Your health is incredibly important to you. You want to feel comfortable and capable at all times and live a long and happy life. However, the human body is complicated and you may end up dealing with illness or a specific diagnosis at some point in your life. Certain complications like problems with your spine or brain can cause a need for more intense treatment options like surgery.
Getting a surgical procedure can seem like a scary event. You are going to be put under anesthetic and the results of surgery can end up affecting your life and behavior down the line. It’s natural to be nervous, but it’s also up to you to learn all the facts. There’s a lot of misinformation and rumors out there about surgery in general. We’re here to clear up some of those myths as you get ready to undergo a procedure. Overall, surgery is about improving your quality of life, so embrace that treatment plan and ignore these silly myths about surgery.
Always consult a doctor, they know best.
Before we get started on the myths about surgery, it’s important to note that medical professionals will always know best. Each person’s experience is different and your needs and health complications may look different than someone else’s.
Follow whatever medication and treatment plan your doctor and surgeon come up with together. After all, they are the spine experts on back pain, the cosmetic surgery experts to help restructure your face, and the neurosurgeons that understand how to fix the brain. Whatever surgery you’re getting, trust the experts to give you all the relevant information you need.
Myth: Surgeons aren’t qualified doctors.
Surgeons have gotten a bad reputation as being meatheads who just want to make incisions and cut into people. Or perhaps they are only seen as cold, unfeeling doctors who have a hard time with bedside manner. One of the first myths to dispel is the fact that surgeons aren’t qualified doctors. These individuals complete all of medical school and go on to a specific fellowship and residency within a specific area of surgery. They understand all effective treatment plans and are qualified to help you get well again.
Myth: All surgery is incredibly risky.
When you hear surgery, you may be incredibly nervous about the risks involved. It is a myth that all surgery is incredibly dangerous and risky. Yes, there is always some risk involved in surgery, but certain types of surgery are more developed than others. A simple procedure won’t carry the same risks as a complex neck surgery or neurosurgery. Know there are always risks with anesthesia and blood clots, but unless you have serious pre-existing conditions, you shouldn’t need to worry too much.
If you need surgery and are finding you are too nervous to get the procedure, you may need to work on your mental health function to overcome your fear. With cognitive therapy, you are relearning certain processes within your brain. Rather than worrying over things you can’t control, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you process that emotion differently. Look into CBT therapy near me to see if this type of therapy and meeting with a psychiatrist can help you feel more secure about getting surgery.
Myth: I’m going to be stuck in a long recovery no matter what.
Some people may try to avoid surgery because they are concerned about a lengthy recovery process. While some surgeries do require a few months of physical therapy or behavior changes at home, this isn’t true of all procedures. Smaller surgeries only require a few days in the hospital to recover, then you’re good to go on with your life. You get a cervical neck surgery recovery guide or exercises to do at home and you continue recovery on your own. There is less pain than expected and you can enjoy a sense of freedom even after a surgical procedure.
Myth: Every surgeon has the same set of skills.
It is a common myth that all surgeons have the exact set of skills. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Each surgeon has a specific specialty that they are well-practiced in. This is an important thing too considering how many different kinds of surgery there are. You wouldn’t want a cosmetic surgeon helping you with a spine condition, for example. It is a great benefit to the medical field that different surgeons have different sets of skills.
Myth: A long time in the or means there were problems.
It can be a hard, helpless experience to sit in a waiting room while your loved one is in the OR. If you end up waiting a little longer than you anticipated, this doesn’t automatically mean something bad has happened. Surgery is precise and specific. You want the doctors and surgeons to take their time so everything goes smoothly. Don’t jump to conclusions and follow the myth that a long operation always means danger.