What do they check your blood for before surgery?

Question

i am getting a breast augmentation and they want bloodwork before surgery to make sure everything is alright. what do they check for? do they check for diseases such as stds or what?

Answer 1

It's different for different patients.  

STD testing requires a swab up the v****a, usually, not a blood test.  Your anesthesiologist and surgeon don't care too much if you have STDs.  We wear gloves regardless.

We do care about your blood count, clotting ability, electrolytes and other things depending on your medical status.

For most healthy aug patients, we don't usually need any blood work.  If you're curious, ask your surgeon.

Answer 2

They will be looking for signs of a shouldering infection, low blood count that will increase the likelihood you will need a transfusion, and poor clotting response.  They will also look at your metabolic profile to see if your liver and kidneys are fine or if you have evidence of diabetes or another endocrine problem.

Answer 3

It really depends on the surgery a person is having...  Generally a CBC (Complete Blood Count) is ordered to make sure one is not anemic or had a platelet defiency.  A CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel) is an inclusive chemistry profile that will look at electrolytes, glucose, kidney function, and liver function tests.  If the surgery is pretty invasive, the physician may run coagulation test to make sure your clotting factors are working properly.  If blood loss is expected, a Type and Screen or Type and Crossmatch maybe done to determine blood type and find compatible blood in case a transfusion is necessary.  Many doctors also order a Urinalysis, and, in females, a pregnancy test.  Best thing you can do is to ask your doctor what he/she is ordering and why.

Answer 4

STDs are NOT part of a standard blood test prior to surgery although it is a good idea to inform your doctor of ANY medical conditions you may have, regardless of how embarrassing it might be.

A standard blood test prior to surgery basically assess the complete blood count (CBC) which is basically the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in the blood, in addition coagulation profiles (aPTT, PT, INR, fibrinogen testing, platelet count, platelet function testing)  to assess if your blood is clothing properly or not, serum electrolytes, as well as blood urea nitrogen and creatinine which is used to assess the function of the kidneys. They MIGHT check liver function by looking at the liver enzymes, such as the amino-transferases, although it is not absolutely mandatory.

But the most important of these is the coagulation and electrolytes parameters

These are routine test prior to surgery so that you do not bleed to death from a coagulation abnormality or you do not suffer cardiac arrest as a result of electrolyte abnormalities such as hyperkalemia, which may occur as a result of tissue damage (remember potassium is much high in the cells then in the plasma and the inevitable damage to body cells during surgery can leak potassium into the blood.) If the concentration of potassium exceeds a certain threshold, it can trigger a fatal arrhythmia, this is what they use in the "death chamber" in Texas to stop your heart.