How to get ready before surgery. Preparation for surgery under general anesthesia

Even before regular vaccination or before going to the dentist, people sometimes feel nervous. Fear of surgery is a normal human psychological reaction to something unknown that lies ahead. What can we say about surgical intervention? Moreover, it is not always possible to understand what exactly we are afraid of: force majeure, the rehabilitation period, reluctance to be in a hospital... Usually it is just an internal fear that constrains the whole body, which is not easy to overcome. What to do and how to calm down before surgery?

Possible reasons for fear of surgery

The most common cause of fear is the lack of information about upcoming surgery. After all, not every doctor openly talks with the patient, explaining to him his diagnosis, the need surgical intervention and warning about the consequences. And this is not because surgeons are soulless or inhumane. It’s simply their duty to save lives and improve a person’s physiological health. And emotional conversations are the prerogative of psychologists.

The second reason is the opposite of the first: the patient’s excessive awareness of his diagnosis. What do we do when we want information? 8 out of 10 people go looking for it on the Internet, which may not always be useful. After all, today on the Internet you can watch candid videos showing the progress of the operation, or read horrifying stories about how it all happened. Result: fear arises, developing into panic.

Anesthesia is another aspect of surgery that causes fear in people. Moreover, some are afraid that the anesthesia will not work and it will hurt them. Others fear the negative effects of anesthesia. The fear of the third is not waking up from a drug-induced sleep at all.

Ways to get rid of fear before surgery

The patient always has a choice: agree to surgery or refuse it. In the second case, given that the doctor or a council of doctors has clearly established the need for surgical intervention, you will need to write a written refusal. This will relieve doctors of responsibility in case something happens to your health or life.

It is extremely undesirable to refuse surgery, but sometimes the reason for the reluctance to agree to it is precisely fear. Those. a person understands that the clinic is worthy, operating team experienced, and the risks are minimal, but some kind of internal anxiety does not allow me to give consent.

The most logical and sound advice to overcome fear of surgery - try to understand that surgery is the only way to improve your health and possibly save your life. But this is precisely the problem. Often, a person understands with his head that surgery is necessary, but cannot cope with his emotions. What to do and how to get ready for the operation?

Pray

Skeptics will probably skim this paragraph now, but it is thanks to prayer that people really manage to relax and overcome their fear of surgery. It is not necessary to go to church, call the priest or search for texts of prayers on the Internet: just turn to God the way you know how. Sincerity and a bright spiritual message will help you overcome fear and gain faith that everything will be fine.

Get distracted

The most unpleasant time– this is the evening and night before the operation. A hospital patient is left alone with his thoughts, and fear automatically awakens in him. To prevent this, you need to find something to do. Watch a comedy or your favorite talk show, read a fascinating book, solve a crossword puzzle. Basically, do whatever keeps your mind occupied.

Weigh the risks

If the cause of fear is precisely the fear of force majeure situations that may happen during the operation, then you need to think about it with a cool head. After all, from anesthesia or medical error Only one in 250 thousand people dies, and almost every first one dies from a ruptured appendix.

No matter how hard a person tries to distract himself, before going to bed he still involuntarily thinks about the upcoming operation. It’s impossible to force yourself not to think, but switching to something more joyful is quite possible.

Think about how your life will change after surgery. If this is the case, you can think about the fact that you will soon be able to bite the seeds again. If you have to gynecological intervention, the patient can dream about a full life and conceiving a child.

Don't push

Particularly impressionable people should never enter queries like “death during surgery” or “the surgeon left a scalpel in the patient” into the browser search engine. The Internet can be used in other ways: watch a good movie, listen to music, play an online game. For the same reason, there is no need to organize an evening of horror stories with your colleagues in the hospital ward on the topic “ dire consequences surgical interventions."

Drink a sedative

Chamomile, St. John's wort, mint, linden, fireweed - decoctions of these herbs have a beneficial effect on nervous system, allowing you to relax and not think about problems. If the fear is very strong, you can take a sedative.

Attention! Taking any sedative or herbal medications before surgery should be discussed with your doctor.

If you know how to overcome your fear of upcoming surgery, help your roommates. Perhaps they are very scared, but they are afraid to show it and worry alone with themselves. They need your support.

Physical preparation for surgery

Besides psychological mood actual readiness for the upcoming surgical intervention is also important. You can ask your doctor about this. Usually this means following simple rules:

• do not smoke or drink alcohol;
• follow the prescribed diet;
• do not use decorative cosmetics and perfumes;
• observe drug treatment only those medications prescribed by the doctor;
• keep a diary of morning body temperature, blood pressure etc.

