Do you need to remove toe nail varnish as well as finger nail when having GA?

[hnwis]

Just that really.. any doctors/ anaesthetists on here who can help?! I've done my fingers but forgot my toes! It's gel so would need to do it today if so! Tia

No it shouldn’t be a problem at all (unless you’re having toe surgery).

No. And you don’t really need to remove finger nails either unless it’s very purplely red.

Unless they might need to put a pulse/ox monitor on your toe, then no.

On another note, I wish medics/hospitals would explain to people why they need to do certain things -

Fast completely for a certain time and no water either - risk of aspiration
No nail polish - can interfere with pulse/ox monitor
Asking about dental issues, have you dentures, loose teeth, crowns etc. - insertion or removal of the breathing tube may dislodge them, dentures obviously need to be removed.

I never knew the reasons behind the above, and although some are obvious, I still wish I had been told. I know I could (and did) look it up myself, but the mystery was always there!

Out of curiosity, what's the issue with nail varnish?

The issue is varnish can interfere with a pulse oximeter reading and also assessing capillary refill time and peripheral cyanosis if you need that monitored, become unwell.

Yes. I always have.
And they had to whip it off for my emergency section. Quite mad having a nurse frantically rubbing it away in theatre.

Yes, you do need to remove it.

For any ga I've ever had I've had to remove it and if I've forgotten then they've had nail varnish remover to remove it . For my section I was warned it would be cancelled if they couldn't remove the varnish or fake nails

It really isn’t usually a problem & no one’s going to get cancelled for wearing nail varnish. Reds/dark colours can interfere with the numbers that sats probes used on fingers come up with. Ideally it’s best not to have nail varnish on, but it’s really not a massive problem if you do. In theatres we have ear probes as well as finger probes so that’s an alternative option. You can also put sats probes on pointing side-to-side rather than front-to-back and that will avoid some interference. Cyanosis is usually barn door obvious in other places (lips) if we’re using old fashioned ninja clinical skills rather than tech. Sats probes are generally a bit rubbish anyway - first bit of kit to stop giving useful information when someone’s really sick/if there’s any sort of outside interference/if the stars are aligned wrong. Most of the removing of nail varnish is just be cause it’s what we’ve always done rather than for sensible reasons.

probably more important it comes off for surgical reasons for finger/toe surgery though.
(doi: anaesthetist)

Thanks! I'd never come across this info.

@hnwis I am going in for an op on Monday with GA and have been told to remove any varnish from fingers and toes. I'm not having a toe operation...
On the plus side I won't have to wear surgical stockings afterwards now, I get to inject myself daily instead.

So no definitive answer it seems! It's a minor gynae procedure.. I'd just kick myself if it was cancelled. Taken it off fingers - I don't have time to get it taken off toes & being gel it won't come off with normal remover.

Procedure done- all fine- had it just with sedation in the end. V quick. Totally back to normal now, walking round at home etc. they have me compression socks & said to wear for a week- seems a bit excessive- I never had them after colonoscopy with sedation.. are they necessary? @Greybeardy you probably know!

The decision re stockings is usually based on a risk assessment knowing the operation you had and any other risk factors for clots that you have - probably best to check with them if you’re not sure.