Question:
If you are healthy (no co-morbitities) should you still be cleared by a

pulmonologist as well as a cardiologist?    — Stacey G. (posted on November 11, 2001)

November 11, 2001
Your surgeon sends you to specialists to find out if you have any co morbities to make sure surgery is safe. The specialist then decides what tests if any you need. Some tests like sleep apnea everyone gets. Tests are a pain but well worth the hassle for your saftey.
   — bob-haller

November 11, 2001
My surgeon required a letter of medical clearance from my pcp. I'm preop, approved by my insurance company and scheduled for surgery in a couple of weeks. I didn't have to see a cardiologist or a pulmonary specialist. I did need an EKG which my pcp performed. I also needed an Upper GI and will be getting a whole list of blood tests done. However my surgeon didn't require a sleep study.
   — [Anonymous]

November 11, 2001
Actually, I didn't get a sleep apnea test, sorry Bob:) I had no major co-morbs either, that I knew of... but that is part of the testing. There have been several people who found out about heart problems or other things during this testing. My dr required blood gasses, pulmonary, ekg, blood tests out the wazoo. Everything was fine and off I went:) good luck!
   — Becky K.

November 16, 2001
I didn't have to have any tests except the standar ones during the pre-admission testing: EKG, Gallbladder Ultrasound, Chest X-Ray, Pulmonary Function Test and blood work. None were painful it all took less than few hours. My only comorbidity if you could even consider it one was shortness of breath!
   — Deborah W.

Click Here to Return