Is it standard practice to be shaved before surgery?

I'm not really into surgical fetish, but couldn't think or find an appropriate place to post this:

My mom took me to the emergency room when I was thirteen, and having abdominal pain with nausea and fever. It took a doctor about two minutes to decide that my appendix was the cause of my illness, and it had to go.

I was hooked up to an IV in the emergency room and it had some sort of sedative in it. The last thing I recall was that they were wheeling me out to go to an operating room.

I woke up with mom by my bedside telling me that I was going to be fine. It wasn't long until a doctor came in to check on me, accompanied by a couple other doctors (they may have been med students or interns, really not sure). The doctor asked me how I was feeling, and then asked me to raise up my gown so that he could see the incision.

I pulled my gown up, and suddenly realized two things:

1. I didn't have any panties on

2. The pubic hair that I had before surgery was gone!

I was embarrassed, and after they left, I asked my mom about it. She thought it was a "standard practice" that anyone having abdominal surgery be shaved prior to their operations. So, somewhere between the emergency room, and my surgery, someone had shaved the pubic hair that I had become rather proud of as a teenager.

Question: Is this really a standard practice in hospitals, or, was someone just playing a trick on me??? 😉

As I said, I wasn't sure where to post this, and, I would appreciate hearing from others who may have experienced this, or have more knowledge about it.

Thanks,

C.

It is entirely normal practice to shave hairy regions prior to surgery as hair harbors bacteria. I was shaved for my appendectomy but I was awake. It wasn't any fun. Women in labor are no longer shaved. Also episiotomies are rarely done now.

About 25 years ago, I had the old-fashioned open appy. I got shaved too - after going to sleep. It's normal.

Connie: When I was a kid or teen I overheard female members of my family commenting some surgery and the fact that one had to be shaved down there for any surgery in that area.

Did they shave fully the pubes, or just the top part? I understand shaving the stomach, but not the outer labia...

Don't know how regular it is to be shaved in the pubic area before surgery now. I read somewhere that there is less pre-surgical shaving because of worries about infection from small razor cuts in the skin. I haven't had abdominal surgery. No personal experience with being shaved completely. I had a cardiac catherization done years ago and received what was the nurse called a mohawk shave. My pubic hair was shaved on both sides of my scrotum so that the doctor could pick a side to insert the cardiac catheter into the groin artery. The result was a narrow strip of pubic hair left just above my penis. It grew out in several weeks but it was strange.

Anyone shaved for a hernia operations or vasectomy or something else recently who can tell us how much is shaved these days?

As far as I know if there's hair in the surgical field it's got to go. First hernia surgery with scrotal surgery: penis, scrotum, 3/4 of pubic hair. This time hernia surgery was about the same, but just upper scrotum. You can see my post op photos for extent of the shave.

http://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=gallery;ox=showalbum;ax=6062

It is standard to use an electric clippers to remove hair from surgical site . In the old days site was shaved. Using clippers has a lower infection rate . We have a clippers in every OR and the hair removal is done usually after pt is under anesthesia. Exception is C. Section where clipping is done prior to arriving being taken to OR

I was definitely shaved prior to the procedure but in the operating room and not my hospital room as some has said happened. I wasn't under anesthesia yet and the nurse talked to me as she was shaving my public hair with electric clippers that I couldn't see.

Before my AAA repair, in a pre-op room an old black lady came in with electric shavers and took off my pubes, because two puncture wounds were to be done in my lower abdomen to get to my femoral arteries.

Years ago, before my bowel resection for colon cancer, a young male surgical tech. used electric shaver to denude my pubic area, as the incision started just above my penis and went up above my naval. This kid was a master at his craft and caught every hair inside a towel.

The first time I had this done was 1957 before my open appendectomy. An attractive OR R.N. lathered me up with shaving crème and used a safety razor to shave all my pubes off while on the OR table. She was responsible for me becoming a MedFet person.

I was before getting an emergency appendectomy--but they only did half of my pubic area. I was knocked out before they did it, so it was a little weird waking up and eventually making that discovery.

The last time I had my pubic hair shaved in the hospital was before the repairs from being wounded. A very nice nurse came in late in the evening and shaved me.

We talked about my incontinence and how keeping shaved would help hold down the smell.

Being shaved isn't all bad. A year later I married that nurse and this month will be our 40th anniversary.

Back in January, I had a laparoscopic gallbladder removal. I wasn't shaved at all.

I don't know if it's because the incisions are smaller or what, but I'm kind of glad they didn't. I think I would have been mortified to find out they'd shaved me.

A few years back I had a heart procedure done where they inserted a device in my groin to run through an vein to reach my heart. Before the operation, the nurse came in and did shave my pubic hair on the side where they were going to do the incision. I should also mention that at that time I was trimming my pubic hair but they still wanted to shave the area themselves. Ironically, we had to repeat the procedure a few months later and this time I shaved my pubic hair down to just a strip over my penis. When the nurse came in to shave me, I mentioned that I had already shaved and she took a look and her eyes were as big a saucers when she saw how little hair I had left. I had to laugh.