There is essentially nothing to be afraid of. After all, nothing depends on you during the operation itself. Everything is done by a team of doctors and nurses. Although, there is such a thing as reasonable fear, i.e. not internal emotional, but having specific explanations. In this case, you need to change the circumstances. For example, if you know for sure that your doctor is bad specialist(the facts prove this), then you can contact another surgeon. If you receive invalid ones, you need to retake them. Feeling unwell may also cause the surgery to be postponed, so do not be afraid to tell your doctor about it.

Complete frankness with your doctor will help you avoid fear of surgery. What does it mean? Sometimes patients hide some intimate information (transferred venereal diseases, for example), do not consider it necessary to say something or simply forget to report some fact from their anamnesis. And then, when the day of the operation has already been set, the person begins to realize that the doctor made a diagnosis and prescribed treatment without having complete information. This is a completely reasonable and understandable fear that can turn into real unpleasant consequences. Therefore, before it’s too late, you should definitely talk to the doctor again.

Perhaps the most fearless people can be called those who deliberately go under the surgeon's knife for no apparent reason. We're talking about people who do plastic surgery, adjusting body parts. Can we say that they are not afraid of anything? Hardly. Simply the desire to change, to be transformed dulls the feeling of fear. It’s the same with conventional operations: you need to understand that this is a necessity that will make you healthier, relieve you of illness, and you will be able to heal full life. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of surgery. You need to be afraid of what could happen to you if surgery is not performed on time.

Almost all patients have a feeling of fear before the upcoming operation with 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 experienced psychological trauma obtained through communication with medical professionals.

Name and description of the phobia

Fear surgical operations 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, 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 early childhood Since he was raised to perceive the world as a dangerous environment, even just being in the hospital can cause anxiety or a panic attack.

Causes of phobia:

• negative experience of communication with medical workers;
• absence 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 surgical treatment and feel 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 life important organ, remain crippled or after an unsuccessful execution surgical treatment. Reason anxiety state And panic fear there may be a person’s good awareness of his condition and understanding that in postoperative period will have to for a long time live on special, supportive normal functions body, drugs.

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. Similar condition complicates the work of anesthesiologists due to impaired heart rate 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. In case of disagreement with the proposed medical specialist method, you need to sign a waiver. 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.

Get rid of negative thoughts Before an important procedure, a sincere conversation with a loved one, relative or friend will help. 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 personnel. A few days before the operation you need to undergo preoperative preparation: take tests, fully examine the body, cure chronic diseases; go to dietary food, give up bad habits.

How to overcome fear of surgery:

• do not panic, soberly assess your situation;
• tune in to a positive mood;
• accept sedatives, appointed 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

I am undergoing surgery (laparoscopy) to remove a dermoid cyst from the ovary. I am very afraid of anesthesia, panicky. The fact is that I already had a bad experience with anesthesia. I wanted to scream in pain, but I couldn’t even open my eyes. Miraculously, I managed to move my leg - the surgeon noticed and ordered additional anesthesia. I still felt everything, but I couldn’t move anymore. I have never experienced such pain. And what doctors say about patients during surgery is better for no one to know. Just some animals. In the end, nothing was found or cut out from me, but the horror remained and interfered with my life.

Alena, 25 years old

It's a pity that you found yourself in such an unpleasant situation with anesthesia. She seems to have severely damaged your ability to trust doctors. If you are prone to introspection, you can think about why this happened to you and what lesson you learned. What exactly did fate want to convey to you by placing it on the hospital table to the “animal doctors”?

You may find it easier to prepare for surgery if you do three things. First: before the operation, it is best to get to know the operating doctor to whom you will be assigned, and, if possible, the anesthesiologist. Tell him about yourself, your worries, show him your individual human nature. Then, during the operation, the likelihood that you will be treated as an abstract, insignificant body will be significantly reduced. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, but it is worth trying, especially if your operation is planned and not emergency.

Second: treat the memories of the previous operation as nightmare. A nightmare that wakes you up at night. Do this exercise: play it in your head, or better yet, tell it out loud several times everything that happened - voices, sensations in the body. Just instead of what the doctors actually said, imagine that they are telling you compliments, words of approval or support. They stroke you and generally take care of you in every possible way. It's difficult, but you need to use the power of your imagination.

To reduce the risk of recurrence nightmare, spend 2-3 days before surgery indulging your ego and body. Do what you love, what gives you genuine pleasure: both for the soul and for the body. It is desirable that these be a variety of exciting activities.

Third: often helping to overcome fear is having a super idea, the achievement of which requires an upcoming operation. This could be the idea of ​​healing a diseased body, the idea of ​​preserving reproductive function or the ability to bear and give birth to healthy children.

