How to deal with the fear of surgery under general anesthesia. Preparing for surgery under general anesthesia What to drink before surgery so as not to be afraid

You will hardly find a person who goes to the hospital with pleasure and joy, unless he is a doctor who loves his job.

For people, a hospital is associated with negative emotions, pain, discomfort, and sometimes hopelessness. That is why we are so resistant to going to medical institutions, and in most cases we go there only in critical situations, when we cannot cope with the problem on our own, and we simply do not have the strength to endure. And so, if we go to a consultation and to a therapist with a calm mood, then we are very afraid of the surgeon.

Almost ninety-five percent of people experience fear before surgery, and the remaining five are those patients who go to surgeons in an unconscious state.

But, no matter how scary it may be, in some cases, surgical intervention is the only way to get rid of the disease, and sometimes to save a life or give it to your baby (we are talking about a caesarean section).

Don't feel embarrassed for being afraid. After all, it is human nature to experience emotions: joy, anxiety. This is fine. Fear is primarily a protective reaction of the body. And sometimes it is very difficult to overcome it on your own. And because of this, a sick person may categorically refuse surgical intervention, and more often than not, such pathological fear can have negative consequences for him. Unfortunately, time may be lost and the disease cannot be stopped.

How to prepare

Anxiety and worry are not the best companions for a person before an upcoming operation. Therefore, it is important for a patient who is about to undergo a planned surgical intervention to calm down and tune in to the positive course and result of the upcoming process.

How to calm down before surgery? First of all, get all the information about her. After all, what worries us most is:

what this operation is;
how long will it last;
what a person experiences (pain, discomfort) during and after;
how competent the surgeon and anesthesiologist are;
what complications may arise during and after the operation.

Also today, when television and the Internet are overwhelmed by a wave of negative information, our brain tenaciously stores all medical errors, but at the same time forgets how many lives the same doctors saved. Therefore, the fear of contracting any infection sometimes overshadows common sense. This also includes the concern that the doctor will be negligent and will definitely forget something about the person.

To dispel these doubts, as well as to get answers to all your questions regarding the upcoming operation, you need to feel free to talk about this topic with your doctor. An experienced surgeon, in a calm and confident voice, will talk not only about the operation itself and the possible consequences, but will also give qualified recommendations on how to properly prepare for the operation, and, if necessary, prescribe sedatives or an injection.

Also, for your peace of mind, you can get advice regarding the operation recommended for you from a surgeon from another clinic. This way you will receive confirmation that your doctor has acted correctly.

We hope these simple steps have eliminated a good deal of your fear.

But we won’t dwell on this. We continue to prepare for the operation and ensure a positive attitude, which means a successful outcome.

And so, the next moment, no matter how scary it may be, you must strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations. If the doctor has prescribed sedatives, then take them only in the strictly prescribed dosage. It is also important to understand that a sedative injection is a serious manipulation that can only be performed by a doctor in a hospital setting, since its consequences can be very unpredictable, especially in old age.

You should pass all the necessary tests so that before taking you to the table, the doctor sees the overall picture of your condition. This is necessary to determine the complexity of the operation, the degree of risks and possible complications, to select the method of anesthesia and its drugs.

The support of loved ones plays a very important role. You shouldn't give it up. Even if you can’t bear it when people feel sorry for you or, on the contrary, you want to cry into your vest. After all, they say correctly: “Everything ingenious is simple.” In this case, you just need to tell your family and friends what kind of support you need. Don't take your emotions out on family and friends. If you need a distraction, then say: “I have an acute lack of positive emotions, let’s go ride bicycles, or jump from a parachute” and in the same spirit, new emotions will allow you to relax and forget about anxiety, as well as memories of pleasant moments will add confidence in the results of treatment. Well, if you need to cry and hear words of reassurance, then tell your loved one: “Listen to me, support me, hug me, tell me that everything will be fine.” These seemingly simple psychological techniques in life can work wonders.

Many people seek peace in church. Even if you are not a believer, or you rarely go to church, go, light candles for God’s saints, and ask for help. Sincere prayer, even in its own words, calms.

It is also useful to distract yourself with pleasant and useful activities in the days before surgery.

