Covid test before minor hospital procedure.

[Kakey1294129]

Hi all. I've been given a last minute hospital app to have my wisdom tooth out next week - - great. I've waited 2 years for this.

Anyway, been told I'll have to do a covid test 3 days which is totally fine and pretty much stay home between covid test and going in. Which isn't really a huge problem. But they do men's totally isolate?

It's not a huge problem. I've got a shop coming a few days before anyway! I'm off work currently and my school holidays for the kids.

Dp works long hours. Dc (both have sen) will go stir crazy if they have to stay in for 3 days.

So I'm thinking of not totally staying home. I won't be going anywhere busy or crowded - don't anyway.

But maybe some walks around the village or to the park - I live in a quiet village and there's never anyone at the park or early morning trips to the beach!

3 days in sounds terrible. I appreciate if I actually had covid I'd have to isolate for 10 days but 3 days when everyone is fine sounds hell!

I'm only having a local anaesthetic to have just the one tooth out!

My DD has had two ops in the last year and she had to spend 14 days in isolation from the rest of the family with a test 3 days before and then a week after the op as well. Food delivered by me in a mask, she moved into my room which has an en-suite. We called her the Princess in the tower but she rapidly became the madwomen in the attic. Forgive me if I find the world’s tiniest violin that you think 3 days is asking too much. You will have detailed instructions from the hospital, out of respect for the NHS staff and to keep them safe either make whatever sacrifice they ask or cancel the appointment. They might be making it up as they go along but I really don’t think any sacrifice we have to make is too much for them to ask after the last 15 months.

Apart from anything else the case rate around here are now higher with a more transmissible variant than when she had her ops so it absolutely makes sense you isolate.

It looks as though you have to, then.
It could be awkward if you have to declare you have self-isolated before they let you in.

@BungleandGeorge

It may be just a wisdom tooth removal but if you’re having it done in hospital it must be a more complex removal and is very likely to be aerosol generating, and thus high risk for spreading covid. You need to follow the instructions given to the letter

I don't think it's complex just my dentists don't remove them routinely...

Thanks all. I'll be careful this weekend isolate from the test. Isolation doesn't make a huge difference to me anyway. I don't socialise often, get my shopping delivered usually, don't go to crowded places and literally have barely any contact with anyone. Kinda sucks that dc will be stuck in the holidays. I know it's only 3/4 days but they literally climb the walls. I've been told Dp can still go to work. They said they can't expect someone else in the house to isolate in this situation with such little notice. He's not got the kind of job he can just have time off. My procedure isn't good enough reason. He would leave his workplace in a bad situation not going in... thankfully he doesn't work with the public or anything and it's all social distanced so the risk for him is low. He doesn't go anywhere other than work..

@BewareOfTheAgapanthus

It looks as though you have to, then. It could be awkward if you have to declare you have self-isolated before they let you in.

How would they know though? I intend to buy if they ask someone could just say they have. No means of checking!

I had a skin biopsy the other week and had to get a test then self isolate for 4 days. Completely self isolate but only me. The rest of my family were fine to do their normal routine. It wasnt a self administered test but was done by the nhs staff.

Compared to my friend whose dad had a knee op and the whole family was made to isolate for 2 weeks before and 2 after!

@DrMadelineMaxwell

I had a skin biopsy the other week and had to get a test then self isolate for 4 days. Completely self isolate but only me. The rest of my family were fine to do their normal routine. It wasnt a self administered test but was done by the nhs staff.

Compared to my friend whose dad had a knee op and the whole family was made to isolate for 2 weeks before and 2 after!

Thanks. They've sent me some more info since I've posted this so a lot more informed.

Crazy about your friend and her dad. That's a long time. Was it recently? Is isolation longer for those who have to stay in hospital compared to those only in for a short procedure? That sounds like a long time!

I had to do this and dh and Dd had to isolate for a week as well.

They didn’t make it clear beforehand but a friend works at the hospital and told me. Think it was a good job because they asked before surgery and I don’t think they’d have done it if I hadn’t told them the whole house had isolated. Guess I could have fibbed but it’s to protect you as well as the staff…..you don’t want to be coming down with covid when your immune system is weakened by surgery.

I had minor surgery today my whole household had to isolate for 3 days after dropping off the covid test annoying and costly as my dh is self employed but why on earth wouldn't you. This is a small thing to ask relative to keeping our health care professionals a tiny bit safer. If you don't want to do it don't have the procedure but please don't lie about it and pretend to support the NHS

Check with the hospital. I had this for a day op and they said just be sensible but if you have kids who need out do what you can.

But they do mean totally isolate?

Yes

It's really important to keep certain areas 'clean'

If you cannot isolate before the procedure, then either reschedule to a tone when you can, or ask to be referred to a different place which has different infection control procedures (not everywhere is the same)

It’s horrendous having to tell a doctor you may have infected them! Do be careful before the three days as well.
I think the trouble is there are so many ways the three days may not work, people won’t take it very seriously.

I had a procedure under GA earlier in the year. I had to isolate away from the family or take the kids out of school and us all isolate for a week before. It was a pain of course but the point is to stop an outbreak in a hospital where vulnerable people can die.

If you’re having a general anaesthetic you will need your DH to pick you up and a responsible adult to stay with you for 24 hours.

My family had to isolate entirely for 10 days. And the person taking them to the hospital.

Which was the same person who had to deliver their shopping/medication in the 10 days before they went in.

When questioned it was reduced to 3 days and didn’t matter how they got there. Suggested a taxi/bus

My friend has a minor op on Thursday so similar situation. Her understanding is that she should be as careful as possible for the days before but is not required to fully self isolate. She will still be going on walks with her dcs and ddog.

I guess it's different for different hospitals then. It's all about minimising risk rather than eradicating it so it all helps, if they say it's fine for your DH to go to work then that's good. You and the kids are isolating so still lowering the risk.