How to deal with the fear of surgery under general anesthesia. How to support a person before surgery How to cope with fear of surgery

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Most people have to go on the operating table at least once in their lives, sometimes to save their lives, but sometimes not only (for example, when a woman is indicated for a cesarean section).

There is only one thing left for us to do - come to terms with this thought and trust the competence of doctors. Because the longer a person waits to make a decision, the more complicated his problem becomes.

Few people are able to manage their emotions so well that they do not feel afraid of surgery at all. It's normal to feel nervous. How to overcome anxiety and prepare yourself mentally? Some tips are in our article.

Talk to doctors

If a person is scheduled for surgical intervention and not on an emergency basis, there is always a chance to understand how to calm down before the operation so that on the important day you can come to the medical facility in full combat readiness, being optimistic. It is no secret that in recovery it is the patient’s mood that plays almost the key role.

Patients may be worried about different fears: rational, associated with real risks; irrational, for which there is no basis.

For example, people may worry that:

The operation will be performed by incompetent specialists.
Unforeseen difficulties will arise.
During the operation there is a risk of becoming infected with something.
The surgeon will leave an object in the patient.
There will be postoperative pain.

To dispel these doubts, it is very important to first communicate with the surgeon and anesthesiologist to ask all your questions. In most cases, doctors are required to carry out not only a series of medical examinations and tests, but also consultation with the patient on the upcoming operation. For example, you could ask:

How exactly the risk of complications is minimized;
what difficulties are possible and what you can do to avoid them;
what modern medical inventions make it possible to perform surgery with a minimum of risks and high efficiency;
how anesthesia is administered before (or rather, what type of anesthesia is used);
how a person feels during and after;
what pain relief medications will be used;
How many such operations has the surgeon already performed? Usually after answering “Ten” it becomes much easier.

If necessary, you can talk to another surgeon from another hospital to compare answers and put your mind at ease.

The doctor must tell you what can be done before the operation and what absolutely cannot be done: what tests to take, what to eat and drink (or not to eat at all), what specific procedures and preparations to carry out.

Someone might find it helpful to be able to complain about their fears and cry on someone’s reliable shoulder. But you absolutely cannot feel sorry for someone - as soon as a person sees emotions in the eyes of others, this is transmitted to him, and even a strong spirit can become unstuck.

Voice your expectations: ask you not to regret, but to maintain faith in a positive outcome.

Try, if the situation allows it, to think about the future - when everything is left behind.

For believers, this is also a very important moment. It is useful to visit your church and tell the priest about what important event is coming, and ask him to pray for you.

You need to pray not only for yourself - prayer for the surgeon (and other participants in the process) is also important.

Often patients, especially if the doctor has not provided them with enough information, try to fill in the gaps on their own. Usually, this is done by reading articles on the Internet, forums, and watching videos of similar operations. This can be done, but it is important to consider your character and not overdo it. Still, there may be materials on the Internet written by not very competent authors, on forums there are too many emotions, not objectivity, and video recordings... Such a sight is not for every eye.

If a person is suspicious and emotional, it is better to abstain. It is optimal to strive to obtain information first-hand – from a doctor.

An upcoming operation always causes anxiety and worry, regardless of whether the person has had a similar experience. In order not to expose your body to stress, you need to know how to overcome the fear of surgery under general anesthesia.

Surgery under anesthesia causes fear and anxiety in the patient

There are many reasons for the development of this fear and they are individual for each person. It is possible and necessary to fight them, since surgery, anesthesia and postoperative recovery are already a huge burden on the body. You shouldn’t expose him to destructive obsessive fear.

How to cope with fear of surgery

Your imagination plays a big role. No matter how difficult and scary it may be, it is important to switch from negative images to positive ones and imagine how your operation is successful. How do you feel better and better every day after the operation? In other words, program your subconscious for success. This helps a lot. And the chances of recovery increase several times.

If you are a believer, then go to church, or ask your loved ones to ask for your healing. You can also read prayers at home or in the hospital. This calms and inspires faith in healing. There are many facts that suggest that with the help of faith and prayer, people were healed from many diseases, including incurable ones.

Self-hypnosis formulas can help overcome fear of surgery. Say them constantly and don’t let thoughts and fears settle in your mind.

These are the formulas:

I am worthy of health and healing.

I feel better and better every day

I'm programmed for success.

Don't hold back negative emotions. If you feel like crying, cry. Talk to someone about your fears. Don't keep them to yourself. Accept them and manage them in the ways below or in any other way.

