Table of contents:
- Low blood pressure after surgery, is it normal?
- Causes of low blood pressure after surgery
- 1. The anesthetic effect
- 2. Decreased blood volume
- 3. Bacterial or viral infection
- 4. Heart problems
Almost all surgeries have side effects that will appear afterward. Usually the most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, and decreased blood pressure. You may be shocked and worried when you experience low blood pressure after surgery. Actually, is this a normal thing or should we be aware of it, huh?
Low blood pressure after surgery, is it normal?
The first few hours after surgery are critical times to watch out for. When a person begins to recover from the effects of anesthesia and surgery, the body will experience several changes. One of the things that should get special monitoring is the patient's blood pressure level.
The patient's body reacts to the surgery differently. There are those who experience increased blood pressure after surgery, but there are also those who experience the opposite, namely low blood pressure after surgery. Is this normal or a red flag?
A few hours after surgery, the patient's blood pressure will continue to be monitored so that the level remains normal, which is around 120/80 mmHg. This is necessary for the medical team to determine when patients can get proper postoperative care.
Low blood pressure after surgery is abnormal conditions which must be handled quickly. If allowed to continue, this can cause the body to lack oxygen. The fatal impact, several vital organs in the body will be damaged, such as the heart and brain.
Immediately consult a doctor if blood pressure drops after surgery. Especially if accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Dizzy
- Blurred vision
- Nausea
- Dehydration
- A cold sweat
- Fainting
Causes of low blood pressure after surgery
There are 4 main things that cause low blood pressure after surgery, namely:
1. The anesthetic effect
Anesthetics, which are used to put you to sleep during surgery, can affect your blood pressure. In some patients, the anesthetic can cause blood pressure to drop dramatically.
As a solution, the doctor will inject certain drugs through an IV. The hope, your blood pressure can return to normal and does not interfere with the function of organs.
2. Decreased blood volume
Decreased amount of blood in the body, also known as hypovolemia, is one of the most common causes of low blood pressure after surgery. This condition is usually caused by heavy bleeding during surgery.
Even if you only have a minor operation or don't experience excessive bleeding, the volume of blood can still decrease due to the evaporation process. The bigger the incision during surgery, the more water evaporates from the surface of the body's tissues.
This loss of body fluids causes the amount of blood plasma to decrease. The doctor will usually give fluids or blood through a direct infusion into a vein to increase the patient's blood count.
3. Bacterial or viral infection
Drastic drop in blood pressure after surgery can also be caused by sepsis. Sepsis is inflammation in the body due to the entry of bacteria, fungi, or viruses into the body and poisoning the blood.
Infection due to sepsis can cause the walls of small blood vessels to leak into other tissues. That is why, sepsis is a medical emergency that can be life-threatening, so it must be treated as soon as possible.
To treat low blood pressure after surgery due to sepsis, doctors will usually give vasopressors drugs. This type of medicine will help tighten the blood vessels so that your blood flow returns to normal.
4. Heart problems
When blood pressure drops after surgery, there could be a problem with your heart. One of them is due to a heart attack (myocardial infarction), which is the death of heart muscle tissue due to a lack of blood supply. This condition can occur shortly after surgery or you may have experienced it before.
The weaker the heart muscle, the more difficult it is for the heart to pump blood around the body to its full potential. As a result, blood flow throughout the body slows down and results in low blood pressure.
Low blood pressure after surgery can also be caused by the patient's heart rate being too slow. There are many things that can be the cause, for example taking beta-blocker drugs that are used as drugs for heart disease or hypertension, the influence of drugs, or pain relievers.
x
