Would you have surgery while you have Strep throat?

[floridafam]

I am scheduled for outpatient surgery on Thursday.

I have a very sore throat. I'm going to go to the Dr. this morning for a rapid strep test.

My surgical instructions do say to call the Dr. if your health changes before surgery-cold, fever, etc.

Do you think I will have to cancel if the test is positive?

 

[pw2pp]

Yes you will have to cancel.
No I would not have surgery with Strep Throat

 

[aprilgail2]

My daughter was having surgery and had strep but it was about 5 days prior to surgery and they put her right on antibiotics for the 5 days and they did the surgery (it was tonsil, adenoids and tongue tie surgery)

 

[Divamomto3]

No, I would not have surgery with strep throat and I don't think they'd let you. Your body is vulnerable after surgery, especially wherever the surgical site is. I don't think you want any strep bacteria spread into those areas.

 

[OceanAnnie]

No, I would not have surgery with strep throat and I don't think they'd let you. Your body is vulnerable after surgery, especially wherever the surgical site is. I don't think you want any strep bacteria spread into those areas.

I agree. If you were treated beforehand that would be different. I wouldn't risk it without treatment.

 

[Mermaid02]

I did have surgery with strep throat. It was a tonsillectomy and I ALWAYS had strep.... came down with it 2 days prior to my surgery (while on Ceclor to boot).... they did the surgery anyway because they said if they waited for my throat to be "healthy" it never would be!

For any other elective, I doubt they would do it. Sorry, I know how hard it is to psyche yourself up for surgery.

 

[aprilgail2]

I did have surgery with strep throat. It was a tonsillectomy and I ALWAYS had strep.... came down with it 2 days prior to my surgery (while on Ceclor to boot).... they did the surgery anyway because they said if they waited for my throat to be "healthy" it never would be!

Thats what happened to my daughter too! There was not a time in months that she DIDN'T have strep...if she stopped antibiotics on a Monday, by Thursday she would have strep again over and over...so they did it anyway and she hasn't had it since!

 

[Mermaid02]

Thats what happened to my daughter too! There was not a time in months that she DIDN'T have strep...if she stopped antibiotics on a Monday, by Thursday she would have strep again over and over...so they did it anyway and she hasn't had it since!

I had my tonsillectomy in July of 1986 and have had strep ONCE since then. Makes me wonder WHY they waited so many years to do the surgery.

 

[floridafam]

I guess I will see what the test says.

The surgery isn't for the strep throat but I will still call my Dr. if I have it.

Would you still have the surgery if the strep test is negative? I've always heard that those particular tests have a high error rate. Is that correct?

Thanks for all the advice. I knew something like this would happen. Dh has taken time off of work and I had everything organized.

 

[golfgal]

I did have surgery with strep throat. It was a tonsillectomy and I ALWAYS had strep.... came down with it 2 days prior to my surgery (while on Ceclor to boot).... they did the surgery anyway because they said if they waited for my throat to be "healthy" it never would be!

For any other elective, I doubt they would do it. Sorry, I know how hard it is to psyche yourself up for surgery.

Same with my DD. She hasn't had strep since she got her tonsils out 5 1/2 years ago after spending an entire year with strep before the tonsils came out.

 

[hercamore]

floridafam...best laid plans and all that.

All you can do is let the dr know the test results and let him decide. Good luck with your surgery whenever you have it.


herc.

 

[bananiem]

Would you still have the surgery if the strep test is negative? I've always heard that those particular tests have a high error rate. Is that correct?

The rapid tests do have a high rate of false negatives but they are always do the 24 hour culture. That's why you sometimes get a call the next day saying it was positive. The culture is the better test.

 

[indigoxtreme]

No, I would not have surgery with strep throat and I don't think they'd let you. Your body is vulnerable after surgery, especially wherever the surgical site is. I don't think you want any strep bacteria spread into those areas.

No you absolutely do not want the Strep Bacteria spread into those areas. My DS when he was young, got chicken pox, scarlet fever and the strep bacteria went into one of the pox sores. It caused a huge lump on his chest and ate the tissue in about a 3 by 4 area on his chest. It took 6 months to heal and left a very nasty scar. So be careful the strep grem is a nasty little bug...

 

[floridafam]

Well, I just returned from the Dr.

He said that my throat is very red and swollen.

They did the rapid test and it was negative. He said that he wanted me on an antibiotic anyway so I don't show up for surgery with a fever, etc.

So, I pickked up Zithromax. They didn't send out a culture because I had to start the antibiotic today or it would be too late. I need to get all 3 days of the pill in before surgery.

I don't like to take antibiotics if I don't need them but I don't want to have any surgery if there is any strep in my system.

Strep can get really nasty so I don't want to take any chances.

Thanks for all of the information!

 

[Disney Doll]

No, unless without the surgery I ran the risk of dying.

If it is an elective procedure which can be postponed, then do so. Having any kind of surgery with a bacterial infection brewing is opening yourself up to all sorts of possibilities of sepsis etc.