6 Ways to Calm Anxiety before Orthopedic Surgery – Part 1.
Fear of Surgery Is Perfectly Normal
Even though orthopedic surgery is rather simple and everyone tells you everything is going to be ok, you probably cannot shake off that fear; you are not alone. According to a study from 2015, at least half of patients experience anxiety before surgery. People’s emotions vary in the scale from hesitation to fear.
The medical word for fear of “going under the knife” is tomophobia, which can be explained as “fear of surgery” as a general term. If you are afraid of hospitals, you may experience nosocomephobia, and if your anxiety is connected with medicine, it could be pharmacophobia. These are all medically documented conditions, but in the majority of cases, your fear of what might happen to you during or after surgery is perfectly understandable.
We have good news for you – not only you’re not alone in what you feel, but also there are ways to cope with your fears!
Ways to cope with the fear of orthopedic surgery
- Educate yourself about the orthopedic surgery
If you are going to have surgery in a surgery center (for example, the surgery center in Raleigh), you will be informed about all aspects of surgery by your doctor. If you feel that the information you have is insufficient, ask away! Doctors give information to patients based on what most patients ask. But your questions can be different, as your fears may be different. Once you have the information you need, there is a good chance your fears will subside, or at least, decrease.
- Discuss your fears with your doctor or surgeon
Believe us when we say doctors also don’t want you to have any fear before your surgery. Your well-being and optimistic approach are very important to them, so if you are afraid, say it out loud.
Nobody expects you to be free of worry. Doctors have seen all kind of fears in their patients and are equipped to help you face them, no matter how small they are. Trust your doctors to be the best option you have in fighting your anxiety. Their experience in dealing with patients and in surgery makes them experts in tackling your concerns!
- Take those pre-surgery instructions seriously
Before any surgery, including your orthopedic surgery you will be provided with instructions by your surgeons. It is important to follow them for health reasons. The better the preparation, the better the outcome – as doctors will stress.
There are other benefits of following instructions. Firstly, if you take care of your list of tasks, you will preoccupy your time, which won’t leave much space for fear. Secondly, it is a fact that the better prepared we are, the less we are afraid of what lies ahead. Being organized is the key to everything we do and a successful outcome.
Read more: 6 Ways to Calm Anxiety before Orthopedic Surgery – Part 2
Raleigh Orthopedic Surgery Center
The Raleigh Orthopaedic Surgery Center’s board certified fellowship trained surgeons bring together many years of experience to manage and treat joint complications resulting from degenerative joint diseases, such as arthritis, musculoskeletal disease or joint trauma.
If you want to know more about how you can prepare for your orthopedic surgery, contact Raleigh Orthopaedic Surgery Centerand we will answer all of your questions.
To schedule an appointment with one of our Raleigh Orthopaedic Surgery Center doctors, please call 919-719-3070.
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
