testing for pregnancy before surgery??

Ok, I know that this is something the hospital has to do, but why? Can they make a common sense judgement? If we have both beed fixed, and I had an ablation, and they just did a test a month ago before they did my biopsy why the heck go through the trouble to test me again.

Like I said, I understand their reason, but that doesn't mean it makes any sense.

Cristy

	Quote:
Originally Posted by cristy_jeff Ok, I know that this is something the hospital has to do, but why? Can they make a common sense judgement? If we have both beed fixed, and I had an ablation, and they just did a test a month ago before they did my biopsy why the heck go through the trouble to test me again. Like I said, I understand their reason, but that doesn't mean it makes any sense. Cristy

I dont know - but I sure hope I dont get pregnant before surgery!

Because DRs and hospitals have been sued by the families of patients who were not given a pregnancy test pre-surgery and turned out to be pregnant, to everyone's surprise. And because sometimes, patients lie. The standard of care is that all pre-hyst patients MUST have a negative pregnancy test result before they can undergo surgery, no matter how sure they say they are that they cannot be pregnant.

We have had a few members here, scheduled for a hysterectomy, who were shocked to find out at their pre-op visit that they were, indeed, pregnant. They might have been horrified, rather than merely surprised, to have found out after they woke up from the surgery.


-Linda

Good point. I didn't think about it like that.

Cristy

Do some hospitals just run the test without telling you? I know that they drew blood just before the surgery to check my hemoglobin and stuff. Can they run it off of that?

I hadn't even considered that as a concern after going through an ablation, having the Essure coils, and not having sex for over a year.

Right before they wheeled me in for surgery they did a blood draw for the pregnancy test... they couldn't find a vein so they took it from my hand ( the IV already had the good vein!) all I could say was ouch! Well after my surgery I had some weird dreams and one of them was about vampires and pregnancy tests... go figure!!!!!!

LOL, what no dream the vampire got you pregnant?

Cristy

I believe it falls under the 'better safe than sorry' category.

On a side note, my tumor was so large (the surgeon compared it to a basketball!), that I looked like I was ready to deliver any day. When I went in for my first CT scan, the tech asked me if I was pregnant. I said no. He then asked me if I was sure I wasn't pregnant. Again I said no. Would you believe he asked me a third time, this time more like 'are you sure there's no possibility you could be pregnant'? That's when I mentioned to him that I was currently on my period, and my husband had a vasectomy 10 years ago. That seemed to reassure him that I really was not pregnant!

People sue for crazy stuff these days, I guess they just want to cover themselves. I was never given a prego test but Dr. kept asking if I was sure that we were done having kids. And I got my tubes tied 8yrs ago!

Not a test that they gave me, pre-op.

I do have to say that, an hour post-op I had a CAT scan.....the tech asked if there was any chance that I was pregnant. I responded. "I don't think so, I had a hysterectomy 90 minutes ago."

Doh, they do not really read charts well, sometimes!

At a post-op visit, the nurse asked about my last period...I asked if that really mattered. LOL!