Surgeons are doctors whom, despite the great respect for their courage and professionalism, I would like to contact only for preventive purposes. Nevertheless, most people have to go on the operating table at least once in their lives, sometimes to save their lives, and sometimes not only (for example, when a woman is indicated for a cesarean section).

There is only one thing left for us to do - come to terms with this thought and trust the competence of doctors. Because the longer a person waits to make a decision, the more complicated his problem becomes.

Few people are able to manage their emotions so well that they do not feel afraid of surgery at all. It's normal to feel nervous. How to overcome anxiety and how to mentally prepare for surgery? Some tips are in our article.

Tip 1

Talk to doctors

Often we worry about something due to primitive lack of information. The prospect of surgical intervention is no exception.

Patients may be worried about a variety of fears - and among them there are both rational ones associated with real risks, and completely irrational ones for which there is no basis.

For example, people undergoing surgery may worry that:

The operation will be performed by incompetent specialists.
Unforeseen difficulties will arise.
During the operation there is a risk of becoming infected with something.
The surgeon will leave an object in the patient.
There will be postoperative pain.

To dispel these doubts, it is very important to first communicate with the surgeon and anesthesiologist to ask all your questions. For example, how to prepare for surgery under general anesthesia. In most cases, doctors are required to carry out not only a series of medical examinations and tests, but also consultation with the patient specifically on the issues of the upcoming operation. For example, you could ask:

How exactly the risk of complications is minimized;
what difficulties are possible and what you can do to avoid them;
what modern medical inventions make it possible to perform surgery with a minimum of risks and high efficiency;
how anesthesia is administered before surgery (or rather, what type of anesthesia is used);
how a person feels during and after surgery;
what pain relief medications will be used;
How many such operations has the surgeon already performed? Usually after answering “Ten” it becomes much easier.

If necessary, you can talk to another surgeon from another hospital to compare answers and put your mind at ease.

When a person is well informed and imagines what exactly will happen in the operating room, it is easier for him to figure out how not to be afraid of the operation.

Tip 2

Follow the rules

It is very important to strictly follow what the doctor said. And, for example, if you can’t eat in the evening, you shouldn’t wake up at night and, out of nerves, gnaw on cookies in the kitchen until the morning. All the rules for preparing for surgery were invented for a reason, but for some important purpose.

Tip 3

Support from loved ones

It’s great if a person has good relationships with close people - family and friends, and there is someone to support him. But here it is very important that the tone is chosen correctly. Someone might find it helpful to be able to complain about their fears and cry on someone’s reliable shoulder. But you absolutely cannot feel sorry for someone - as soon as a person sees emotions in the eyes of others, this is transmitted to him, and even a strong spirit can become unstuck, while you need to remain optimistic. Your friends are probably thinking about how to find words of support before surgery. Voice your expectations: ask you not to regret, but to maintain faith in a positive outcome. Try, if the situation allows it, to joke more and think about the future - when everything is left behind.

Tip 4

Go to your confessor

For believers, this is also a very important moment. When preparing for surgery, it is useful to visit your church and tell the priest about the important event you are facing and ask to pray for you.

Before surgery, you need to pray not only for yourself - you also need to pray for the surgeon before the operation (and other participants in the process). Tip 5

About amateur performances

Often, patients who are about to undergo surgery, especially if the doctor has not provided them with enough information, tend to fill in the gaps on their own. Usually, to do this, they read articles on the Internet, forums and watch videos (note deleted by the owner) recordings of similar operations. This can be done, but it is important to consider your character and not overdo it. Still, there may be materials on the Internet written by not very competent authors, on forums there may be too much emotion rather than objectivity, and video (note deleted by the owner) recordings... Such a sight is not for every eye.

If a person is suspicious and emotional, it is better to abstain. It is optimal to strive to obtain information first-hand – from a doctor.

Tip 6

Pleasant activities

Instead of sitting near the window all day a week before the operation and biting your nails because of your nerves, it is better to do something useful and pleasant, to distract yourself - even if it seems that you can’t think about anything else. Do what you like: be creative, take care of your family, watch positive films...

Tip 7

Think about the future

When surgery is ahead, it is better to think not about the process itself or the recovery period, but about what exactly it will bring. For example, if a girl is thinking about how to prepare herself for gynecological surgery, you can dream about how this will help maintain her women's health.

Conclusion

Causes of fear

Speaking about the reasons for the fear of surgery under general anesthesia, it is impossible to single out any special reasons. Fear is based on thanatophobia (fear of death), iatrophobia (fear of doctors), and tomophobia (fear of operations). This phobia is very rarely preceded by psychological trauma or emotional shock.

