{"id":382,"date":"2008-04-14T09:29:30","date_gmt":"2008-04-14T14:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2008\/04\/14\/patient-shave-operating-room\/"},"modified":"2025-06-06T18:25:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T23:25:59","slug":"patient-shave-operating-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2008\/04\/14\/patient-shave-operating-room\/","title":{"rendered":"That Unexpected “Full Monty” Body Hair Shave"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking back on my aortic valve replacement procedure, I remember several, distinct moments of physical and mental confusion. I might even consider that confusion as “dislocating” considering the process of having heart surgery is so foreign to regular, every-day life.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, that dislocation evolved into fear (e.g. cardiac depression<\/a>). At other times, that dislocation actually transformed into tremendous joy (e.g. taking my first shower after surgery).<\/p>\n

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One of my “dislocating moments” was entering the pre-operating room. I’ll never forget that final hug with my family after the nurse called my name. I’ll never forget the nervous tremors in my hands as I pushed the door open.<\/p>\n

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I’ll never forget the sounds, the tubes, the blinking lights, the quick movements, and the gurneys rolling around the pre-operating room. And… Of course, I will never forget the worried looks that draped each patient face as I passed them one by one.<\/p>\n

I could go on-and-on-and-on about the pre-operating room. However, this blog is not intended to replay the details of that experience. Instead, I am here to give you, the patient or caregiver, an expectation.<\/p>\n

That expectation is tightly focused on… the surgical shave.<\/p>\n

Yes. You may not know it yet. But, most patients will have a pretty good body shave right before surgery.<\/p>\n

I knew nothing of the surgical shave when I entered the pre-operating room that morning. Therefore, I was definitely taken aback when the nurse began the time-consuming process of removing my chest hair, my pubic hair, my leg hair, and my toe hair.<\/p>\n

Personally, I’m not a big fan of hair. But, at the same time, I have never had a “full-monty” body shave before. That said, it would have been nice to know that the surgical shave was going to happen.<\/p>\n

I hope my little shaving story above helps you understand a tad more of what to expect as a patient. As I’ve said before, a heart valve replacement<\/a> and heart valve repair surgery is not always fun. But, the short-term pain is worth the long-term gain!<\/p>\n

Related Links:<\/p>\n