@intercst when is your surgery? Must be getting close. Are you all set up for recovery?
Wendy
6 Likes
Surgery is scheduled for 11 AM Thursday. Just had my pre-op interview with the anesthesiology team via a 45 minute phone call. Got no push back when I told them I was taking a taxi-cab for the 20 minute drive across the Columbia River to my home after my 2-3 day hospital stay. They expect to have me walking up and down the corridor in the hospital on Friday.
(Note: The anesthesiology assistant said the procedure that I’m scheduled for is an “open popliteal artery aneurysm repair with angiogram”. I said, "Wait a second, you can do an open procedure in the same operating theater where you do an angiogram? You got all the same x-ray equipment as the Cath Lab in there? She said, “Yes”. My useless $26,000 May 20th angiogram and angioplasty is looking like an even bigger medical error.)
One thing I found odd was that I was instructed to go out and buy an extra-strength, antibiotic, hospital quality bar of soap (chlorhexidine gluconate) for a shower on Wednesday night and again on Thursday morning before I leave the house. No doubt this is another Private Equity cost saving measure.
The last time I was admitted to the hospital for an inpatient surgery, they had me shower in the hospital as part of the pre-op routine. Seems to me I could pick up a pathogen on the trip between home and hospital Thursday morning.
intercst
10 Likes
Makes sense but I guess an in-hospital shower would delay the “assembly line.”
Showering before the hospital is routine these days. I have done the same routine for my last 4 surgeries (open-heart, bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction, hysterectomy). But my chlorhexidine gluconate soap was liquid.
If you don’t mind a suggestion…get a couple of comfortable wrap-around robes and prepare to hang “au naturel” for a while at home. Sliding underwear over a wounded, bandaged leg isn’t optimal. I arranged something similar for my surgeries.
Wishing you excellent results, rapid healing and no complications. My pleural effusion complication after my aortic valve/ aorta replacement kept me hospitalized for 9 days.
Wendy
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Thanks for the suggestion. But I’m pretty sure I’ll be wearing an Ace bandage around the gauze packing at the incision at my knee. I won’t have any problem pulling the cargo shorts that are de rigueur for me this time of year over the Ace bandage.
My understanding is that there are no pain nerves in your blood vessels. It’s not like getting a bone-on- bone knee or hip replacement where there is more opportunity for pain. In the past I haven’t experienced any incision site pain in previous major surgeries including the 1991 parotid tumor excision where they basically pealed the entire right side of my face away from the jaw to expose all the nerves they wanted to make sure they were avoiding. (Go to Youtube and search for “parotidectomy with full facial nerve preservation”.) I’m expecting the same pain-free performance here.
I’ll update you with the results once I’m back in the hospital ward Thursday afternoon/evening. They have wifi in the hospital and I’m bringing my laptop with a bunch of TV shows and movies I haven’t had time to watch.
And thank you for your sincere interest in my recovery. I appreciate it.
Now that my medical team is working off the correct set of documents, I’m expecting that this will be completely successful.
intercst
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Don’t you know that saying things like that will attract the Evil Eye?
Kinehora. (A Yiddish expression that means “No Evil Eye.”)
Wendy
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Best of luck and hope you have a speedy recovery.
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I don’t think so. This appears to be a standard recommendation nowadays pre-surgery. When I had my shoulder surgery (2 1/2 yrs ago), I was told to do the same thing. That way, your entire skin surface gets at least partially “sanitized”. Because immediately before surgery they only sanitize the surgical area (it would be very difficult to do the entire body at that point). I bet someone did a study and it showed some percentage of fewer infections after surgery.
I don’t even know where that could possibly be done? I went from waiting room (about a 3 minute wait), to prep room (change into hospital gown, put clothes and stuff in plastic bag), to gurney (plastic bag goes on shelf under gurney), to OR. There was no room with a shower along the way.
@intercst Good luck with the surgery, hope you have a quick, complete, and easy recovery.
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As I remember. They had me report to the hospital ward where I 'd be sent after the recovery room and had me shower in an empty hospital room. This was 30 plus years ago, so obviously procedures have changed.
If they are less worried about infectious disease precautions today, I may as well just use the half bottle of a disinfectant mouth wash they gave me after an oral surgery procedure in June to save a failed root canal to disinfect my knee. That has chlorhexidine gluconate in it, too.
intercst
1 Like
People still wear underwear?
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There is a growing industry in supplements to prevent skid marks.
A fool and his money.
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@intercst JUST DO WHAT THEY TELL YOU!!!
Stop being such a cheap b@strd that you will risk your life by saving $5 using an oral antiseptic that doesn’t contain soap.
Sheesh!!!
Wendy
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Second that.
I’m willing to start a Go Fund Me page for intercst to raise the $5.
I’m in for a quarter. Any other takers?
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Dude, really? Just spring for the soap.
We’re all wishing you a safe operation and speedy recovery so we can hear more about financial slippage when you get back.
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The majority of periop wound infections in “clean cases” (meaning we not operating on an organ that has stool with bacteria in it like the colon, or in a setting with a known infection like perforated appendicitis) is from patients skin. Bacteria that has colonized there and normally causes you no harm. Its impossible and generally not advisable to make your body surface area sterile for any length of time. Even from hospital room to the OR.
But showering a few times with chlorhexidine or approp soap leading up to surgery (night b4 and/or day of) has been shown to decrease the overal bacterial load and colonization, along with periop wound infections. Theres really no reason you have to do it in the hospital and to be honest, they are no empty hospital rooms to be used as showers these days.
Also tbh hospital rooms are pretty gross compared to your own home. Who knows what the guy before you had. I know the environmental services staff does a great job but i just prefer to minimize my time in the inpatient wards
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You mix the mouthwash with liquid soap – you’re a chemist. {{ LOL }}
The “Fear appeal” (e.g., you’re risking your life) is a well known marketing gimmick and major source of excessive skim.
intercst
1 Like
Yep. I’m immunosuppressed w/CellCept and careful about getting infected.I have a 25 year history of none to date, which they tell me is amazing.
I don’t want to spend any more time in the hospital than I have to.
intercst
4 Likes
Of course I thought of that…but knowing your propensity to threaten lawsuits…
Try it and let us know how it works.
Wendy
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Yep…mix it ahead of time and try it on your hands. I’m sure that "nice and sticky feeling " after a shower will be a wonderful marketing campaign 
Just be careful of that bluish tinge it leaves… 
All the best, enjoy the rest time!!
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