title: [Preoperative preparation of patients for gynecologic operations].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A surgical treatment is stressful for a patient and its risks and complications can be fatal. The preoperative preparation is an important step when performing a surgical treatment and it is carried out in a precisely determined order.
  It starts with taking the medical history, the first meeting and conversation between the patient and the gynecologist. A set of questions is devised to get information about the patient's problem. Status praesens reflects the present condition of the patient, other diseases, medicaments in use. Laboratory analyses (blood count, urine, liver enzymes, electrolytes, proteins) and other methods (ultrasound, x-ray, CT, MR) are done. An operation should be decided on only after all conservative methods have been used and the informed consent must be obtained from the patient.
  A team consisting of an anesthesiologist, internist and other specialists, if needed, is to get insight into the patient's general health condition, decide on the application of antibiotics before the operation and on the prevention of thrombo-embolism and prepare the patient by disinfecting the region to be operated and placing Foley catheter into the bladder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The aim is to minimize possible intra and postoperative complications and to maximize the prospect of successful surgical treatment. Prior to the operation an estimation must be done whether the patient can safely bear the risks of the planned operation, the precise diagnosis must be made and possible intraoperative surprises must be minimized. The decision whether to operate or not should be made if at least one of the following reasons is present: to relieve the patient of the pain and suffering, to save her life or to correct the existing deformity. If none of these three reasons is present, the operation should be carried out.
authors.affiliation: Klinicki centar Vojvodine, Klinika za ginekologiju i akuserstvo, Novi Sad. maximovicus@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maksimović
authors.forename: Srdan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Durdević
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Curcić
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ivanović
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pantelić
mesh_terms: D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control