Elena Casado, anesthesiologist: "Five things you shouldn't wear when you go into the operating room."

Elena Casado , an anesthesiologist widely followed on social media, has shared a list of five items that no patient should bring into the operating room . Her advice is based on safety, asepsis , and optimization of the medical procedure , which are crucial elements before any intervention.

First, it's essential to remove all jewelry . " No piercings, no earrings, no other type of jewelry you may be wearing," Casado points out. These objects, in addition to being able to snag or cause injuries, pose a risk of burns by acting as conductors of the electric scalpel's current, and can also be a source of infection.

Another key point is the removal of underwear . According to the specialist, this rule only allows exceptions for very localized procedures, such as eye or dermatological interventions on the face. The main reason is to avoid any obstacles that could interfere with the asepsis of the surgical field.

Menstruation and surgery

Casado also emphasizes an issue that raises many questions: menstruation . He states that there is no problem with undergoing surgery while menstruating, but emphasizes that the use of tampons or menstrual cups is strictly prohibited. "If, God forbid, the surgery is complicated and you end up unconscious in the ICU, no one will know how to remove them, and they can cause a serious infection," he explains. Instead, pads and underpads are used on the operating table.

When it comes to smoking , any attempt to quit is beneficial. Casado points out that abstinence for just 24 hours improves the response to anesthesia, and from the first week on, the impact on recovery is noticeable. " There's no comparison " when you manage to quit smoking a month before surgery, he says.

Dental prosthetics and anesthesia

The last piece of advice concerns dentures , both full and partial. They should be removed before anesthesia, as there's a risk of them becoming dislodged during intubation. " We don't want you to swallow them, nor do we want to push them in during intubation ," warns the anesthesiologist.

These guidelines are intended to prevent complications and ensure that the surgical procedure proceeds without additional risks. For Elena Casado , proper patient preparation begins long before they even step into the operating room. According to her, anticipation and information are essential tools for ensuring that everything goes as smoothly as possible.