Surgery is undertaken to correct or rectify a condition or injury that cannot be dealt with in another way. During surgery, either a local anaesthetic is used or else the patient is rendered unconscious via general anaesthesia.
For the target group
Many people associate hospitals and surgery with early memories that evoke feelings of discomfort and fear. If you are to undergo surgery or a procedure, it is important that you tell the personnel about any previous experiences you may have had, so that they can try to alleviate your discomfort as much as possible.
If the surgery is to be performed on a part of your body where you have a congenital limb deficiency, it is important that you undergo extra examinations prior to the procedure. It could be that your blood vessels and nerves form different systems or are located in different parts of your body (vascular anomalies) than for people without limb deficiencies. Tell your physician/surgeon that vascular anomalies are known to occur in the target group to which you belong, and that it could be worth performing extra examinations in order to avoid unnecessary complications.
After surgery it is particularly important that you attend check-ups more regularly than would normally be the case, to ensure that the healing process is going well, and to ensure that you regain your mobility and physical function to the greatest extent possible.
Helpful tips
Surgery often means that you will be lying in the same position for a lengthy period of time. This could cause you to experience extra pain and discomfort afterwards. If you know that you have difficulty lying or sitting in a certain position, tell the personnel so that they can try to alleviate the strain on your body as much as possible during the procedure.
After a procedure or surgery, you will probably experience more pain than usual and may find it more difficult to move in the usual way, which is likely to make it more difficult to cope with your daily activities. Consequently, before your procedure, you should carefully think about the help and aids you may need to make things easier for you during your rehab period. You may be entitled to extra assistance or home care during a transitional recovery period, and at the hospital you can receive help in contacting the local municipality’s care-related assistance administrator for planning prior to your return home.
Healthcare personnel may sometimes simply assume that individuals with extensive disabilities already have access to help in the form of personal assistance or home care. If you don’t already have such assistance and believe it is something you may need, it is very important that you tell the healthcare personnel prior to your procedure or surgery.