Table of contents:
- Removing jewelry during preparation for surgery is for your safety
- 1. Interfere with operating procedures
- 2. Swelling during and after surgery
- 3. High risk of infection
- Then, what if I can't remove the jewelry before the operation?
Preparation for surgery is not only a matter of hospitalization and fasting a few hours beforehand. Especially if you wear jewelry or body piercings, you will also be asked to remove them before entering the operating room. No, it's not because your doctor or nurse is jealous of your glittery body jewelry or because of a fear of losing it. The reason why you have to remove your jewelry before surgery has to do with your safety during the surgery. How come?
Removing jewelry during preparation for surgery is for your safety
Many people think that the reason for removing jewelry before entering the operating room is fear of losing it. In fact, this is not entirely wrong. However, behind this there is a medical reason why you are not allowed to wear jewelry while the operation is taking place. What are the reasons?
1. Interfere with operating procedures
If your doctor instructs you to remove your piercing and all body jewelry, don't hesitate to comply. Because, it is feared that it can interfere with the operating procedure to be performed or even endanger your life.
For example, suppose you have a tongue piercing. This of course will make it difficult for the medical team to attach the breathing tube which is usually done at the beginning of the operation. If the piercing is still on your tongue when the equipment is attached, it is not impossible that the piercing will actually swallow and end up causing other problems.
Piercings in other parts of the body also need to be removed before surgery, depending on the type of surgery being performed. for example, you will be having surgery on the abdomen, so any piercing in the stomach should also be removed before the operation.
2. Swelling during and after surgery
Using jewelry or piercings can cause swelling in the body during and after surgery. For example, you may use a bracelet or ring that fits your finger and wrist.
So this, can cause the blood flow to not smoothly to the hands because of the jewelry you use. As a result, parts of your body become swollen during and after the operation. Of course this is also not good for your health in general.
3. High risk of infection
During the operation, everything should be sterile, thereby reducing the risk of infection. However, if you wear jewelry or other metal objects on your body, it can affect "cleanliness" and make the area of the operation unsterile. This will then lead to infection during the operation.
Then, what if I can't remove the jewelry before the operation?
In some cases, jewelry may be left in the body. but it really depends on what surgery will be done and which body part will be operated on. For example, when a person has arthritis or joint inflammation that cannot remove the ring from his finger. Usually, the doctor will ignore this, because of the joint pain that the patient is experiencing.
However, in some other cases, doctors may forcibly remove any jewelry or piercings because they interfere with the procedure. Therefore, when you are preparing for surgery, you should ask the doctor what things to do and what jewelry to remove.
