{"id":11100,"date":"2020-09-30T08:00:53","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T13:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=11100"},"modified":"2024-04-08T10:24:17","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T15:24:17","slug":"what-is-an-elective-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/what-is-an-elective-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an elective surgery?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What is an elective surgery, and how are they different from other types of surgeries?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/providers.osfhealthcare.org\/provider\/Alejandro+F.+Sanz\/1465394\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alejandro Sanz, MD<\/a>, a surgeon at OSF HealthCare, says elective surgeries are important procedures that can be scheduled in advance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElective surgeries are different from an urgent or emergency surgery. In those, the patient has an immediate, possibly life-threatening issue which requires medical attention.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>What do elective surgeries treat?<\/h2>\n<p>Elective surgeries can include cosmetic surgery, like removing a mole or a wart. But they can also treat serious conditions that can affect your quality of life:<\/p>\n<div class=\"alignright cta\">\n<p>Questions about elective procedures?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfmychart.org\/OSFMyChart\/Authentication\/Login\">Ask your primary care provider<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>carpal tunnel<\/li>\n<li>cataracts<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/gallstones-pain-in-the-back\/\">gallstones<\/a><\/li>\n<li>GI reflux<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/how-to-treat-hemorrhoids\/\">hemorrhoids<\/a><\/li>\n<li>hernias<\/li>\n<li>joint pain<\/li>\n<li>kidney stones<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/varicose-veins-what-you-can-do\/\">varicose veins<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cElective surgeries are vital to a patient\u2019s health and well-being,\u201d Dr. Sanz said. \u201cBreast cancer surgery like a <a href=\"https:\/\/healthlibrary.osfhealthcare.org\/Search\/92,P07782\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mastectomy<\/a> is critical to address, even though it might not qualify as an emergency procedure needing to be done that same day.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Benefits of elective surgery<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_18336\" style=\"width: 242px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-8.5x11_FIN-1.pdf\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18336\" class=\"wp-image-18336 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-thumbnail_Page_1-232x300.png\" alt=\"list of questions to ask doctor about surgery\" width=\"232\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-thumbnail_Page_1-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-thumbnail_Page_1-549x710.png 549w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-thumbnail_Page_1-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-thumbnail_Page_1-386x500.png 386w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-thumbnail_Page_1-1187x1536.png 1187w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-thumbnail_Page_1-1583x2048.png 1583w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-thumbnail_Page_1-400x518.png 400w, https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-thumbnail_Page_1.png 1700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-18336\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Questions to ask before your surgery<br \/><a class=\"callout-button callout-button-small\" href=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/General-Surgery-Download-8.5x11_FIN-1.pdf\">Download<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Elective surgeries don&#8217;t just treat the problem at hand. They also give patients the opportunity to improve their overall health.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the benefits comes in the days or weeks patients use to improve their health before their surgical procedure,\u201d Dr. Sanz said. \u201cI tell patients that a surgery can be a physically demanding experience. So the best time for patients to improve their overall health is before an elective procedure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Health improvements Dr. Sanz recommends to patients before surgery include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reducing bad habits like smoking<\/li>\n<li>Exercising more<\/li>\n<li>Losing weight<\/li>\n<li>Eating healthier foods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cIncreased smoking and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/covid-19-and-diabetes-managing-your-risk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">diabetes<\/a> can stop healing and could lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/how-to-tell-if-a-wound-is-healing-or-infected\/\">wound complications<\/a> after surgery,\u201d Dr. Sanz said. \u201cReducing these risk factors gives patients the best chance of success, with long-term health improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Who helps with elective surgeries?<\/h2>\n<p>A full team of doctors and health care professionals works together for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/surgery-what-to-bring-what-to-expect\/\">patients undergoing surgery<\/a>. They&#8217;re in constant contact with each other to coordinate care and deliver the best outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese teams could include a radiologist, pathologist, nutritionist and any other needed support,\u201d Dr. Sanz said. \u201cThis multidisciplinary approach that brings teams together with one goal: giving the patient the best possible health care outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elective surgeries are vital to a patient\u2019s overall health and well-being. Learn how to prepare for an upcoming procedure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":11110,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[129],"tags":[974,660,154],"coauthors":[989],"class_list":["post-11100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous","tag-infection-prevention","tag-osf-saint-anthonys","tag-surgery"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is an elective surgery? | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Elective surgeries are vital to a patient\u2019s overall health and well-being. 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