Premedication before surgery

Premedication is the name given to drug preparation of a patient before an upcoming operation and anesthesia. It consists in the introduction of special drugs. This manipulation is also used before painful examination methods and in dentistry. The purpose of premedication is to reduce the patient’s anxiety and fear, adjust indicators, and prevent unwanted reactions. This manipulation has a sedative effect. After all, the patient immediately before the operation experiences incredible fear, he is terrified by the doctors, medical instruments, and the sight of the operating room; as a result, he is overexcited, his heart rate is rapid, his blood pressure may rise. This condition makes it difficult for the anesthesiologist to work. Therefore, the patient is given a sedative injection.

With the help of premedication, they enhance the analgesic effect, both during general anesthesia and local anesthesia, and prevent the appearance of unwanted reflexes.

Premedication is prescribed and administered only by an anesthesiologist, taking into account the patient’s individual characteristics. It can be early and performed the day before surgery, or preoperative - directly on the operating table.

It must be said that young children absolutely do not need it, they do not understand what they have to go through and therefore do not experience such excitement. The anesthesiologist just needs to give him an injection of sleeping pills, the baby falls asleep in a few minutes and is transferred to the operating room.

But it is not advisable to administer sleeping pills to older people, especially at night. They are given a sedative injection.

Early premedication methods include taking tablets, intravenous and intramuscular injections, and suppositories.

On the operating table, the anesthesiologist uses various premedication schemes.

Operation. Some people are given this idea by a doctor, others come to this idea on their own. The volume and complexity of the surgical intervention proposed by the doctor are of course important, but regardless of this, the fear of surgery creeps into the soul of every person. Fear, we are not aware of it, we show off in front of others, it is inside us, it sits inside and waits for a person to be alone with himself, so that it can come out and fill the entire inside of a person. And the best thing you can do to combat it is to prepare for surgery. Afterwards, fear will have no place in your mind, you will understand that I and my doctor did everything to make EVERYTHING go well!!!

I am writing these lines without composing, I was recently in the shoes of a patient and I was afraid, but I did EVERYTHING for myself)) and I waited for the day of the operation not with horror, but with the desire that EVERYTHING would happen quickly, realizing that AFTER , life will be different, without fear for your well-being and health.
Knowing how everything happens, what procedures I will have to undergo, what complications are possible (not like what your neighbors scare you about in the ward), but real complications, I prepared myself. And believe me, my postoperative period was much easier than that of my neighbors! I was mentally prepared for the pain, I was not afraid of it, I knew that if I didn’t move after the operation, I would get other complications, more threatening at the moment than the disease itself from which I got rid of!!!

So to the point.

Life has brought you to the point that surgery is necessary and that living without it is either impossible or difficult. But I don’t write about emergency life-saving operations (appendicitis, perforated ulcer, bleeding), I write about those operations that we call planned (cholecystectomy, simple hernia, etc.). Before these operations, you have time to think and prepare.

1. First of all, of course, consult your doctor. He will order an examination.

2. Be sure to undergo examination (ECG is required, blood tests and other necessary tests). This will help you find out what else you are sick with, whether the necessary stress on the body is possible in your condition, whether surgery is contraindicated at the moment (whether you can endure it).

3. Consult specialists again. Follow all their recommendations!!! Don't think that you are smarter than them! Do it!!!

4. So, now there is time left for your loved one. The operation is not contraindicated for you, okay, let's continue our preparation. Now think about your habits, maybe at least before the operation you need to change them?

5. Do you smoke? Drop it!!! I already wrote about . By doing this, you will significantly increase your chances of survival, you will allow oxygen to fully fill your body, not carbon monoxide, but life-giving and necessary oxygen!!! Reduce the load on your heart, breathing will be easier after a week!!!

If you cannot live peacefully without this poison and are coughing, then reduce the daily dose by at least half.

And get rid of the idea that you need to quit slowly and sadly, there are nicotine-containing patches, they will help, quit once and for all!!!