Ask a question to an expert online

Fear accompanies throughout life: it is expressed in simple phenomena or in fear of a crucial event. Anxiety determines behavior and habits.

Fear of surgery is an irrational fear, but not as groundless as most phobias. The person does not understand what is happening and has no control over the situation, so to cope obsessive thoughts before surgery it is very difficult for him.

Reasons

It is normal to feel anxious before a major operation. It's natural defensive reaction psyche facing the unknown.

Reasons for fear:

• fear of the unknown;
• fear of pain;
• fear of medical negligence;
• fear of consequences.

Uncertainty about medical workers- these are beliefs obtained as a result negative experience. He forces you to avoid in any way medical institutions, refuse the necessary examination. The frightened man postpones the operation. Such fear is harmful and allows the disease to progress.

Effect of anesthesia

The operation is performed under general anesthesia while the patient is unconscious. Losing control is frightening, and it forms the basis of intense fear.

Under anesthesia, a person does not evaluate behavior medical personnel. He is unable to influence the course of surgery. It is difficult for people who do not trust anyone but themselves to undergo surgery with anesthesia. They are closed and demanding.

Fear and mysticism

Another reason for fear is the belief that the soul is not attached to the body in unconscious. The patient is afraid of losing this connection and delays surgical intervention. Some believe that under anesthesia a person gets closer to fine line between life and death.

They need a consultation with a psychologist who will help them cope with the cause of their fear.

Getting rid of fears

To overcome the fear of complex operation, you need to understand what it is. Fear is a reaction to possible threat. Fear does not appear without a reason. It requires a foundation that creates internal tension.

You can get rid of the fear of surgery by:

• work on thinking;
• consultation with a psychologist;
• informative conversation with medical staff;
• physical and psychological preparation.

It is important for the patient to tune in to positive results and reassure loved ones.

Working on your thinking will help you not only survive surgery, but also prepare for rehabilitation.

The right attitude

The preoperative period includes a long, step-by-step examination of the body. All this time the person is preparing for the operation. If serious concerns arise, the patient should consult a psychologist.

It is a common practice for cancer patients or people with serious illnesses to mandatory are under the supervision of a psychologist.

For such patients, illness is a physical and moral test.

Therapy and auto-training

To overcome fear, you need to trust the surgeon. Cognitive therapy is used to combat persistent phobias or suppressed fears. behavioral therapy and auto-training.

Behavioral therapy is based on replacement incorrect settings. The fear caused by the thought will go away if the person reanalyzes it. Behavioral therapy is carried out by a psychologist who conducts a frank dialogue with the patient, but does not force the correct conclusions.

Studying the details of the future operation

It’s scary for a patient who doesn’t understand what’s happening to him. He can seek help from a surgeon and allay possible concerns. If he's afraid of anesthesia, he should find out everything possible risks and complications after surgery. Such information destroys fear based on the fear of the unknown.

For the operation, anesthesia is used in an individual dosage. It is administered using a simple injection and is painless for the patient. Advantages of the procedure with the introduction of anesthesia:

• lack of sensitivity during surgery;
• immobility;
• relaxation of the whole body.

Along with such advantages, it stands out psychological factor: While a person is unconscious, he cannot experience fear or strong excitement.

The doctor controls the progress of the operation, so before performing it you should find out about his qualifications and experience. Do not be afraid to show curiosity: the fewer questions the patient has, the easier it is for him to cope with the fear of surgery.

Disadvantages of anesthesia

A conversation with an anesthesiologist will help you learn about the risks. The main danger anesthesia is an attention disorder. The patient feels nauseous during the postoperative period. Dizziness and confusion occur periodically.

Headaches are accompanied by dry mouth and a feeling of confusion. Such side effects Anesthesia is not life-threatening and is temporary. The patient will be warned about possible negative consequences so that there is no unnecessary stress and fear during the postoperative period.

Proper preparation

Will help overcome the fear of a complex operation under general anesthesia the right approach to the operation. This is a forced manipulation to get rid of the disease.

The patient undergoes a body examination. The results of such diagnostics are a prognosis, like will undergo surgery and what to expect from it. On the eve of the operation, a conversation is held with the surgeon. He talks about all the details of the intervention and answers all the patient’s questions. At this stage of preparation, the authority of the surgeon is crucial.

Psychological attitudes

Preparing for surgery is a necessity. The less stable the patient is, the more time he needs to psychological preparation. How to reduce the level of fear before surgery:

• get distracted, do a monotonous task that requires attention;
• talk with loved ones and relatives;
• draw up a rehabilitation plan;
• come up with a small ritual that will serve as a signal to calm down.

