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I have recently read numerous plastic surgery blogs that state that multiple plastic surgeons do not require any testing prior to the patient’s surgery.
As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I want to stress how important it is for a patient to have bloodwork done prior to any elective surgery in which they would undergo general anesthesia. This is done to ensure that the patient is in good health and can handle the stress induced to the body by the surgery. These tests also help detect possible issues that may complicate the surgery, some of which can even be life threatening.
Which Tests May Be Required?
A Complete Blood Count counts your red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The CBC determines if you are anemic, have a clotting disorder, or have any kind of infectious disease. Such tests are necessary with any invasive surgery, as there will always be some blood loss. Although rare, death is a possible result of blood disorders, such as hemophilia, due to uncontrolled bleeding.
A urinalysis is also used to determine if there are any current infections in the body, such as a UTI, which is very common in women. Should an infection be present during the time of surgery, the body can reject the breast implant, and/or the breast tissue can become infected.
For these reasons, it is IMPERATIVE to know such issues PRIOR to any procedure.
Patient safety should ALWAYS be the highest priority, especially when undergoing an invasive surgery. It should be a RED FLAG if your surgeon does not require any testing before your procedure.
Interested in Learning More?
If you want to learn more about pre-surgical lab work or are interested in scheduling a consultation with Dr. Hochstein, call our offices at (305) 931-3338 or fill out our online contact form.