6. Start running, if you can’t, walk quickly, move in the end!!! By doing this, you will give your body reserves before a stressful situation (surgery). The heart and lungs of trained people can withstand stress much easier. During surgery, the release of catecholamines causes the heart to beat faster and it must be prepared for these stresses. The respiratory volume of the lungs will increase through exercise, you will help the body receive more life-giving oxygen (non-toxic doses)!!!

7. Measure your weight. Calculate your body mass index.

Body mass index— BMI (eng. body mass index (BMI)) is a value that allows us to assess the degree of correspondence between a person’s mass and his height, and thereby indirectly assess whether the mass is insufficient, normal or excessive (obesity). Body mass index is calculated using the formula:

m - body weight in kilograms
h - height in meters,

and is measured in kg/m².

If you are obese to the third degree, think about it: maybe it’s better to lose weight first?

Patients with severe obesity are significantly more likely to experience complications.

If you decide to have surgery, then make an effort - lose weight!!! At least 5 kilos, but lose weight, don’t rely on bright science - medicine. But lose weight smartly. We don't need exhausted patients, we need people prepared for surgery! The diet should be protein-rich, eliminate fats, reduce carbohydrates. And move, run, walk!!! Do not believe any magic pills, it is not known how they will react to the introduction of anesthetics!!!

8. About alcohol. I am a supporter of moderation, a glass of good cognac (unless the doctor has prohibited it), will not make it worse, only good, will relieve stress)).
I appeal to alcoholic citizens! Quit this matter! Stop it!!! You can’t imagine what we (resuscitators) do to you when “SQUIRREL” comes to you, that is, delirium tremens after surgery (and oh, how often it comes!!!). We'll tie it so that you can only flap your ears! In addition, in drunks, all organs are changed and not for the better. If you decide to have surgery, stop it and lead a healthy lifestyle!

9. It’s the same thing with drug addicts - we won’t take withdrawal symptoms to the table, we don’t need extra “hemorrhoids”.

10. If you are worried, take a sedative, but you must get enough sleep and rest! A person tormented by insomnia is more likely to experience pressure changes, which can negatively affect during anesthesia. Take care of your nerves!

11. About veins. We will find the veins, rest assured! But we’ll torture you thoroughly, we’ll poke you everywhere, the nurse anesthetist won’t find you (which I doubt), I’ll find the central vein. But we will warn you about the possible risk of complications from this procedure!

If you place a subclavian catheter, you can get into a lung, into an artery, or anywhere, and then there can be serious complications. Catheterize the jugular vein, you can get into the carotid artery. lung. Yes, anaphylactic shock can be caused by the administration of a local anesthetic! Not to mention that the procedure itself is quite unpleasant.

A little scared?)

But this can be avoided if only you had normal veins!!! By the way, find out which side of the hand (usually the right) will be used by the anesthesiologist during the operation, and under no circumstances should you give an injection into this hand! So you say, “my anesthesiologist forbade injecting there, she did!”)).”

I want to tell you a secret - you can grow veins on your hands!!! Yes Yes. don't be surprised), you can! But not in the literal sense of growing, but increasing in diameter. This is achieved through physical exercise. I won’t tell you how and how many approaches, show your imagination! Any load on the hands will increase blood flow to the veins of the forearm. At least train with an expander, you will only benefit!

Well, that's all for now! I really hope that you won’t need my recommendations, but whoever uses them will make their fate much easier).

If there are any additions, I’ll be happy to add them!)

Reading time 8 minutes

How to get ready for surgery? A routine vaccination or going to the dentist can make a person nervous. Fear of surgery is a normal psychological reaction. The individual does not know what awaits him ahead, what the surgeon’s intervention will be. Before you understand how not to be afraid of surgery, you need to understand what exactly the fear arises from. This could be force majeure, the rehabilitation period, or reluctance to stay in hospital next to other patients. Such a phobia is difficult, but it can be overcome.

Main reasons for fear

The most common reason for fear before surgery is lack of information.. A person cannot imagine what exactly the intervention in his body will be like. Not all doctors want to share details and descriptions of the disease and mechanisms for eliminating it. Doctors do not always have time to talk with a patient, since there is a queue of patients in the corridors. For some medical specialists, it is difficult to tell the average person what the disease is and why it occurs. All this causes misunderstanding and fear.

