Medical progress is something that we all eventually feel, but very few of us actually understand the types of advances that the medical industry goes through. All the new discoveries and medicines that we get are vital to our health, and there are many different fields that doctors and surgeons have to focus on.
Many people are afraid of surgery and it’s understandable when you consider that you’ll quite literally be cut open in order to fix or treat something inside of you. Even though there are plenty of ways to lower your anxiety, surgery always comes with risks no matter how “safe” the procedure seems. The last thing you want is to experience surgical errors causes of medical malpractice and be forced to contact a lawyer to discuss compensation. Even worse, a poorly-trained surgeon could even cause fatal damage to your body, and you may never wake up.
So is this all just anxiety, or is there some truth to warrant this fear? In this article, we’ll be looking at surgery from a general point of view to see just how worried you should be, if at all.
Surgeons are highly-trained specialists
Did you know that there are several different types of surgery specialities? For instance, there’s general surgery which covers a broad range of different conditions and procedures. Surgeons in this field have to train for a minimum of five years after already obtaining a medical degree. They require technical skill and knowledge which forces them to learn all the different parts of the bodies. They could be dealing with endocrine systems one day or treating gunshots the next. This isn’t the most specialized form of surgery, but it takes an immense amount of knowledge and technical skill to be able to deal with every condition that is thrown at you.
On the opposite end, we have the specialities. This can include, colon and rectal surgery, orthopaedic surgery, vascular surgery and gynecologic oncology. The American College of Surgeons officially lists 14 different surgical specialities including general surgery. Each of them requires extensive training that would last for years, meaning that in addition to the medical knowledge they already have, they’ll train their technical skills and knowledge to help them with highly specific surgical fields.
So the conclusion? In terms of training, surgeons have gone through some of the most thorough and rigorous training routines to get to where they are. You can have the utmost faith in them because you’ll know that they have the skills required to carry out their job.
Calming anxiety before surgery
Most people feel at least some hesitation when they’re about to head into surgery. They might be worried about pain, they could be hesitant due to their financial situation, or they might even be worried about surgical mistakes that could lead to permanent damage to parts of their body. There are also people that are afraid of waking up during surgery. Of course, the type of surgery you plan to undergo can change this heavily. If you’re only having a small operation done on your foot, then it’s a lot different to having your entire chest opened up.
There are plenty of ways to help deal with pre-surgery anxiety, and we’re going to list a couple of them now.
Let your surgeon know. You’re not the only person to have surgery done in the practice, so make sure you let your surgeon know about it. Discuss your fears with your surgeon and ask them if there’s any way to help you calm your nerves. Sometimes you’ll be offered medication to help calm your nerves. You could also build a trusting relationship with your surgeon so that you’re more comfortable with putting your life in their hands.
Follow the pre-surgery tasks. Your surgeon has likely given you a list of instructions that you should follow before the procedure. This will help a lot because it helps to keep you in the best shape possible to make the surgical operation go more smoothly. This usually involves eating healthy meals, getting plenty of rest and taking the appropriate medication your doctor has given you.
So whether you’re heading to a cosmetic operation to improve your looks or going under the knife to deal with a life-threatening condition, it’s fine to put your faith in your surgeon. Fatal accidents are rare and your doctor will help you deal with the anxiety that you may have regarding putting your faith in them.
