7 Types of checks that are often done after or before surgery: procedures, safety, side effects, and benefits

The operation must be carried out with great care and preparation, as well as after going through the operation, the results must be checked again. The doctor will not arbitrarily order you to perform surgery without various kinds of previous tests. Furthermore, after the operation the doctor will also monitor changes with the necessary tests according to his condition. What are the tests before surgery or after? Check out the list below.

Why do you have to do tests before surgery and after surgery?

Preoperative tests are done to determine whether you really need the surgery or surgery or not. In addition, preoperative tests are also needed to determine how stable your body is, and to see if your body is capable of performing surgery or not in the near future.

After surgery, doctors and nurses will also perform a series of specific tests. Which tests are done depends on your condition and the surgeon's requests. Postoperative tests are often performed to ensure that no complications have occurred postoperatively. In addition, postoperative tests are also carried out to determine the necessary further action.

For example, after surgery a blood test is performed. This is necessary to determine whether after this operation you need blood transfusions or not, for example due to bleeding during surgery.

Some common tests are done before or after surgery

1. Complete peripheral blood count

This blood test is done to check your overall health and detect various existing disorders, such as anemia (decreased hemoglobin levels) and infections (increased leukocytes, aka white blood cells). This test can be done before or after surgery.

There are several blood components that will be seen in this test, which are published on the MayoClinic page, namely:

• Red blood cells that help carry oxygen to all body tissues.
• White blood cells that fight infection.
• Hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein found in red blood cells.
• Hematocrit, which is the proportion of the number of red blood cells with other liquid components in the blood.
• Platelets, also known as platelets, are responsible for blood clotting.

2. Checking heart health with electocardiography (ECG / heart record)

This test can show the electrical activity of the heart that is usually done before surgery. From this test, it can be seen whether the heart rhythm is normal or not, for example arrhythmia or dysrhythmias. In addition, an EKG can also help find muscle damage in the heart, helping to find the cause of chest pain, palpitations, and heart murmurs.

3. X-ray scan

X-rays can help diagnose certain causes of shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and fever. X-rays can also see if there are heart, respiratory, and lung abnormalities. From the X-ray results, it can also be seen the condition of the bones and surrounding tissues without taking any invasive action. X-rays can be used before or after surgery is performed.

4. Urinalysis

Urinalysis or what is often called a urine test is a test that is done to analyze the urine that leaves the body. By doing this test, it can be estimated the condition of the kidneys and bladder. Are there signs of infection in the kidneys or bladder, or if there are problems requiring treatment in the kidneys or bladder. This urine test can also find out whether there are illegal drugs that the body consumes before performing surgery.

This urine test itself will basically have 3 parts, namely

• Urine testing in visual form, for example seeing the color and clarity of urine
• Testing urine with a microscope to see what the eye cannot detect. For example, there are erythrocyte results in the urine (indicating the presence of blood in the urine), bacteria in the urine (indicating an infection in the urinary tract), and crystals (indicating the presence of stones in the urinary tract).
• Dipstick test. Dipstick test is a test using a thin plastic stick that will be dipped in urine to check urine pH, protein content in urine, sugar, white blood cells, bilirubin, and also blood in urine.

With this urine condition, it can be seen in advance what is happening in your body before the operation actually begins.

5. Blood clotting test

The blood clotting tests that will be assessed are PT and APTT. This test is usually done before surgery to determine whether the blood is easy or difficult to clot. This will help during surgery.

If the blood clots easily, the possibility of blood loss during surgery is small, whereas if the blood is difficult to clot, the blood will continue to come out during the operation so you may lose a lot of blood.

6.MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

MRI is a non-invasive test (action without injuring the skin such as an injection or incision). An MRI is a test that uses strong magnets, radio waves, and a computer to provide detailed images of your body. Unlike X-rays and CT scans, MRI does not use radiation.

MRI helps doctors diagnose illness or injury, and monitors how well your body is responding to treatment. This MRI can be done in different parts of your body. From looking at the brain and spinal cord, the condition of the heart and blood vessels, bones and joints, and other body organs.

Therefore, MRI may be required both before the surgical procedure and after the operation is performed to monitor the results again. Patients undergoing MRI must lie in bed during the examination.

7. Endoscopy

Endoscopy is a tool to see conditions in the body both before surgery and after surgery. This endoscope is used to examine parts of the digestive tract. Endoscopy is performed by inserting a small, lighted tube with a camera that is inserted into the digestive tract.

Usually this endoscope tool will be inserted in the mouth and continue down the digestive tract to see conditions along the digestive tract. While the device enters the body, the camera on the tube will capture the image presented on the color TV monitor.

Keep in mind, check before and after surgery above is not all done routinely in every operation. The checks are selected based on what operation you are going to perform. Especially MRI and endoscopy examinations, both of which will be carried out if they only support the need for surgery.