People often get the impression that doctors are soulless people. They don’t care about the problems of an individual, they do not always strive to help, they can easily cause harm to health in order to finish their work as quickly as possible. In practice, everything looks different. The medical officer has a plan for receiving patients, he took an oath that he would save people's lives and improve their physiological health. Therefore, such fears are far-fetched and unjustified. If necessary, you can have a heart-to-heart talk with a psychologist or psychotherapist. It is not the doctor's responsibility to talk to the patient.

It happens that a person knows too much information about his disease. Most often, the search comes down to studying information written on the Internet. In practice, to make an accurate diagnosis, the patient needs to undergo a series of tests, which will then be analyzed by several medical specialists. Only after this can you find out what kind of disease the patient has and what treatment methods should be used.

Psychologists also advise you not to watch videos on the public network that show details of the operating process. There are a number of professions in which the sacrament must be preserved. A person’s consciousness may simply not tolerate what he sees, and phobias instantly develop. Medical specialists did not immediately come to carry out operations; their psyches were prepared (they spend more than 6 years at the university, study the structure of organs in detail, and attend autopsies). All this is not at all necessary for the average person to know.

How to get ready for surgery? Fear of surgery is often associated with anesthesia. This is another type of surgical intervention in the body. It causes panic. Some people think that anesthesia may not work; there will be pain that is incompatible with life. In practice, the process is monitored by an experienced anesthesiologist; he has indicators that determine the readiness of the patient’s body for surgery. Additional fears are associated with the consequences of anesthesia. A small percentage of people believe that it is possible not to wake up after a drug-induced sleep (these are very minimal risks compared to driving a car).

How to get rid of the fear of surgery

The patient has the right to choose to accept or refuse the operation. When a surgical intervention on the body is established by a council of doctors to save a life or improve health, a person must refuse the operation in writing. This way, doctors will not be held responsible in case of an accident or unforeseen circumstances.

In most cases, you just need to deal with the causes of fear. A person may realize that a medical institution has a high level of service, a large number of satisfied clients, and a high level of training of medical specialists. Despite the minimal risks, the patient continues to be haunted by internal anxiety.

To get rid of such a phobia, it is enough to tell yourself about the need to improve your health. Sometimes it is impossible to do without surgical intervention. You need to try to cope with your emotions, write down rational arguments on paper, and re-read them several times.

Here's what you can do to minimize fear of surgery:

read prayers,
get distracted by other things,
weigh the risks
think positively
do not escalate the situation,
take sedatives.

Prayer is one of the easiest ways to get rid of a phobia for those who believe in a higher power. For skeptics, this method will not bring much benefit. It is absolutely not necessary to go to church and light candles. It’s enough just to pray, ask for help, health and patience for yourself.

The most unpleasant time is the evening or night before surgery.

How to overcome fear? It is important not to be alone with your own thoughts. It is best to ask your loved ones to come visit, talk about pleasant topics, or go to the cinema or theater. There is no need to withdraw into yourself or dwell on negative thoughts.

A small percentage of the operation is due to force majeure circumstances. It is worth treating this as the structure of the world and nature as a whole. You won't be able to control everything. This fear can only be combated by collecting as much information as possible about the clinic and medical specialists. Please note that only one patient per 250 thousand people dies due to a medical error.. That is, the chances of dying for this reason are reduced to almost zero. The patient has a much higher chance of passing into another world due to the lack of therapeutic measures for his disease.

Positive thinking can help overcome fear of surgery. You need to try to think only about good things. It is important to force yourself to replay exclusively pleasant memories in your head before going to bed, and not to focus on the upcoming surgical intervention. You can try to visualize how your life will change in a positive direction after the operation.

For example, if a person is about to have his appendicitis removed, then one can imagine going to a restaurant or visiting entertainment venues. During gynecological surgery, it is advisable to think about future childbirth and pregnancy. Under no circumstances should you escalate the situation.

It is advisable not to seek information about force majeure during the operation, how death occurs and for what reasons. You need to tune in to a positive wave.

If none of the above points help, then you can simply drink a sedative. It will stimulate deep sleep and improve the overall physical and mental health of the patient.