In most cases, it is based on the patient’s far-fetched experiences. Fear of surgery arises due to:

Lack of information. The person does not know how the surgery will take place. What frightens him is not the fact of the procedure itself, but the inability to control it in an unconscious state. It makes you feel helpless and vulnerable.
Too much information. The medical staff explains in detail what they will do during the operation. Particularly impressionable and suspicious people are able to imagine a picture with the most unpleasant details.
Stories from other patients have the worst effect on a person before surgery. You can hear that an anesthesiologist can do his job incorrectly and the person will wake up.

Modern drugs have virtually no side effects; during the operation, the anesthesiologist is next to the surgeon and monitors the patient’s condition. If the effect of anesthesia comes to an end, then it is extended with another portion of the medicine.

conclusions

Surgical procedures are a pleasant and positive act, however, very often even absolutely safe operations, with zero risk, cause extreme anxiety, fears and concerns among suspicious people. The instinct of self-preservation is on defense and this is completely natural. In the article we told you what to do in such situations, how to cope with fear and obsessive thoughts. Do not forget to pay attention to your psychological state not only in acute crisis moments, but also in everyday life.

Many people experience fear of surgery, but some have learned to manage this fear, while others cultivate it to enormous limits, drawing in their imagination pictures of all sorts of complications or death. And these thoughts of fear are not very useful for the body; rather, on the contrary, they can attract what a person is afraid of. Therefore, it is important to let go of the fear of surgery.

It is important to trust doctors, the universe and your body
.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this fear, like any manifestation of fear, are typical. They greatly complicate the work of anesthesiologists, as the heart rate is disrupted and blood pressure rises greatly. In this condition, it is more difficult to determine the dose of anesthesia for the patient.

Somatic manifestations of fear are:

dizziness;
darkening of the eyes;
nausea and vomiting;
headache;
sweating;
stomach upset;
tremor of the limbs.

Panic attacks are also possible, in the midst of which a person cannot control himself.

Methods for dealing with fear

You can get rid of fear on the eve of surgery using techniques developed by psychotherapists to help people in such a situation. Doctors may prescribe powerful sedatives that relax muscles, reduce emotional stress, and prepare the patient for anesthesia.

Psychological preparation

The support of loved ones, as well as consultation with a psychotherapist, helps to overcome fear. Experts recommend using the following methods:

Action by contradiction: you need to imagine in the smallest detail how the operation would take place in the complete absence of anesthesia.
Introductory lectures: educational program on the topic of how the operation occurs and what consequences it brings. This will help cope with fear if the person is not very impressionable and can calmly look at blood (if we are talking about watching thematic videos).
Detachment, maximum detachment from reality. This technique is relevant for children. The patient imagines that everything that happens to him is actually happening to another person, a character from a fairy tale or a movie character.

It is difficult to calmly survive the fear of surgery if the patient withdraws into himself.

To get rid of the fear of anesthesia, you should imagine how the operation would have gone without it.

Preparing for surgery

It is important to properly prepare for surgery under general anesthesia. Depending on the complexity of the upcoming surgical intervention, the general health of the patient and many other factors, the preparation time can vary from 2 weeks to six months. During this time, the patient sometimes develops a persistent fear of surgery and anesthesia, which is fueled by stories from other patients or anonymous testimonies read in the tabloid press.

The anesthesiologist, together with the surgeon who will operate on the patient, should have an informative conversation with precise instructions on what you can eat and drink a month before the operation, a week before it and on the day of it. In addition, the patient must be examined by other specialized doctors who study the state of his health and also give him useful advice on adjusting, for example, smoking, weight, lifestyle, sleep.

Even before a short and simple operation under general anesthesia, at least the following examination of the patient’s health condition is carried out:

blood test (general);
urine test (general);
blood clotting test;
general urine analysis.

It is important to tell the truth about how you feel. If the patient was properly preparing for surgery, but a few days before the operation he noticed an increase in temperature or an exacerbation of a chronic disease, for example, gastritis, the attending physician should know this! If the patient is not feeling well, the operation must be postponed.

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.

It consists of the following stages:

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 confident that the doctor has the appropriate competence 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.

It is important to trust doctors, the universe and your body
.

Fear of surgery under anesthesia

Feeling afraid of anesthesia or a surgeon’s scalpel is normal and should not be ashamed. To reduce feelings of anxiety, you can seek help from a psychologist. In many developed countries, each patient is required to be consulted by such a specialist before surgery, and if necessary, consultations can be multiple. In our country, few clinics and hospitals can boast of such an opportunity, so patients themselves sometimes have to ask their doctor for a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist for a conversation.

