Please help,
I am due to have an operation for endometriosis, and I am really scarred about having a general anesthetic. How do you manage your blood sugar levels? Do they check it through out the operation? Am I at more risk of complications because I am diabetic.
Any information would be really appreciated.
Katy x
I’ve had several procedured and never had a problem with my B/G. The nurses & Docs check often and have always kept me good to go. Remember…you have the easy part, all you have to do is lay there…Good Luck
You’ll be put onto a drip (saline, glucose, insulin) the night before the operation when you have to start fasting. The drip is a bit like pump therapy in that it provides you with a regular infusion. The drip will keep your BG in check before, during and after the operation. I’ve had various operations over the years and it’s been great on the drip - I suppose it’s what it must be like not being diabetic.
The last time I had an operation (last autumn) though, things with the operation went well, but they messed up the drip big time. My BG about an hour before the op was 12 mmol/l (the op was scheduled for 8am) and I did feel a bit uncomfortable, but by the evening of the same day I was running at 25 mmol/l, drinking jug after jug of water, ■■■■■■■ for England 
and giving everyone short shrift. When I complained to a nurse about how rotten I was feeling, she said that they don’t get many diabetics on the orthopaedic ward!!!
I complained to my GP and the diabetes team I see at the same hospital where I had the operation and as far as I know they took the matter up.
I had an operation last year, and what you do is you get your endo or surgeon to write up something for the anesthetist explaining that you have Type 1 diabetes. Discuss this long before the surgery. This should keep them from giving you a glucose drip unless you need it. They scheduled me first thing in the morning (had to be there at 6AM) because I was diabetic.
My surgeon encouraged me to eat low carb to keep my blood sugars under control, and I ate at about 50 g of carb a day for the month before and 2 months after the surgery. I ate lots of deep green leafy vegetables because they are filled with Vitamin K that promotes healing. Also lots of berries.
I healed so fast my surgeon was astonished and said she wished all her patients could do so well. I said, “Well you told me to eat low carb.” Turned out, when I told her how many grams I’d been eating, she had no idea low carb meant REALLY low carb, nor that it could promote healing so well.
They told me to stop all supplements that could promote bleeding a few weeks before surgery too–fish oil mostly, but I did keep taking my Vitamin D.
If I remember right, when I had my hernia repaired, they had me take 1/2 of my normal Lantus the night before the surgery, to make sure my BG would not drop below where it was safe, and they checked it regularly to make sure it stayed ok. I was at 140 or so going in, and 120 or so coming out - just fine.
That’s really interesting and reassuring, i dident know how they managed it.
Thank you!
Thank you all for your replies. Katy x
I just had open heart surgery. I had no problems. If you are having a laparoscopic procedure, you will have minimal incisions, which should heal well. I am having some slow healing, but then I had a really major procedure. I am on the OmniPod, which I had to remove. They gave me insulin through my IV, and once I was back in my room, I used shots until I had recovered enough to restart my pump. Ask your endo what, if anything, you might have to do that is special or different than your normal routine. I work in an OB/GYN office, and we have diabetics all the time having procedures without any complications. Good luck!
Hi. What they usually do is give you a general anesthetic (and there is always some risk, though most people are fine). If you are a Type 1, they will manage your blood sugars through use of an insulin drip and dextrose drip. They take your blood sugar every hour and will give you more sugar or insulin as needed. It is worrisome to give up control but I understand this is done all the time. I would have a long talk with the anesthesiologist to make sure they understand your basal needs and ask questions until you are comfortable with him/her.
Just make sure you are insistent about taking care of your sugars and insulin once the anesthetic wheres off… generally nurses and the doctors prefer to allow your sugars to be higher, usually between 150 and 200. but that is because they are nervous that under pain management medication (percosetes/ morphine etc) you will be hypo unaware and since there is not a nurse sitting in your room 24/7 they are afraid of a hypo and you being unable to help yourself or get to the call buttons to call for them. it is an understandable concern from that perspective, but for my surgery they put me under the nurses care post surgery and after being moved from recovery to a room for the night my dinner was brought up, nurses checked my BS (it was 147) and left the room. 20 min later i called them and asked where my insulin shot was so i could eat… their response : “we are not going to give you insulin unless your BS goes above 150.” … uhm WHAT?! it was 3 points away! and i had food sitting in front of me what did they think would happen?! lol
after that i requested to see a resident IMMEDIATELY to change my orders to have myself take care of everything
Oh… and beware of hospital food! lol
Good luck though hopefully you will have a good experience and a speedy recovery!