November 26, 2024Recent studies have shown that low blood oxygen levels, known as hypoxemia, happen more often after surgery than we previously realized. The drops in blood oxygenation can still happen one or two days after surgery. Post op pulse oximeter monitoring can catch when blood oxygen levels drop so that they can be addressed.
We created a little video to help you understand how this device assists you after your plastic surgery procedure. Read on to learn further detail about how and why a post-op pulse oximeter can help you.
What Causes a Decrease in Blood Oxygen Levels?
There are multiple reasons why your blood oxygenation level can drop after a surgical procedure. Hypoxemia (low blood oxygen) can be seen in up to 65% of surgical cases, depending on definitions, type of surgery, risk factors, and follow-up. In a recent study, more than one-fifth of patients had a low blood oxygen level for more than ten minutes most hours after surgery.
Anesthetic drugs and pain medications can all have respiratory depression effects that can be strong enough to decrease your blood oxygen levels. Your body’s position during surgery and the duration of your surgery will also affect how well you can oxygenate your blood post-operatively. You might notice sore muscles somewhere, but many times you do not realize how these two issues are affecting your body.
Surgical-site pain can reduce your chest wall and diaphragmatic movements as you guard against the pain. This is often called “splinting.” Shallow breaths will not give your body enough oxygen, and you will also move less after surgery, which means your breathing will not be stimulated by movement. Obesity can hamper breathing, especially when you are lying flat on your back.
Any pre-existing lung problems and sleep apnea can be perturbed by having surgery that requires full anesthesia (instead of local anesthetics). At North Texas Plastic Surgery, we watch for all the risk factors for poor blood oxygen levels post-surgery and will alert you to the need for extra efforts to keep your blood oxygen levels at their best.
Why Are Blood Oxygen Levels Important?
You need good levels of oxygen in your blood to help your body heal properly after your surgery. Hypoxemia can lead to poor wound healing. It can also lead to even more serious problems such as abnormal heart rhythms, myocardial ischemia (poor blood flow to your heart muscles), and altered thinking. You will avoid these types of problems if you stay focused on good breathing techniques and blood oxygen levels.
Deep breathing itself is important after receiving inhaled anesthetics. Your lungs stop clearing mucus during general anesthesia so they need to clear out this mucus once you are awake. Skipping episodes of intentional deep breathing can lead to pneumonia. When your lungs’ air passages are blocked by this extra mucus, your lungs can develop atelectasis, the collapse of part of your lung.
Using a Pulse Oximeter At Home
Patients who we feel may struggle to keep good oxygen levels are given a pulse oximeter (“pulse ox”) to use once go home. You are automatically monitored immediately post-op but we want you to continue checking so that you can catch times when you need to bump up your blood oxygenation.
The device is as simple to use as putting it on your finger. Just clamp it onto an index or middle finger, be sure your finger is lying in the groove, then wait for the reading to appear in the window. We will give you specific instructions on how often to check and whether we would like you to contact us with results. It is easy for you to send us a picture of your pulse ox results on Clara.
One of the most straightforward and easy ways of increase your blood oxygen levels is to stop, take a few good long deep breaths, then return to your usual breathing. You may need to do this every hour, or even more often than that. When we say deep breath, we mean working to fill every corner of your lungs with air before exhaling. Do not worry about hyperventilating by doing this. Your body will welcome the extra oxygen and you will not take that many extra big breaths at one time. If you felt light-headed when doing this, be sure to be seated when deep breathing. The light-headedness will disappear once you are back to breathing normally.
Talk to Us About Using a Post Op Pulse Oximeter After Plastic Surgery
Some plastic surgery patients may need to be monitored by a pulse ox when they return home. We will guide you through everything, so all we ask is that you pay attention to our instructions. If you are worried that you see a problem, contact us immediately so that we can help you assess the situation. With your help watching your blood oxygenation at home, you will have a better, healthier recovery.
Call us today at any of our five locations to discuss your plastic surgery treatment.
