Question:
Has anyone had their surgery cancel due to a low hgb?

My surgery was cancel becasue I have a hgb of 9.8 I have been taking iron tab for a while now I have been dx with iron deficiency anemia.    — N.Linda M. (posted on July 13, 2000)

July 13, 2000
Bleieve it or not, my surgery was canceled as I lay on the O.R. table. I had had my lab work done about 10 days before. They said all was fine. I was concerned because I had been having very heavy periods. When I asked the nurses if it would be a problem, they said "No the worst thing that could happen is they would give you a blood trasnsfusion." When I was admitted for surgery, I was still bleeding heavily, and the nurses assured me it would be no problem. I guess my husband was'nt as desperate as I was for me to go ahead with the surgery. He asked for a blood test, the nurses said No tests have been ordered so we can't. My husband was persistent and had the nurses call the Dr. in surgery and order the blood test. Sure enough....When the Dr. got done with the first surgery and came to do mine, He told me that it would have to be postponed because I was severely aneimic. Was I ever disappointed. He put me on trinsicon {rx iron} and gave me a B-12 shot. 2 yrs. and a hysterectomy later, I finally had the surgery Jan. of this year. I was so disappointed to have to put the surgery on hold, I know how you must feel. Just remember.. you want to be as healthy as possible prior to surgery, so recooperation will be minimal, and weight loss maximum. Good Luck!!
   — Dani J.

July 13, 2000
My wls was to be 3/30/00. All prior tests were great. As they were inserting the IV, a nurse stopped the person and kinda acted a little strange, asking them if they noticed my chart...I knew something was up. I was so disappointed when my wonderful surgeon told me that he could go ahead but that he wanted to be safe and wanted me to have a colonoscopy and an endoscopy to make sure all was well. I was more frightened about that than for the wls. Only thing the drs. could find is that my anemia was due to heavy periods. Didn't really know that I had heavy periods. I thought they were normal. I was prescribed iron tablets, which I hate...they make me feel a little sick. My levels were even lower at my 2nd date of surgery on 4/19/00 and I thought God was trying to tell me something. lol Thank goodness Dr. Husted did not cancel it this time...He knew that I didn' have an ulcer, cancer, etc. I had no complications. I feel fabulous. This is the best thing I could have done. Good luck.
   — Janice K.