After
10 books, over 2,500 columns, and nearly 50 years of writing it, some
things bear repeating. This week revisits a column from three decades
ago about how to prepare for surgery. Has anything changed?
From
that old column, “What would God do if He were a surgeon? If it is true
God helps those who help themselves, He would refuse to operate on
many, telling us, ‘Respect your own God-given body and then I’ll do what
I can.’”
Next
came a case. “A 45-year-old woman underwent an operation for extensive
vaginal repair. For this type of surgery, her surgeon warned her
repeatedly about the hazards of smoking and her persistent smoker’s
hack. Ten days later she was rushed to hospital because of sudden
post-operative hemorrhage. Incredibly, she was still smoking and
coughing convulsively as she lay in a pool of blood in the emergency
room. Speedy surgery stopped the bleeding.”
Then
another case. “A 45- year-old diabetic weighing 275 pounds was admitted
to the hospital due to an acute gallbladder attack. A skilled surgeon
removed the organ, but a lifetime of bad habits began slowly to take its
toll. The patient’s diabetes was hard to control and the incision in
the pendulous abdomen became infected. Shortly after, the patient
developed pneumonia, phlebitis, and blood clots in the lungs. Family
members watched the complications multiply and the situation
deteriorate. When the patient succumbed to overwhelming odds, the family
demanded of the surgeon, ‘Why did this happen? Why couldn’t you have
done something?’
It needs no repeating what that column reported next. Suffice to say, the surgeon answered truthfully that the patient’s weight, smoking, and lack of exercise caused the death.
Let’s
read on. “No doctor turns away a patient who has an acute surgical
problem. But patients can’t expect doctors to work miracles with surgery
when they haven’t given a tinker’s damn about their bodies for years. I
think God would agree it’s time to issue an ultimatum to everyone. God
and surgeons shouldn’t attempt the impossible. And patients should be
expected to help themselves by shaping up.”
The
article then gave advice on how pre-operative patients can prepare for
an operation, physically and mentally. “Surgery, like tennis or
football, demands psychological preparation. A good start is to get rid
of needless worries. Tell the doctor if you are overcome by a fear of
not surviving the surgery. Of if you’re concerned about post-operative
pain. Or confused about which organs will be removed. And if you’re
apprehensive about the length of the incision, remember Abe Lincoln’s
remark. He was once asked, ‘How long should a man’s leg be?’ He replied,
‘Just long enough to reach the ground.’ Incisions, like legs, are just
long enough to do the job safely.
“The
main thrust of preparation should be directed at good physical
conditioning. Some of these tragedies could be prevented if patients
tossed away cigarettes before an operation or made a genuine attempt to
control and lose weight.
“My
advice is to be prepared for possible surgery all of the time. This
means having a lifelong respect for mind and body. It would give
surgeons fewer gray hairs. Fewer families would be asking why
post-operative complications occurred. And I’m sure God would be more
willing to help those who help themselves.”
There
you have it. While surgical techniques may have improved greatly over
30 years, have patients heeded the age-old call to prepare for surgery?
Doing so would give surgeons a much-needed break in tough cases. And
starting early enough may even prevent the need for going under the
knife in the first place.
Sign-up at www.docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contact-us@docgiff.com. Follow us on Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones.
W. Gifford-Jones, MD is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker, graduate of Harvard Medical School. Diana Gifford-Jones is his daughter, a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School. Their latest book, “No Nonsense Health” is available at: Docgiff.com
Sign-up at DocGiff to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow our new Instagram accounts, @docgiff and @diana_gifford_jones
