Question:
THAT IS THE QUESTION...WILL THEY TELLME TO GET RID OF THEM DURING SURGERY?

   — Vicki B. (posted on April 21, 2002)

April 21, 2002
No jewlery at all during surgery.No nail polish. no hair products. no skin lotion.
   — Patricia R.

April 21, 2002
I didn't have to. I don't think they noticed it.
   — sara J.

April 21, 2002
I was asked to remove all my jewlery, including my wedding ring during surgery. I'm glad I did too. I couldn't wear it for almost 2 weeks post-op because of my swelling, I would've hated for them to have to cut it off... But I have left them on during other procedures and had no problems. They taped my ring to make sure a - no one tried to steel it , b- to make sure my diamond didn't fall out ... So ask your triage nurse if you're not sure... :) Good luck on your journey!
   — Elizabeth D.

April 21, 2002
I left everything like jewelry at home. I didn't want to loose them and I was told not to wear them. I was told that if they have to start your heart using electricity, you don't want to be wearing anything metal. The first thing I did when I got home from the hospital was to put my necklace and watch on!!!
   — blank first name B.

April 21, 2002
At my hospital you are only allowed your wedding band.
   — Tammy B.

April 21, 2002
Gosh I hope not!! My fingers have gotten so fat that I cant take my rings off.
   — mastrnservnt

April 22, 2002
hello all, I am a nurse who works in surgery. The reason that there ARE pre-op lists of instructions is to have people DO the instructions. You are an adult and can fully participate in your care; we assume that the things we have asked you to do BEFORE you come to the hospital for your surgery are done. There IS a reason for every single thing that is asked of you, and you should do it, even if you, your mother, or your friends don't like it, or whatever. If you want to NOT do something, it is your responsibility to call your physician and ASK the reason for it, or what could be done instead. Can you tell I have been annoyed by LOTS of people who didn't do what they were asked to do??? it REALLY creates problems in the operating room when people sneak their teeth, jewelry, money etc in with them. :) sorry for the lecture, but it is the truth!!! Jewelry is an easy thing. We ask patients to remove all jewelry because of several issues: 1. the possibility of loss or theft 2. potential for swelling (edema) 3. it just gets in the way! you never know what is going to happen and if there is a necklace or toe rings there, then the nurse has to figure out what to do with that piece of jewelry while in the midst of a major surgery, and possibly while having problems. Jewelry is for decoration outside the hospital. There is no reason to wear jewelry in the operating room. You're not there to impress someone with your lovely toes/jewelry, and they are not there to notice it! (By the way, there is also no danger in having jewelry on if your heart needs to be defibrillated unless they put the paddles right ON the piece of metal.) Yeah, you miss the normal things you wear and do while you're in the hospital, but you just put it back on when you get home. I have had to cut off/destroy plenty of jewelry, and the worry of protecting IT along with your life is more than an operating room staff should be asked to do. Why would you want to leave them on anyways?
   — Nancy D.

April 22, 2002
Nancy - it was a lecture some people might need! I know that I wouldn't want ANYTHING to get in the way of receiving the absolute best medical care, not even a wedding ring. Surgical teams have enough liability looming over their heads in this day and age, they sure don't need non-compliance from a patient to add to it. And as a WLS pre-op, I don't want the least little thing adding to the possible mortality or risk rates of the procedure...we should all do everything we can to work with our medical team and to keep WLS safe for our brothers & sisters. - Anna p.s. I'll get off this soapbox now :o
   — Anna L.