Had knee surgery today but feel a bit violated please help

[FletchersMum]

I had keyhole surgery on my knee today. First ever operation under general anaesthetic. I'm hoping there may be a doctor or nurse on here who can set my mind at ease as feel really upset tonight.
I am female aged 42. I was the first on the list for surgery, got wheeled into theatre by 2 males, one of whom was an anaesthetist assistant I think. He was 50 odd and extremely patronising and quite rude. As I was wheeled in there was another male washing his hands in theatre , and the male consultant anesthetist who was very nice. The knee consultant is also male but had not yet arrived.
I was put to sleep within 5 minutes. Woke up, op a success, but after I got home I noticed that the Orange disinfectant stuff they paint on your skin goes right up my legs to about an inch from my crotch. I feel really upset as I was on my period and had a sanitary towel on, had not done bikini line for months. I can't imagine how they opened my legs to brush the stuff on, it goes all the way around my left leg front and back and almost right up to my crotch. I don't know who would have done this but as there were no females present I assume it was one of the men. I know they are professionals but I feel so upset to think a man (possibly) has had his hand so close to my fanny and whether I was lying there with everything exposed to them all. On my right leg (not operated on) it looks like there are orange fingerprints at the top near my crotch but my partner thinks they might just be drips.
Can anyone please reassure me? Ideally I would like to know how they did this, did they lift my leg in the air or pull my legs apart and put the stuff on then roll me over?
The best way I can describe it is I feel violated. I know that is a strong word but that's how I feel. If it was any other situation when you are awake eg at a GPs you can usually ask for a female chaperone. I was not given this opportunity or warned what they were going to do. It would really help me to know what the procedure is after they you to sleep. Thank you.

I'd assume that in the theatre you are a person who need a help and it really doesn't matter if you are woman or man

Big sympathies .

You feel the way you do ,it must be horrible .Ignore any unsympathetic remarks above .I completely understand where you're coming from .One feels very vunerable when having an op and under GA .I know I did .

Unfortunately those feelings can be horribly exaggerated by the drugs you'll have had for pain and by the GA . Be gentle with yourself ,try and rest .And remind yourself that although your feelings are real and understandable that the GA and pain meds will be making you feel much worse about the whole thing .

Hugs and

Hope your knee is improving more today.

Keep up with the pain killers. Take up whatever help is on offer.

I'd feel uncomfortable too if o was in your situation, you are not being OTT. However I'd be reassured with the replies as well.

I hope you can concentrate on healing and hope you recover quickly

you have been cared for by medical professionals who prepare people for theatre every day - they are there to do a job nothing more.

Thanks all, big bandage off now, brain feels back to normal, knee has a long way to go! Thanks for all your kind words.

Follow all the physio advice they give you, and do the excercises as frequently as they advise, and you will soon be dancing the tango!

Get well soon, nice to hear you sounding quite perky!

That stuff gets everywhere - I had surgery under my arm recently. It was an open wound to start with and he got what looked like a sponge on a stick and swabbed down with it (I may have screeched as it stings like a bitch in a wound!!!)
It dropped everywhere, the surgery was in my armpit but it was all down my side and over my boob and I was awake so I know they went nowhere near there

Huge sympathies. It is very disconcerting to be unconscious with strangers having access to your body.

I felt violated after having laparoscopy (teeny cut below bellybutton for camera and then two further cuts lower down abdomen for instruments to move bits of me around so they could see everything) I woke with a sanitary towel between my legs and it had blue dye on it.

I only discovered it when I went to the toilet accompanied by a nurse who had to be in the room with me to make sure I didn't collapse. Worst wee of my life. I found it hard to pee in front of a stranger (mind you I couldn't pee in front of family or friends) then realising that someone in the theatre had inserted a tube into my vagina to flush blue dye through my uterus and fallopian tubes was too much. I did cry and the nurse understood my discomfort.

This was before the internet took off and so the information I had was limited.

Dh had keyhole surgery to repair torn cartilage and I watched a video on YouTube on how they did it. He was really surprise to see the leg manipulation. If you want to you could look up your surgery on YouTube.

I've had bollock surgery and both males and females in there. They are medical staff. The orange stuff goes everywhere and it's liberally put on to reduce infection chances. I've also had injections into my nuts twice and you've got to get everything out on show whilst awake to about 6 medical staff. Makes no odds to them, it's their job.

Hello there, I work in the emergency room. The stuff they put on is crucial to prevent infection. It needs to go from the very top of your leg to the bottom of your feet. A nurse applies it and everybody else is usually busy getting other stuff ready for the surgery and doesn't see anything. The nurse most likely is the only one who saw anything. After that is applied you are draped so well that only your knee shows. Every other part of your leg and upper body is draped really well and your knee is the only area visible. The orange stuff is absolutely necessary and these nurses do this all day. I can assure you no one intended to violate you. They do a really good job of keeping you covered and unexposed