infection within two weeks before surgeryPneumonia or bronchitis within a month before surgeryStomach virus or fluFeverAsthma attack or wheezing within two weeks before surgeryChest pain which is worse than usualShortness of breath which is worse than usualDiabetes severely out of controlInfected skin or rash in the area of surgeryGenerally not feeling as well as usual

Source: http://www.umm.edu/perioperative-services/preparing-surgery-checklist.htm#ixzz2CsAVyU4E
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