Facing the Knife

By Christine Gorman

Are you facing surgery in the next couple of days or weeks? What you do beforehand, how you plan for it, even what you eat can help determine how quickly you recover. At a meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists last month, researchers reported that eating potatoes before an operation could theoretically lengthen the time anesthetic drugs remain in your body. While it's too soon to conclude that you should avoid spuds altogether, there are plenty of other dos and don'ts to keep in mind.

At the top of the anesthesiologists' list: give your doctors as much detail as you can about your medical history. Don't just say you had a bad reaction to general anesthesia; say whether you felt nauseated, went into shock or took 12 hours to wake up. (No, I'm not exaggerating; some patients with an unusual genetic condition take that long to recover.) You should also bring up any allergies you have, since some anesthetic drugs trigger cross-reactions--particularly in patients who are sensitive to soy and eggs. A small but growing trend: preoperative visits to an anesthesiology clinic where doctors can check you out more completely.

Be sure to divulge all the drugs you're taking, including over-the-counter medications and herbal remedies. "Lots of people take aspirin these days as a preventive for heart attack," notes Dr. William Owens, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. "It's so much a part of their daily routine that they don't even think about it, but a single aspirin can prolong bleeding time significantly." Dietary supplements like DHEA or androstenedione can also interfere with the muscle relaxants that anesthesiologists use to make surgery possible.

Now more than ever, you have to plan ahead for surgery. As recently as 15 years ago, most patients checked into the hospital the night before their operation and stayed at least a day or two to recover. Today more than 60% of all operations occur on an outpatient basis. Chances are good you're going to be a bit groggy when you get home and in no condition to figure out what to do. "You should start a list of questions the minute you find out you need surgery and keep refining that list," advises Jane Rothrock, professor of perioperative nursing at Delaware County Community College in Media, Pa. "What can you eat afterward, and how soon? How much can you lift, in terms of pounds? How should you care for the incision? When can you have sex again?"

Be realistic. You can't expect to get over major abdominal surgery while walking up- and downstairs to a second-floor bedroom. Nor can you drive yourself home after cataract surgery.

And there's no point in being stoic about pain. Researchers now believe suffering only sensitizes the body to more suffering and prolongs your recovery period. So don't hesitate to take your pain medicine. A growing number of hospitals are even giving pain-killers to patients before their surgery. Doing so seems to shorten hospital stays by as much as a couple of days.

And while you're busy tending to your physical needs, don't neglect your spiritual ones. Many patients find that praying with a minister, priest, rabbi or other counselor before or after an operation provides an extra measure of calm--and gives them a head start on the road to healing.

For further information about preparing for surgery see time.com/personal You can e-mail Christine at gorman@time.com