It is believed that the patient’s psyche is traumatized already in the clinic, when the doctor recommends surgical treatment to his patient. Even then, fear begins to occupy a dominant position in a person’s consciousness. Anyone undergoing surgery needs the sensitivity of the medical staff.

Every patient without exception should be reassured and encouraged. If the patient shows a particularly intense feeling of fear (cries often, talks about death, sleeps and eats poorly), he needs urgent consultation with a psychologist. In the preoperative period, most patients are in dire need of preparation for surgery, not only medicinally, but also psychologically. There are several areas of mental support for patients:

training of children and elderly people;
preparation for emergency surgery;
preparation for planned surgery.

Fear is a strong emotion, which in this case plays a negative role, preventing the patient from adjusting to a favorable outcome of the operation.

Since the consequences of anesthesia depend not only on the anesthesiologist, but also on the patient, you should carefully consider your own emotional experiences and promptly see a specialist to restore mental balance. You can be afraid of anesthesia or the outcome of surgery, but at the same time live a full life, without poisoning it either for yourself or your loved ones. To do this, you should prepare for the operation psychologically and physically, controlling not only what you can eat or drink, but also what you can and should think about.

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.

General anesthesia is prescribed to the patient if during the operation it is impossible to use local anesthesia for complete pain relief. Hundreds of thousands of people go through this procedure every day. Proper preparation for anesthesia will help reduce the likelihood of complications, both during and after surgery. The patient is required to strictly follow the recommendations that will help him prepare for the upcoming test physically and psychologically.

In many cases of surgical intervention, it is impossible to do without general anesthesia. Despite its relevance and necessity, such anesthesia still remains not entirely subject to human will. Medicine cannot give a 100% guarantee that this artificial sleep will not have a negative effect. An honest and open dialogue between the patient and the anesthesiologist is important when planning an operation, which should be prepared in advance.

Back in the middle of the last century, anesthesia before surgery was associated with a risk to the patient’s life. Today, thanks to a huge leap in the development of all branches of medicine, as well as due to the use of advanced technologies, there is no longer any need to talk about mortality due to anesthesia. However, there remains a small possibility of a threat to the health of the human brain (mental impairment is possible).

Almost everyone who has to go through this procedure experiences fear, sometimes turning into panic. But, since there is no alternative to such anesthesia, it is necessary to use all available possibilities to achieve maximum safety. To do this, before anesthesia, it is important to prepare your body in accordance with established rules and the individual requirements of the attending physician. If you do everything as the anesthesiologist advises, you can reduce the likelihood of complications.

The advantages of general anesthesia include such factors as the patient’s lack of sensitivity to the surgical procedures being performed, and the patient’s absolute immobility, allowing surgeons to work with concentration and without tension. In addition, a person under general anesthesia is completely relaxed, which allows doctors to work even with hard-to-reach vessels and tissues, without wasting time. Another advantage is that the patient’s consciousness is turned off during the operation, and therefore there is no fear.

In some cases, anesthesia is accompanied by side effects such as attention disorder, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, pain and dry throat, and headaches.

These unpleasant sensations are temporary, and their intensity and duration can be adjusted if you prepare for the upcoming operation as required by the doctor, for example, by not eating or drinking water for several hours before the procedure.

Psychological attitude

First of all, you should give up ostentatious bravado and admit to yourself: “Yes, I’m afraid of anesthesia.” Every patient who is about to undergo major surgery experiences fear. This is a normal state, since a person is accustomed to controlling the work of his own body, and the thought that he will be helpless inspires fear and anxiety. In addition, there is fear for the consequences of anesthesia and the success of the operation itself. Such anxiety is normal if it is not constantly present and does not disrupt the patient’s usual rhythm of life.

To psychologically prepare for an operation under anesthesia, while experiencing fear, you can do auto-training, yoga, and meditation. It is enough to master the technique of proper relaxation and breathing in order to feel peace of mind and peace after just a few sessions. Breathing exercises and a positive attitude will help overcome fear and panic.

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.

Surgery under anesthesia causes fear and anxiety in the patient

Physical training

In addition to the psychological aspect, body preparation is important:

The anesthesiologist and the attending surgeon should know about all medications taken (even about 1 tablet of aspirin);
you should tell doctors about recent illnesses and allergic reactions;
You cannot hide diseases suffered in the past that are popularly considered indecent (syphilis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis);
you should not eat or drink 6 hours before surgery;
It is advisable to quit smoking 6 weeks before the appointed date;
Removable dentures and piercings must be removed from the oral cavity;
you need to remove contact lenses and hearing aids (if any);
Decorative varnish is removed from the surface of the nails.

