Diabetes and Surgery Risks

Filed in archive Challenges , Did you know on January 13, 2010

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It is estimated that as many as 5% of diabetic patients will require surgery at some point during their lives. Often, these are patients undergoing emergency surgery as a result of injuries, or lower extremity infections requiring incision and drainage, or even lower limb amputations. In some type 2 diabetes patients where obesity often exacerbates the patient's condition, gastric bypass surgery may be suggested. Since retinopathy is a complication of diabetes, it is not surprising to find many diabetic patients who may need eye surgery. And then, of course there are those few diabetics who would pay for a top LA plastic surgeon for an elective cosmetic surgery.

No surgery, whether emergency or elective, medically-indicated or cosmetic, is ever risk-free. The most common problems include anesthesia complications, bleeding and blood clotting issues, breathing problems, and infections, to name a few. But people suffering from diabetes must face an even higher risk when undergoing surgical procedures. For one, wound healing is very slow among diabetics, particularly if blood sugar levels are poorly controlled.

If you are a diabetic and are considering having a surgery, be sure to discuss with your doctor the pros and cons of having surgery, including the potential complications during recovery. Here are a few more articles which may also interest you:

• An 18-Year-Old Patient with Type 1 Diabetes Undergoing Surgery


• Surgery pre-op checklist for people with diabetes


• Diabetes and Surgery Risks - What Additional Risks Do I Face?


• Management of Diabetes Mellitus in Surgical Patients