Preop and worrying about being weighed

[Chaserdee]

Hi,

I posted about this yesterday…

i’m having an op next week and am due to attend my Preop on Monday. I’m very very worried about being weighed at hospital. I had a serious ED previously and whilst I’ve managed to reach a healthy/normal weight, but my mental health is still ab issue. I suffer badly with anxiety and depression.

getting onto scales at the hospital is more than I can bear. I’m worried about having a panic attack. Before anyone tells me.. I know that the hospital needs to record my weight etc. i know this isn’t rational but this is very real for me.

i am going to call tomorrow and suggest that I weigh myself at home on the morning of my Preop and tell them my weight. I know that some other patients have telephone pre-ops and are just asked to state their weight, rather than being weighed, so I don’t think it’s totally necessary.

do you think they’ll accept this, or will they refuse to do my op??

I think if you need an anaesthetic they will need to weigh you, or you could die or be in pain if they get the dose wrong. I think it might be risky if they accept what you say.

Thanks for posting. I had my first op last year. It was a bit of an emergency ( 2 days after injury) but I wasn’t weighed- I was just asked my weight,

from what I’ve read, anaesthetic isn’t necessarily based on weight

I’m a nurse and don’t think they would accept it in honesty. Like said previously it needs to be accurate as possible for drug doses and if they accepted yours and ended up overdosed or underdosed, I’m not sure they would want liability for that.

id definitely speak to them about it though. Would it help being weighed if you didn’t know what the scales say?

Whilst some might not be, sedation, analgesia and antibiotics often are prescribed according to weight unfortunately

Hi, I used to work closely with the pre op team. Depending on what your surgery is and the type of anaesthetic you’re having the anaesthetic team will probably want to know your weight in some form.

that being said, this is clearly an issue for you and if you make them aware and ask what reasonable adjustments can they make for you and your condition they will help you find a solution.

would you have a block to a set of scales if it were the type were you sit on a chair, it looks like a hospital wheel chair only it has a little display that shows the HCP the weight, you wouldn’t see it, and it doesn’t feel like you have to take that step onto a set of scales which is clearly traumatic for you. Would taking a seat cause the same reaction do you think?

as I say, ring the secretary or pre op team, or failing that PALs and ask for reasonable adjustments to help manage your condition, and that it’s noted on your records so some poor unknowing HCP doesn’t accidentally put their foot i it/doesn’t explain. They should be able to work with you to find a way to get the information they need, if they need it. Perhaps by giving you a longer appointment time to manage it, maybe prescribe some anti anxiety medications, or ensure the clinic room is just you and the clinician with no extra people in training etc.

all the best, I wish you luck and I’m sure they’ll be able to support you.

x

Let them weigh you and just say you'd rather not know/be informed of your weight, that should be respected....nurse of 20 years 5 in anaesthetic and recovery.

I asked not to be told my weight during a maternity appointment...no issues. Xx

I was going to suggest this too

My dsd has exactly this issue several times, we just explained and gave her weight verbally.
No one ever insisted she got on scales.

I've worked in hospitals and we weighed patients on chair scales and the weight was behind the patient so they couldn't see. Not many places in hospitals use stand on scales because a lot of people in hospitals can't stand on them! I would ask if it's possible to use chair scales and not be told your weight? And then all you have to do is sit down and stand back up how would that feel? X

I turned away from the display and asked not to be told. Wasn't an issue.

You can face away from the number while standing on the scales. The HCP can record it and you don’t have to see it.

I was going to say, if you have to get on the scales, that you can stand backwards so you can't see anything.

Many drugs are weight-based including a number of anaesthetic ones. We routinely anesthetise people based on the weight they tell us or the weight we estimate in an emergency. Perfectly ok to say you don’t end to be weighed, or to say you’ll accept being weighed but don’t want to be told the number.

Everyone there is wanting to work with you to deliver a safe anaesthetic and that includes one that is safe for your mental health.

Tell them about your history and they'll either get you to stand on the scales with your back to the number, or they'll strategically hold a clipboard or similar so you don't see the number.
I found the hospital staff amazing at making sure I didn't accident find out what my weight was when I was in for an operation. I hope your experience is similar or better.

Preop is tomorrow. I called and spoke to the Preop assessment team and they were brilliant.

i am allowed to weight myself at home and share this with them in the morning, this is much more manageable for me

I'm so pleased. Well done on explaining it's very hard even when you're in recovery.
Hope op goes well