Preparing Your Skin Before Surgery
Skin bacteria are the most common cause of post-operative surgical wound infection. Care instructions: Preparing Your Skin Before Surgery and Preparing Your Skin Before Surgery (Spanish)
Sign Up to ‘Email Your Doctor’
Before and after your surgery, we’ll have a lot to communicate with you about. If you use email, we’d like you to sign up for a secure Kaiser Permanente mailbox so we can discuss your private health information over email.
Health Education Department
Other educational resources to help patients prepare for surgery are also available from the health education department including videos and audio CDs. These materials are available in the health education center on the first floor of the Medical Office Building 1 Map.
Herbal Supplements and Surgery
Herbal Supplements and over-the–counter (OTC) medications can interact with anesthesia or cause prolonged bleeding times. Be sure to tell your anesthesiologist and surgeon about any drugs, including herbal supplements and OTC drugs that you are taking. Be sure to include the frequency and dose.
The following herbs can affect heart rate and blood pressure:
- Ginseng
- Golden Seal
- Ephedra (ma-huang)
- Licorice
The following herbs may increase your risk of bleeding:
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Ginkgo
- Feverfew
- Danshen
- Dong quai
It is recommended that you stop taking herbal supplements at least one week before your surgery to allow them to exit your body.
Blood Transfusions
You have several options for blood transfusions although these may be limited by time and by health factors. You may choose to donate your own blood before surgery or elect to receive blood from a community donor if necessary. Read more about blood transfusions and all the options available to you.
Sleep Apnea
If you have sleep apnea, it is important that you discuss your symptoms with us. Please read our FAQs on sleep apnea and surgery.
