There seems to be quite a problem between surgeons and patients in the operating room these days. A variety of herbs, and even some vitamins, are causing serious problems in the operating room, and these problems seem to be cropping up more and more.
There are a growing number of people now take herbal supplements of one kind or another. A survey last summer showed that nearly a quarter of all Americans regularly take some herbal supplement. As much as 70 percent of people slated for surgery don't disclose herbal use. Herbs generally aren't prescribed by a doctor, and people just don't consider them a medication. But herbs and vitamins do affect the inner workings of the body -- and not always in a positive way when it comes to surgery.
Different herbs do different things to the body that can affect the way your surgery goes. Some will lead to excessive bleeding while others affect the heart and others interfere with anesthesia or other drugs you may have to take. It’s absolutely VITAL that you make your surgeon aware of any and all natural remedies you have been taking, even if you haven’t taken it for a couple of weeks. Multiple studies have shown that upwards of 60 to 70 percent of patients don’t have this conversation with their doctors and surgeons.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists wants people to stop taking herbal supplements at least two weeks before surgery, no matter what kind of operation you are going in for, saying that just because something is considered "natural," it's not automatically "safe."
A range of herbal supplements -- from the popular St. John's wort , ginkgo biloba , garlic, ginger, ginseng , vitamin E and feverfew and aspirin, which tends to keep blood from clotting, can cause increased bleeding during surgery, that's not only risky during the actual operation, but can lead to complications later. If a person has more bleeding than normal during an operation, a fair amount of time will be spent stopping that bleeding, and visualization can be impaired, too.
Some of these supplements [like ginseng] are finding themselves into iced teas, herbal energy drinks, herbal teas. Because of this, people can be honest with their doctors and say they're not taking anything, yet still be at risk. For instance, an 83 year old friend of mine takes about 10 different medications and was drinking an herbal tea. She later felt dizzy and light headed. We finally pin pointed the problem to the herb tea she was drinking. Herbs and even vitamins can not be mixed with medications. It's either one or the other.
Physicians have started asking specifically about vitamin and herbal supplement used in their pre-operative evaluations. And we, for our part, if taking vitamins or herbs might want to type out a list of ALL herbs and vitamins that we normally take on a regular basis and include the name of the herb/vitamin, the dosage amount and how many times during a 24 hour period that we take the herb/vitamin, also, why we are taking the herb/vitamin. Keep this list with other medical emergency papers and with the person whom you designate to take care of matters should something happen.
Studies are being done to learn more about how herbs and other remedies affect bleeding and anesthesia. Much is not known. Some herbs may change or lengthen the effects of medicines used with anesthesia. Others may affect bleeding or clotting. Some can change blood pressure or interact with medicines used during surgery.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists lists the use of herbs and remedies that could cause problems:
ALOE VERA – May cause increased peristalsis, so it may decrease effectiveness of diuretics given after surgery
BROMELAIN – May cause bleeding or interact with antibiotics such as amoxicillin or tetracycline
DANSHEN – May cause bleeding
DONG QUAI – May cause bleeding
ECHINACEA – May interfere with immune functioning, may alter effectiveness of immunosuppressant drugs given after transplant surgery
EPHEDRA – May cause abnormal heartbeat, extreme high blood pressure and coma if combined with certain antidepressants and anesthesia
EPHEDRINE comes from the herb ephedra, also called ma huang, which has been implicated in heart attacks and strokes. It also causes the blood pressure to rise, and that can cause bleeding during an operation.
FEVERFEW – May cause bleeding
GARLIC – May cause bleeding, may interfere with normal blood clotting
GINGER – May cause bleeding
GINKGO BILOBA -- which people take to improve their memory -- can cause spontaneous bleeding, and interferes with the process by which the body causes blood clots. It's also been blamed for post-operative bleeding. Underneath the skin, it can ooze itself into the tissue, much like mud or water might invade itself into a rug if you have a flood, ultimately causing a diffused discoloration, ( black-and-blue of bruising.)
GINSENG – May cause bleeding, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure
GOLDENSEAL – May cause or worsen swelling and high blood pressure
KAVA –KAVA May enhance sedative effects of anesthesia
LICORICE (not including licorice candy) – May increase blood pressure
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS – May cause bleeding if taken in doses greater than 3 grams a day
SENNA – May cause electrolyte imbalance
ST JOHN’S WORT – May increase or decrease the effects of some drugs used during and after surgery
VALERIAN – May prolong the effects of anesthesia
VITAMIN E appears to be more like that with aspirin. Many people take a vitamin E supplement regularly because they believe it helps prevent heart disease. But people who "mega-dose" on vitamin E, which can happen simply by taking a 400-unit pill regularly, can get sort of an acquired clotting disorder, which results in excessive bleeding and interferes with platelets sticking to one another and forming the clot. Platelets are fragments of blood cells that help the blood clot, or form a scab.
What you should do before surgery
Anyone scheduled for surgery, medical experts agree, should stop taking herbal supplements two weeks before an operation. They also should avoid aspirin. And perhaps equally important, they should fully disclose to their doctor everything they take, prescribed or not. Also, see my suggestion above about writing out all the herbs/vitamins we take on a regular basis.
For people anticipating cosmetic surgery, it is also recommended that they stop smoking, because it, too, can contribute to excessive bleeding during surgery, and that they stay out of the sun because burned skin must heal before it can be operated on.
I'm glad to compile all this info for all of you as we never know from one day to the next if we might land in the hospital and find out we need surgery. It's bad enough to deal with that, we don't need more complications. Writing down all your herbs and vitamins is time consuming, but well worth it.
Good health to y'all!!
Posted by Elaynn
@ 01:09 PM EDT
[
Comments [2]
]
view basket