The patient begins to delve into his own anxious thoughts if he has nothing to do. Boredom is a favorable environment for the development of fear. On the eve of the operation, the patient needs to take free time reading, playing games or watching interesting films. If he doesn't have time to think about possible consequences, the internal tension will go away.

Conversations with loved ones have a beneficial effect. These are people who know how to reassure and support the patient. Planning for the near future, after surgery, will allow you to get used to the idea that anesthesia and surgery are only one of the stages of recovery. The inner attitude in such situations is very important.

Prayers and rituals

It is not so important what a person believes in, what is more important is what this faith gives him. If it is easier for him to place the outcome of the operation on God, then prayer will help eliminate fear. It is useful to associate certain phenomena with favorable signs.

The patient’s close circle may participate in unique rituals. You shouldn’t allow fanaticism in this matter, but an additional incentive won’t hurt. It shifts some of the responsibility onto someone else, and thereby reduces fear.

Everyone is tested before surgery normal people, even a routine appointment with a doctor causes some psychological discomfort. Fear of surgical intervention is the body’s defense of the unknown, and the person is unable to formulate the idea of ​​what exactly causes fear: a hospital environment, the operation itself, or a long rehabilitation period. How to do it before the operation will be discussed further.

Etiology of the phenomenon

The most obvious and main reason is, although he knows about his diagnosis. It is not the responsibility of the surgeon detailed explanation how the operation will be performed and how long the rehabilitation will take. The main goal of the operating personnel is to do their job efficiently, and the psycho-emotional component should be dealt with by a psychotherapist.

On the other hand, a complete understanding of all stages of the operation and the recovery period is also not beneficial to the patient. Today, many resources offer information on all the intricacies of treatment. However, everything is not so simple; each patient is individual case, this requires the professional opinion of the attending physician. Having read about how the operation is performed, how anesthesia works, and much more, a person falls into.

Another “terrible” circumstance is fear upcoming anesthesia. Some are afraid that poorly administered anesthesia will lead to them not falling asleep and feeling everything. Others, on the contrary, are afraid of the consequences of anesthesia. For example, there is an opinion that general anesthesia significantly shortens life. Still others. I'm afraid I won't wake up after anesthesia - that's what they say.

It is hardly possible to find a person who would not be afraid of the upcoming operation. However, most are capable, because health is more expensive in any case. But for some, the inexplicable happens - they are attacked by uncontrollable panic. Medicine knows of such cases when patients simply refused surgical treatment only because of fear.

How to overcome yourself

The patient can always choose whether to have surgery or not. However, if doctors do not see any other treatment options other than surgery, the refusal must be formalized in in writing. Doctors need this to a greater extent to relieve themselves of responsibility if something happens. sharp deterioration the patient's condition.

Not agreeing to undergo surgery out of fear is unacceptable. But it happens that a person, even having chosen for himself good clinic and specialists, refuses surgery - all because of internal anxiety that haunts him.

It would be logical to ask yourself the question: how to get rid of the fear of surgery? And the answer will be the understanding that you can’t do without it - it will get rid of the disease, and maybe even save your life. But everything is simple until you encounter the problem yourself.

The following tips will help you stop being afraid of surgery:

A good, friendly atmosphere in the ward also plays an important role. There are many people worse off than you, so try to help each other and not make the situation worse.

Physical component

The psychological attitude is very important, but physiological readiness also plays an important role. Usually you can get by with simple rules:

• giving up alcohol and;
• compliance with nutrition and diet;
• refusal of cosmetics and perfumes;
• compliance with all doctor's instructions;
• independent control of body temperature and pressure.

You need to understand that all fears are unfounded, you have no control over what will happen. However, everything can be explained, for example, you learned about the incompetence of a doctor. Then refusing the operation is quite natural. Seeking help from another professional should change everything. General condition the patient may also cause the operation to be postponed. Therefore, any changes in your health should be reported to your doctor.

Trust between patient and doctor will help avoid many psychological troubles. You cannot hide any information from a specialist; for example, some people are embarrassed to talk about past sexual diseases or simply forget to report some fact from their medical history. And before the operation, the person understands that what was left unsaid could affect the diagnosis and choice of treatment method. This circumstance can cause real problems, so there is no need to lie and tremble, thinking about what will happen, it is better to talk again with a specialist.

Remember those fearless girls who go under the knife plastic surgeon, sometimes completely unfounded. The desire to look better than others overcomes all fears of surgery.

Regular elective surgery is the same. Think about the fact that this is a necessity that will help you become healthy and help you get rid of the disease. You will live fully and freely.

There is no need to panic before surgery. Be afraid of what comes next. Think about what to do if you give up now and leave, and whether the gamble is worth the candle.