A week before surgery, you should eat foods that help cleanse the intestines of toxins and gases. If you prepare correctly, the body will tolerate anesthesia easily and without complications. A competent approach and following the instructions will help you not to be afraid of the upcoming procedure and will allow you to restore strength after the operation.

Even before a routine 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 reason for fear is the lack of information about the upcoming operation. After all, not every doctor openly talks with the patient, explaining to him his diagnosis, the need for surgical intervention and warning him 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 horrific 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, taking into account the fact 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. the person understands that the clinic is reputable, the operating team is experienced, and the risks are minimal, but some kind of internal anxiety does not allow him to give consent.

The most logical and reasonable advice for overcoming the fear of surgery is to 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 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, only one in 250 thousand people die from anesthesia or a medical error, and almost every first person 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 a gynecological intervention is to be performed, the patient may dream of 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 “the terrible consequences of surgical interventions.”

Drink a sedative

Chamomile, St. John's wort, mint, linden, fireweed - decoctions of these herbs have a beneficial effect on the 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. They may be very scared, but they are afraid to show it and worry alone with themselves. They need your support.

Physical preparation for surgery

In addition to the psychological attitude, 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;
follow medication treatment only with those drugs 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 a bad specialist (facts prove this), then you can turn to another surgeon. If you receive invalid ones, you need to retake them. Feeling unwell can also cause you to postpone surgery, so don’t 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 (experienced sexually transmitted diseases, for example), do not consider it necessary to say something, or simply forget to report some fact from their medical history. 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, which can result in 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 are talking about people who undergo plastic surgery, correcting 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, get rid of illness, and you can live a 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.

A regular trip to the doctor is very stressful for many, not to mention surgery. Fear of surgery is a protective reaction of the body, and represents the fear of something unknown ahead. At the same time, people cannot accurately express what specifically scares them: the operation itself, the rehabilitation period, the hospital walls, or something else. Having already received a referral for a surgical procedure, almost all patients ask themselves the question: how to overcome the fear of surgery?

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. The general condition of 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 of a plastic surgeon, sometimes completely without reason. 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.

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 you to assess the degree of correspondence between a person’s weight and his height, and thereby indirectly assess whether the weight 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. We also have the same conversation with drug addicts - we won’t take withdrawal symptoms on 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!)

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

One of the main reasons for preoperative phobia is complete uncertainty. The patient knows his diagnosis, knows approximately what will be done for him, and that’s where all the information ends. Not every surgeon will explain to the patient what is happening in his body, how the operation will take place, what specific actions he will perform, how many days the body’s recovery will take. The main task of a surgeon is to perform his work professionally, and a psychotherapist should calm all mental anxieties.
The absolutely opposite reason for fear of surgery is the patient’s excessive awareness of both his illness and the methods of treating it. Nowadays, you can find a lot of information on the Internet about any disease and methods of getting rid of it. You should not always trust the articles you read; each case is individual and requires a professional assessment by the attending physician. Having read about how surgery should be performed, how anesthesia is administered and other points, patients begin to panic about the operation.
The third reason for fear is anesthesia. Some patients are afraid that the anesthesia will have a bad effect and they will feel pain, others are afraid of the possible negative consequences of anesthesia. Surely many have heard the popular belief that one dose of anesthesia shortens a person’s life by several years. Well, another group of people who are afraid of surgical intervention is the fear of not waking up at all after anesthesia.

It is unlikely that doctors will be able to remember at least one person who would not be afraid of surgery. The only difference is that many are trying to overcome their phobia and undergo this stage of treatment, while others, on the contrary, experience real panic attacks at the mere mention of surgical intervention. There are often cases in medical practice when patients voluntarily refuse surgery due to their panic fear.

How to overcome fear

Each person is given the right to choose whether to agree to surgery or not. If we are talking about a small cosmetic procedure, say, removing burn marks, then the patient’s life is not in danger if it is refused. But most often, surgical intervention is performed for medical reasons and refusal to do so can lead to serious complications. If a patient simply needs surgery, for example, removal of a malignant tumor, but because of fear of the upcoming procedure, the patient refuses surgical treatment, he must write in his own hand a refusal of the proposed treatment. Thus, doctors relieve themselves of responsibility for the unfavorable outcome of the disease.

Having weighed all the pros and cons, the patient understands that he simply needs the operation, but what to do if horror constrains the whole body? Psychologists give a number of recommendations on how to get rid of the fear of surgery.

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

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 it is very difficult for him to cope with obsessive thoughts before surgery.