Pausing HRT before and after surgery?

[AffronttoPronouns]

I'm due to have an operation to remove a lump on my head which will involve general anaesthetic. The consultant has said that I need to stop my HRT for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the procedure.

Is it OK to start and stop HRT like this? i've only started HRT since January this year. Anyone had to go through similar while one HRT?

Watching, as I have the same question!

Anyone?

@AffronttoPronouns You need to discuss this more fully with the dr doing the operation.

It's not going to harm you to stop and start HRT- all that may happen is your meno symptoms might kick in for a while.

The risks assumed are blood clots. Not all HRT is the same when it comes to blood clots. Tablets have a higher risk than transdermal.

The risks of blood clots are usually for pelvic and leg clots not your skull. I don't know the details, but could the op not be done with a local and not a GA?

You need to talk to them again and ask that dr to speak to a menopause specialist to find out, if they don't know.

Why are they asking you to stop the HRT? I really don’t understand why as most modern forms of HRT doesn’t increase the risk of blood clots and 2 weeks isn’t enough time for it to leave your body properly anyway! (I have to stop HRT for at least 6 weeks prior to any cortisol tests for my Addison’s disease as it can affect test results).

I was told this at my pre-op check, only 10 days prior to knee surgery.
I said I would not and could not simply stop taking daily medication immediately and stay off it for what would have been over 3 weeks as I was in discussion with my GP about GRADUALLY reducing my dosage to reduce the effects of suddenly stopping the HRT which she advised firmly against.
Apparently this was a hospital wide mandate and as I’d had lots of other surgery without stopping HRT, I asked the Pre-Op Nurse to check with my Consultant who happened to be in clinic that afternoon just down the corridor. I said I’d sign a disclaimer or whatever was required, but I would not stop this medication and would rather delay the surgery to check this further.
The Orthopaedic Surgeon said he was fine to proceed with me continuing HRT, but warned that the Anaesthetist on the day of surgery may have a final veto.
However, my surgery proceeded as booked as the Anaesthetist didn’t object, in fact didn’t react when I answered his questions about which meds I was currently taking.
The follow up procedures following knee surgery are very focussed on avoiding clots generally and, obviously, I was extra vigilant because of the unknown additional risks of taking HRT.
Of course all HRT is different but I would check first with my GP as s/he is the one who prescribes the HRT.
This is different to other meds, ie blood thinners, and so on, which obviously have to be stopped prior to surgery.

I suspect they are following 'rules' from 20 years ago when the WHI report wrongly linked HRT to clots.

What happens to women taking the Pill? Are they supposed to just stop it for a month and risk being pregnant? the Pill has a far higher risk of clots (and even then it's tiny) compared to HRT.

Thanks all, i contacted my HRT menopause doctor, she said that the surgeon is probably being risk averse and following out dated advise, and sent me an information leaflet explaining that the risk is very low. Apparently this is a very common question from women on HRT.