Wegener's and surgery

[Susan Jean]

Has anyone had surgery after diagnosis?
How do you get ready? Do you have to be in remission? or at least your SED rate being lower if not normal?

[drz]

It depends upon the type of surgery. If there is no blood involved like a cataract surgery, they let me do that one fairly quickly. But to get my BAHA inserted I had to be in remission for a year. That was a few years ago so check with your doctor about the surgery and find out what their guidelines are. Of course if the surgery is emergency for some life-threatening event, they will do it right away. They usually have me cut back on my maintenance meds like Azathioprine for a few days before and after the surgery procedure. And then they usually increase my prednisone meds. This is also usually done any time I need inpatient care for treating an infection.

[Alysia]

As far as I know we need to increase the pred and take extra antibiotics.

[vdub]

I was dx'ed with Weg's in 2010. Since then, I have had 13 surgeries -- about half were major, the others were just ho-hum. I don't recall having to do anything special due to Wegs. but I did have to get extra steroids because of adrenal gland failure, which was caused by Wegs involvement in a round about manner with my former pituitary gland. I don't think you will have to do anything particularly different from a healthy person. Just make sure your doctor is aware and they will do the rest. No worries....

[mishb]

For the surgery on my nose I had to be in remission for 2 years, and my pred be at 5mg or less.
On saying this, my rheumy did say, that if it was an emergency, they wont be waiting for anything, remission or not.

Sorry I'm only catching this post now.
I hope, if you have had the surgery, that it all went well, and you are on the road to a pain free recovery.