Suitable means for taking inside the body are:

chamomile
St. John's wort
fireweed

Please note that before taking such herbs, you must consult your doctor. It happens that the patient has an allergic reaction, or the simultaneous use of several medications is contraindicated.

How not to be afraid of what will happen during and after the operation? The answer is obvious - just relax, forget about the bad, trust the doctors and yourself.

If a person is in the hospital before an upcoming surgical intervention, then you can walk along the floors of the medical facility and talk with other patients. Information about how other people struggled with their fears may be useful; you can ask how patients feel after surgery, whether the experience was worth it. This way time will pass much faster, and there will be no room for negative thoughts.

Physical preparation for surgery

Before the upcoming surgical intervention, it will also not be superfluous to physically prepare the patient. It is worth adhering to a few simple rules:

do not drink alcohol several months before surgery,
try to smoke as little as possible,
follow the diet prescribed by the doctor,
do not use perfumes and decorative cosmetics,
use internally only those medications prescribed by the doctor,
measure and record your own temperature and blood pressure every morning.

In order not to be afraid of surgery, you just need to not let fear into your mind. It is important to remember that surgery is performed by a team of doctors and nurses. If there is a reasonable fear that the specialist will not cope with the task, then it is better to seek help from another surgeon. If the tests are unreliable, you can always undergo a re-examination. How not to be afraid of accidents? It is important simply not to focus your attention on this fact. You just need to accept that this happens in the world, but it affects individual lives.

To get rid of fear as soon as possible, experts advise telling your doctor about your phobia. It happens that patients hide facts from their anamnesis. They do not provide information about past sexually transmitted diseases or injuries. Before the date of surgery is scheduled, the patient may realize that he has given false information to the medical professional. In practice this can lead to negative consequences.

There are fearless people who are ready, without any rational explanation as to why surgery is needed, to go under the knife. Here we are talking about those who are obsessed with plastic surgery and adjusting individual parts of the body. Such people are not afraid of anything. Their fear is often false, since unjustified surgery (without appropriate medical indications) can significantly worsen their health.

Basic rules for preparing for surgery

How not to be afraid of surgery? First of all, you need to acquire psychological health, calm down, try to achieve a state of peace. The patient needs to clearly understand that the operation will have a positive effect on his body and will help him function better. The sooner surgical intervention occurs, the better for the patient.

It is worth preparing not only from a moral point of view, but also from a practical point of view. It is important to choose a clinic where experienced specialists work. This will increase the chances of a favorable outcome of the event. If this is possible, then you need to undergo preoperative preparation.

Preparation consists of the following steps:

Providing the necessary tests to the attending physician before surgery.
Quitting bad habits several weeks or months before surgery, depending on your state of health and the complexity of the procedure.
Changing your diet towards dietary foods.

We must remember that every day thousands of people undergo surgery. In this way they take care of their own health. Those patients who do not know how not to be afraid of surgery should pay attention to the recommendations.

It is important to be attuned to the fact that the doctor has the appropriate competencies to carry out the procedure. The outcome of the treatment will be positive, side effects are practically excluded. You need to believe in yourself and not doubt the presence of internal strength in order to recover safely after surgery.

A few days before surgery, the patient can seek psychological help (such people usually give parting words and set the patient on a positive wave). Additionally, experts advise using an audio player with relaxing music, watching comedies, and reading jokes. The patient will benefit from reading positive reviews about the operations performed, about the clinic itself and the doctors. The most important thing is that there is no need to fantasize and visualize the negative consequences of the operation. Any medical worker first of all strives to help the patient, and not to harm him.

Almost all patients have a feeling of fear before the upcoming operation under general anesthesia. This state is characterized by strong feelings that are completely inconsistent with the cause of fear. The occurrence of a phobia is influenced by eyewitness accounts of possible postoperative complications or the psychological trauma experienced while communicating with medical workers.

The fear of surgery is called tomophobia. The person is very worried about the upcoming surgical intervention, while he remains conscious and has no delusional thoughts or speech. The phobia can be so strong that a person may refuse the upcoming procedure.

