Removal of nail enhancements Pending Major Operation!

[NailedON]

Morning to all Nail Geeks

I picked up on blossoms post at 11.13 today re a client not returning due to removal of enhancements before clients operation.

Does this always apply? I remember about five years ago I had to have an operation and I had to remove my nail polish.

Would appreciate your thoughts on this as I took about three hours recently doing my own enhancements and will be really miffed having to remove them for surgery:cry:!

Look forward to all your answers :hug:

 

[Vyx]

Apparently yes, all enhancements and/or polish must be removed from both fingers and toes. They attach sensors to the pulsepoints in the fingers (usually index fingers) to help monitor heartrate and polish etc can make them fall off. They sometimes use the toes depending on the operation and the position the patient will be in during the operation.

I only know this as I went for an op and dutifully removed all from my fingers and left my toes painted, the matron went bananas and thrust a bottle of acetone and some cotton wool at me and ordered me to remove the polish. Very scary lady!

HTHs

xx

 

[geeg]

Best to speak to your surgeon about this. Every hospital has its policies.

I have never removed my enhancements prior to surgery only polish.

Enhancements do not interfer with any surgical procedure and will give a true temperature reading if the small clips used for this purpose are used during the operation. I have had this confirmed many times by both nurses and doctors.

 

[drew692]

Hi ya, if your having an operation then yes you would need to remove your enhancements. This is for a number of reasons, one of many being the clamp is on your finger so they can see your vital stats during your operation and recovery, and this needs to be against your natural nail plate for it to work correctly.

 

[geeg]

Hi ya, if your having an operation then yes you would need to remove your enhancements. This is for a number of reasons, one of many being the clamp is on your finger so they can see your vital stats during your operation and recovery, and this needs to be against your natural nail plate for it to work correctly.

This is actually not correct. The temperature of the enhancement is the same as your natural nail as I said in my post above.

NOR do you necessarily HAVE to remove your enhancments ... I talked it over with my doctor and he has never asked me to remove my enhancements and I have had several operations. It depends on the hospital rules and they do vary.

You can ask them to put the temperature clamps on your toes instead of your fingers.

The main thing is to dicscuss this first with your doctor. If you just turn up for an op wearing nail enhancements, you may be asked to remove them there and then.

 

[Bagpuss]

I was told that its all down to the consultant....and that toes could be used.

I have had a few of my clients have ops and they have just had the white filed off to give a more natural apperance....just saves the questions as to rather you have a french polish on or not.

 

[Jen Smith]

I always thought that they needed to see the natural nail for any colour changes during major ops (thought this showed early signs of disdress) ... umm.. is it just for the finger clamp then? I must have dreampt it lol!

Good luck with your op.. hope you have a speedy recovery :hug:

 

[geeg]

I always thought that they needed to see the natural nail for any colour changes during major ops (thought this showed early signs of disdress) ... umm.. is it just for the finger clamp then? I must have dreampt it lol!

Good luck with your op.. hope you have a speedy recovery :hug:

That is what the finger clamp is for .. yes.

Colour changes indicate temperature changes as well and they can see this in your toes.

It totally depends on the consultant as both Angie and I have said. DISCUSS it .. you have a right to ask for what you want !!

 

[Tracey Roberts]

I always thought that they needed to see the natural nail for any colour changes during major ops (thought this showed early signs of disdress) ... umm.. is it just for the finger clamp then? I must have dreampt it lol!

Good luck with your op.. hope you have a speedy recovery :hug:

It probably is down to colour change on the nail bed,because they can also detect internal bleeding this way,thats how they diagnosed me anyway when I had internal bleeding in my lung following aspiration for a pneaumothorax, I was on a ECG,but the nailbed test was confirmation of this

 

[Seraphine]

The finger "clamps" are not reading temperature, but are reading the saturation evel of oxygenation in the blood (you'll often hear them on ER and other doctor shows talking about "sats are 95% on room air", or "she's satting down"...) They also read heart rate. It does this with the light on the end of the probe - the absorption of the light through the saturated oxygen in the blood will indicate how much oxygen is in the blood (you should be at 100% on room air).

The manuals for pulse ox machines (the thing with the clamps) will tell you to remove polish and enhancements as this interferes with the reading. Even clear polish or cuticle oil on natural nails could interfere with the reading (I used to be a nurse, and my husband tests all these machines for safety and reliability, so I'm not making this up).

BUT, on the plus side, you CAN ask for the pulse ox to be used on your toes, or YOUR EARLOBE. It can get accurate readings from both these locations, and it's a whole lot easier to try this than to pry off an enhancement! (especially if you aren't expecting to have a surgery!)

Temperatures aren't taken on the fingertips as they aren't a true reflection of core body temperature. That's why the ear, underarm, mouth or rectum is used for temperature. While hot or cool extremeties are important to note, they won't indicate the true temperature of the body. Eg, if you have a high body temperature but your extremeties don't reflect this, you could have a circulatory issue that will need evaluation.

Speak to your doctor and anesthesiologist - they are often as unaware of our industry as we are of theirs. Explain your concerns, and if you are given any sort of hassle, I can provide you with the safety standard that outlines this so you can show them (I don't have it here, but can get it for you).

