Avoid Mistakes During Surgery

When MedicAlert member Robert Tunbridge recently experienced day surgery, he was delighted to learn that he could keep his MedicAlert bracelet on during the procedure.

“When my anaesthetist let me know I could wear my bracelet into surgery, I was thrilled.” said Robert. “He said he is the one person that needs to know more than anybody else and it was the only piece of jewellery allowed into an operating theatre, because it has a patient’s most vital medical information on it, which can be very helpful and even lifesaving.”

Wearing a MedicAlert ID when attending hospital, particularly pre- and during surgery, can be extremely useful. It allows doctors, nurses and anaesthetists to double check your details, such as pre-existing allergies, conditions, medications and implants, which may affect the anaesthesia or the procedure.

Your MedicAlert ID may be vital in alerting your doctor or anaesthetist to any medications you’ve been taking. This is important, as some medications can interfere with the anaesthetic or may make you bleed more during an operation, which can be dangerous.

Certain conditions such as asthma, COPD, bronchitis, sleep apnoea, thyroid disease and any heart problems should also be conveyed to your medical team, something your ID can do if you forget or are unable to communicate.

Similarly, if an anaesthetist notices you are someone who suffers from low-blood pressure, diabetes, or that you take medications for heart disease (which they can check using your MedicAlert ID), they may discuss alternative options to prolonged fasting, which may heighten these conditions.

Wearing your MedicAlert ID into theatre could be lifesaving. When a patient is put under and is unable to speak or respond, a MedicAlert ID can remind surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists of your most important medical information.

If something were to go wrong, this could be the difference between them taking swift and decisive action and searching for minutes to find out the relevant information. In essence, your ID can speak for you when you can’t.

And, thanks to our 24/7 emergency response service, your medical team will have access to all your details around the clock, even if you are under general anaesthetic.

If you have any questions about how a MedicAlert membership and ID could support you or your loved one during surgery, please call us on 01908 951 045 or email us at info@medicalert.org.uk. Click below to join MedicAlert today!