Tomophobia paralyzes the will and causes a number of somatic and psychological problems. The person lacks confidence in the favorable outcome of the procedure. His imagination paints terrible pictures of the development of the situation related to the upcoming treatment. immediately before surgery.

Fear of surgery is often uncontrollable. Fear has no rational basis, it is far-fetched and can cause an inappropriate reaction. Fear arises against the will of a person. At this moment he himself may realize that the upcoming operation is not dangerous and will most likely be successful. However, he cannot cope with anxiety on his own.

Reasons for fear of surgery

Tomophobia develops in people who are emotional, overly sensitive, and with a rich imagination. If a person grew up in a family in which from early childhood he was raised to perceive the world as a dangerous environment, then even just being in the hospital can cause anxiety or a panic attack.

Causes of phobia:

negative experience of communication with medical workers;
lack of complete information about the nature of the disease and the stages of surgical intervention;
fear of not recovering from anesthesia;
eyewitness accounts of negative consequences during or after surgery;
possible negligence of medical staff;
fear of waking up during surgery and feeling pain;
mystical fear based on the fact that under the influence of anesthesia the soul is on the verge of death.

The development of a phobia is influenced by fear of the unknown, fear of losing a vital organ, being left crippled or after unsuccessful surgical treatment. The cause of anxiety and panic may be a person’s good awareness of his condition and the understanding that in the postoperative period he will have to live for a long time on special medications that support normal body functions.

Symptoms of tomophobia

Tomophobia can cause severe stress and even insomnia on the eve of surgery. There are a number of signs that characterize a phobia and correspond to neurological and vegetative-vascular symptoms. A person’s health deteriorates and somatic disorders arise.

Signs of tomophobia:

throat spasms or choking;
increased sweating;
fainting;
gastrointestinal disorder;
trembling of limbs;
numbness;
loss of sense of reality.

As the danger increases in a person's imagination, the feeling of fear before the operation increases. When in a phobic situation, people are sometimes unable to calm down or transfer their thoughts to something else. This condition complicates the work of anesthesiologists; due to abnormal heart rhythm and high blood pressure, they cannot calculate the dose of anesthesia.

Every person has the right to choose. You can agree or refuse surgical treatment. If you disagree with the method proposed by the medical specialist, you must sign a refusal. This document will relieve the surgeon of all responsibility for a possible unfavorable outcome of the disease. If a person decides that he needs treatment, he should get rid of tomophobia on his own or with the help of a psychologist.

Ways to get rid of fear before surgery:

distract yourself from frightening thoughts (watch a comedy movie, read a magazine or book);
pray (in your thoughts turn to the Almighty, God and ask for a successful outcome of the operation);
talk with the surgeon and anesthesiologist, find out everything related to the upcoming procedure;
think not about treatment, but about what positive changes will come after it;
do not listen to stories about unsuccessful surgical interventions, do not search the Internet for statistics of deaths after a specific type of operation.

A sincere conversation with a loved one, relative or friend will help you get rid of negative thoughts before an important procedure. You need to talk about abstract topics not related to treatment. You can talk about work, plans for the future, upcoming vacation. The main thing is to distract a person from negative thoughts and instill in him faith in a positive outcome of the upcoming procedure.

Preparation before surgery - how to get ready and not be afraid?

To overcome the fear of surgery, you need to make sure that the surgeon is a professional who has saved many lives. For this purpose, it is necessary to collect information about the clinic where the treatment will take place and about the medical staff. A few days before the operation, you need to undergo preoperative preparation: take tests, fully examine the body, cure chronic diseases; go on a diet, give up bad habits.

How to overcome fear of surgery:

do not panic, soberly assess your situation;
tune in to a positive mood;
take sedatives prescribed by a specialist.

It should be understood that surgical treatment with general anesthesia is the only way that can save life and restore health. You cannot be guided solely by fear of surgery to make a fateful decision. After surgical treatment, a person will have a chance for a healthy future. If surgery is not done, the disease may worsen.

How to cope with the fear of surgery using general anesthesia: treatment with a psychotherapist

If you cannot cope with nervousness and panic attacks on your own, you can contact a specialist, for example a psychologist-hypnologist