Surgery after a cold

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Martin,
I was asking the same question almost exactly two years ago. My cold was about a week before surgery. I was told that since a cold virus lasts about a week, it wouldn't cause delay. Be extra careful if you are prone to secondary infections, and let your doctors know.
I hope it's not a cold after all.

Best wishes,

Debby
 
Last thing you want to do is go into surgery sick. If your not feeling well a week before, call it off!
 
Martin,
I was asking the same question almost exactly two years ago. My cold was about a week before surgery. I was told that since a cold virus lasts about a week, it wouldn't cause delay. Be extra careful if you are prone to secondary infections, and let your doctors know.

If the virus lasts about a week and your surgery is a week away, your body hasn't had time to recover fully. Surgery is a physical insult to the body and thus to your body's healing abilities. You're also exposed to many things while in the hospital.

I would definitely contact my surgeon's office, even though it probably means a postponement of the Grand Opening. Best to let someone else take that slot and and reschedule, allowing enough time to fully recover.

It's not uncommon to get a cold or other viral infection post-op. I had a viral infection about 3 weeks post-op. No URI symptoms, just low-grade fever, headache, general aching. Lasted 3-4 days. My PCP ran blood cultures to rule out endocarditis; cultures were negative. We surmised it was brought on due to the surgery & hospitalization.
 
If you still have congestion or any hint of sore throat let alone swollen glands etc, they will reschedule the surgery. It is definitely in your best interest to tell them about any symptoms or what you may have been fighting immediately pre-op.

I was stressed when I developed a slight sore throat about a week before my second OHS. I was about to call my surgeon's office when I noticed it was gone. I waited and carefully paid attention and when it didn't return, I breathed a sigh of relief. I would not have gone forward without speaking up about it. Not sure, but perhaps the blood work they do would have shown indication anyway???
 
Martin, what the others have told you is pretty much what my surgeon told me when I got an infection three weeks before surgery. As long as the symptoms are gone it should not be a problem but if there is any lung congestion your surgeon may choose to delay surgery. Lung congestion after heart surgery is pretty much universal. That is why you hear the nursing staff wants to get people up walking and doing their breathing exercises as soon as possible. So, take care of yourself. As the others have said, follow your Surgeon's advice because you want to be as healthy as possible going in to surgery.

Larry
 
I am not sure what to do now. I still have a bit of a sore throat (chest and nose is OK). I thought it had gone yesterday as I felt quite good but as soon as I went to bed the throat started again. It is nothing major (just a bit of a nuisance) and seems to come and go. Normally I would have ignored it. I am supposed to have my preop on Monday (5 days off) and the AVR in 12 days.

Should I wait until the preop to see how it is?

Thanks
Martin
 
Martin

I developed a severe cough and post nasal drip about 14 days before the scheduled surgery. The surgeon was very much aware of it and took control of the matter, leaving my GP and cardiologist out of the loop. He ordered two sets of x-rays a week apart and said that he was prepared to operate if the lungs start to clear up.

The surgery went ahead but I had a very hard time with breathing and oxygen saturation levels the first few days in ICU. It was miserable. I know that many of us have breathing difficulties after surgery, as a rule but I am convinced that my pre-existing infection made it much worse.

I would be very wary of surgery with any kind of residual symptoms, especially in the lungs.
 

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