Due to have general anaesthetic tomorrow and developing a cold sore - is this an issue?

[abdnhiker]

Anyone have experience of this? I’ve been waiting nine weeks for a cancer screening procedure (hysteroscopy) under general anaesthetic tomorrow and this morning I’m starting to get a cold sore at the lower edge of my lower lip (it could easily be covered with a plaster or tape given location)

(It’ll be a combination of sun exposure and anxiety and stress I think, I’m otherwise healthy.)

Is this likely to cause an issue tomorrow when I’m at hospital? Has anyone had a general anaesthetic with a cold sore and did the hospital have concerns? I’m very anxious about the cancer screening as it is after the nine week wait and the thought of it being delayed has really stressed me today.

Bumping this in hope of someone seeing it who can answer

I wouldn’t have thought it would be an issue at all

best to give them heads up today (either via preassessment/surgeon's secretary) and asking their advice. It may affect how they do things, depending on your exact history etc.

Thanks - I went to a pharmacist and picked up a cold sore compeed plaster and she thinks it isn’t an issue and I can just tell them tomorrow morning - I don’t have a number for the surgeon’s secretary or pre assessment nurse (which was at the start of the week).

switch board will be able to put you through. It can make a difference to how they do things and forewarned is best. (doi fwiw: anaesthetist)

Part of me is terrified to give them any excuse to cancel though - this is already a long wait for cancer screening and a postponement is unlikely to be just a week or so. If it’s just discussing options then I’d be obviously ok with it but due to symptoms not being picked up properly at the GP this is so much longer (over a year) than the recommended timeframe. What options would there be? They tried a biopsy as an outpatient appointment already and (without me saying anything re discomfort) the consultant said it couldn’t be done as my uterus is tilted.

Just wanted to hop on to say good luck. I had the same procedure last week.

you need to talk to the people looking after you to work out what the relative risks and benefits of all the options are for you. It isn't just about you though - they may want to think about the list order and any immunocompromised patients/staff who may be on the same list. They can't make plans for things they don't know about.

Thanks - that is something to think about, but it’s a hard worry when the system has already let me down so spectacularly already. I will maybe drive it and try to talk to someone there - I’m am afraid of just phoning and getting the “computer says no” the answer and having it cancelled without someone looking at it in person and being able to actually assess it/me.

(It’s also not broken through at all and might not fully develop, if someone sees it in person that might be more useful than them assuming it’s an open sore).

OP in your situation I wouldn't mention it. That may be selfish or short-sighted. But personally I wouldn't want to give them a reason to postpone, and I think your need for an urgent screening is important.

Best of luck with the procedure.

They could also do the procedure under a spinal anaesthetic so if you haven’t been able to contact anyone and the plaster covers it please don’t worry. It seems likely that the balance between going ahead and delaying would favour going ahead.

If your hysteroscopy is anything like mine, you'll spend time separately with the consultant and anaesthetist before going in. In my case the anaesthetist was concerned about my very slightly runny nose, and offered me a spinal anaesthetic instead of general. So even if you can't go ahead with a general, it's not the only option.

I agree, just cover it and it should be fine. I would be astounded if it caused a problem. I suffer from them also and have had quite a few GAs, I would never have even thought about declaring it as an issue before a procedure.

My friends spinal surgery was cancelled due to a cold sore. Not sure whether the type of surgery makes a difference.
I absolutely think you should mention it. Wasn't there a case where two women died of herpes virus that they thought a surgeon had passed on ? I imagine the risk is that even with all the best infection prevention you don't want the risk of it being passed onto someone else in an operating theatre.

For reference in case someone has a similar worry in the future - it wasn’t an issue at all for me (but it isn’t an open sore yet) and they had no concerns.

Great! Hope all went well for you.

So glad to hear, @abdnhiker ! Fingers crossed for a good outcome

glad it went smoothly.

for the 'just don't tell them' folk, it really can be important to know. HSV can cause some really nasty infections and the skin doesn't need to be broken for viral shedding to happen (with the cases @Miley23 mentioned, IIRC the surgeon that was thought to be the link between the two women who developed disseminated herpes didn't have any skin lesions). There are some sorts of surgery for which the risk of developing a more serious infection are higher and that may make a difference to whether it's sensible to proceed (eg. neuro/surgery on immunocompromised customers). If it is decided that it's sensible to go ahead there are some drugs we may think about avoiding and it may be that giving an antiviral would be advised. An immunocompromised staff member may also appreciate being able to protect themselves too. Periop HSV's not a terribly common issue outside of labour ward where genital HSV comes up from time to time (and where there are limited options for managing things), and the fact that there aren't masses of guidelines is probably reassuring that it isn't a massive problem generally but that doesn't mean that it can't ever be a problem and it does sometimes need a bit of thinking about.

Hi! I saw you managed to get your surgery, just wondering how bad was yours? I’m due surgery in two days and I have woken up with a few little blisters x

I was in a similar situation 24 years ago. I mentioned it to the doctor a couple of hours before the op and they changed the anaesthetic they had been going to use. The op went ahead, no problem.

I’m due a general! Hope it can still go ahead I’d be gutted. Couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t have one again… I get them all the time!