Good luck!
Dawn

 

[tracey louise]

hospitals do vary so you do need to speak to them first but i think in most cases they would prefer for you to take them off.maybe ask if you could just take a few off rather than all of them? this is what i did but i was only in for a day.i think sometimes they just feel that it is unnessesary for you to have them on so therefor you can take them off which i suppose if i was in there shoes i might do the same thing aswell.
definately phone the hospital though as like other geeks have said everyone is different.
good luck.xx

 

[geeg]

The finger "clamps" are not reading temperature, but are reading the saturation evel of oxygenation in the blood (you'll often hear them on ER and other doctor shows talking about "sats are 95% on room air", or "she's satting down"...) They also read heart rate. It does this with the light on the end of the probe - the absorption of the light through the saturated oxygen in the blood will indicate how much oxygen is in the blood (you should be at 100% on room air).

The manuals for pulse ox machines (the thing with the clamps) will tell you to remove polish and enhancements as this interferes with the reading. Even clear polish or cuticle oil on natural nails could interfere with the reading (I used to be a nurse, and my husband tests all these machines for safety and reliability, so I'm not making this up).


BUT, on the plus side, you CAN ask for the pulse ox to be used on your toes, or YOUR EARLOBE. It can get accurate readings from both these locations, and it's a whole lot easier to try this than to pry off an enhancement! (especially if you aren't expecting to have a surgery!)

Temperatures aren't taken on the fingertips as they aren't a true reflection of core body temperature. That's why the ear, underarm, mouth or rectum is used for temperature. While hot or cool extremeties are important to note, they won't indicate the true temperature of the body. Eg, if you have a high body temperature but your extremeties don't reflect this, you could have a circulatory issue that will need evaluation.

Speak to your doctor and anesthesiologist - they are often as unaware of our industry as we are of theirs. Explain your concerns, and if you are given any sort of hassle, I can provide you with the safety standard that outlines this so you can show them (I don't have it here, but can get it for you).

Good luck!
Dawn

Thanks for this information it is very helpful and informative and I have learned something new (which I always like to do).

They are much more flexible in the States about accommodating 'enhanced' ladies wishes. I don't know any American babes who remove their nails for an operation ...

 

[nailzoo]

if you have natural looking enhancements without polish
IE:
no obvious French
no coverage powders
no cockroach back thickness
no nail art

most surgeons/anesthetists) don't know the difference
As soon as they see any hint of "fake", they want it gone .... but it does depend on the surgeon/anesthetist.

It's more an anesthetist issue, but they aren't usually there at consultation.

 

[Lynne Baker]

as an RGN I agree with Dawn's assessment. Check with your anaesthetist first!

 

[Seraphine]

Thanks Calla!

This is something I've given a fair amount of thought as if I have another child, I'll need to have a c-section and I don't want the hassle of taking my nails off first! I'll have enough to do! I plan on taking off my toe polish, or inisisting they use my earlobe. I'm prepared to take a written copy of the standard in with me (I'm not a shinking violet when it comes to my healthcare!)

And while Nailzoo is correct - most doctors wouldn't know an enhancement if it weren't "obvious", I would know it was there, and I would hate to have my health affected by a false reading. I could be in real trouble, but if the pulse ox isn't reading true, it could take longer to diagnose the problem.

This is my husband's specialty (he's the chief medical engineer responsible for medical devices in the EU), and even he acknowleges that most medical professionals don't know all the ins and outs of the devices they use. The light probes are meant to be put on a clean, dry fingernail (or earlobe) - anything that can interfere with the light (oil, polish, acrylic) will change the reading. The machines are calibrated very regularly because they are so sensitive. With this reading in particular, there's not a lot of "wiggle room" - if you are well, you are at 100%, and if you are less than that, there's a problem somewhere.

One of my friends delivered a baby (3 weeks early) and had to try to pry off her acrylic enhancements with non-acetone polish remover WHILE SHE WAS IN LABOUR or they wouldn't give her an epidural. This wasn't necessary and it created so much stress for her. Educate yourselves and your clients in case things like this come up

 

[tracey louise]

thanks for all the info dawn.i did know some of it as my brother is an ODA in theatres and hes informed me of the reasons why i had to take them off when i went in just for the day for my epijural injections etc....so im glad someone could remember all the technical terms.xx

 

[NailedON]

Thank you ladies for all the advice you have given me.

I think to be on the safe side I will definately remove them before I go in to hospital. It would be a nightmare to have to remove them once I'm admitted and in the bed! Rather do it in the comfort of my own home and with the right equipment.

Not only have you all advised me but I have also gained knowledge in this area.

Once again many thanks and I can always put on a new set while at home recovering for 4-6 weeks! X

 

[nailzoo]

something of interest

Possibly the most important monitoring device that helps make modern anaesthesia so safe is the pulse oximeter. This measures the level of oxygen in the blood and works by passing red light through tissue, most commonly a finger tip, and computing the absorption of the light, which varies depending on the oxygenation. Nail polish may reduce the effectiveness of this monitor. The nail bed is one of the best places to detect cyanosis caused by low oxygen levels.

 

[drew692]

To be blunt, I think it comes down to which do you value the most your life or nail enhancements. With me its my life.

Thanks for giving the clamp its name (Pulse Oximeter), having worked in hospitals for many years for the life of me I just couldnt remember what the blessed thing was called.

 

[Christine81]

Does this always apply? I remember about five years ago I had to have an operation and I had to remove my nail polish.

I have had 6 operations (in full "narkose" it's called in Norwegian, not sure what the English word is, but in "sleep" anyway) the last 4-5 years. After I started doing nails I've had 1. And the doctor did let me keep my nails as long as they cold see my nail beds/the color (if they turn blue-ish I need Oxygen ). But I removed one nail on one toe and on one finger anyway, just to be on the safe side.