Footnote: Soon after all the heart procedures, I had all my body hair removed with laser treatments. So if any future operations need to be done on any part of my body, I am good to go 😃

I had a laparoscopic (benign) ovarian cyst removal in when I was in high school in the late 90s, and wasn't shaved for/during that surgery. They did buzz off a small (1'' square) patch of pubic hair for one of the incisions, but the rest of my pubes (and the little downy hairs on my tummy) were ignored.

My mom (who is an RN) was surprised they didn't shave me "navel to knees", and the nurse in the recovery room said they'd drastically reduced shaving before surgery because it was often unnecessary, distressed patients, and didn't improve surgery outcomes or recovery time. I wish I remembered more of the discussion because it was fascinating to my nerdy self, but I doped to the gills on opiates at the time.

I had surgery for a Inguinal (groin) hernia:about nine - ten years ago. It was on my right side but all my pubic hair was shaved. After seeing the scar and realizing where they were cutting me open it made perfect sense !!!!!! The nurse who performed this task was attractive , maybe late forties or early fifties, a little chatty , which helped put me at ease. I was somewhat embarrassed and NO, not the least bit sexually aroused...In fact just the EXTREME opposite.... LOL

@hawky - if you look at your incision sites, they're not near your pubic hair, so there was no need to remove it. That's how you kept it!

Funny story is I keep pubic hair trimmed short as it is, and for my circumcision at 36 I wasn't sure if they would trim me or not. It wasn't listed on the prep, so I figured I'd beat them to the punch and have it all nice and pretty. Shaved scrotum and penis shaft, trimmed pubes with trimmed. When they knocked me out I remember hearing doctor to put cauterization pad on my thigh and felt it placed there. Even in my "twilight" state of consciousness, I said out loud, "Great the one area I didn't trim". I heard some female laugh, and the doctor make a throat clearing to emphasize that the laughter should not have happened. After I was out of surgery, I was told apparently I'm quite the talker and humorist in that "twilight" state. I keep everything trimmed short and no other doctor has ever mentioned it during an exam.

I've had a few cardiac catheterizations. Each time I've had both sides of my groin clipped or shaved. The first time - in the early 90s I was shaved with a safety razor while standing naked in the cath lab while it was being prepared for my procedure. I ended up with a pubic mohawk. I remember the IV having to be feed through the gown armhole at the same time causing the complete removal of the gown. It was a great memory for an exhibitionist medfetter.

The rest of the times, an electric clipper was used in bed in the pre-op holding area. Even though I was shaving my groin, they clipped the necessary areas to be sure. The last time they used my wrist and clipped my hand and forearm AND both sides of my groin just in case they needed to change sites mid-procedure.

BTW, blade shaving is no longer used because of a significant increase in infection. Shaving causes small cuts and abrasions that are pathways for bacteria. Modern techniques are to use electric clippers that leave a stubble and don't interrupt the skin. If you commonly shave the area, you'll be asked to stop shaving for a bit before a scheduled procedure to allow the skin to heal.

In June of 2013, I had open heart surgery for mitral valve prolapse. In April I had to undergo a heart catheterization to make sure there were no other issues. Before the procedure, all of my pubic hair was shaved, but my scrotum was left alone. It was done in a pre op area after I changed into a gown. In June when I had my open heart surgery, I was pretty much shaved from the neck down to my feet. Interestingly enough, my arms were left untouched. Both times the nurse used an electric clipper.

Don't know how regular it is to be shaved in the pubic area before surgery now. I read somewhere that there is less pre-surgical shaving because of worries about infection from small razor cuts in the skin. I haven't had abdominal surgery. No personal experience with being shaved completely. I had a cardiac catherization done years ago and received what was the nurse called a mohawk shave. My pubic hair was shaved on both sides of my scrotum so that the doctor could pick a side to insert the cardiac catheter into the groin artery. The result was a narrow strip of pubic hair left just above my penis. It grew out in several weeks but it was strange.

Anyone shaved for a hernia operations or vasectomy or something else recently who can tell us how much is shaved these days?

When I had a double inguinal hernia repair about two years ago, they shaved my pubic hair in an almost identical fashion to what you call a Mohawk shave. I was always proud of my pubic hair bush and it distressed me big time after it was shaved, especially because it took months before it finally grew back, more-or-less, anyway.

When I had a double inguinal hernia repair about two years ago, they shaved my pubic hair in an almost identical fashion to what you call a Mohawk shave. I was always proud of my pubic hair bush and it distressed me big time after it was shaved, especially because it took months before it finally grew back, more-or-less, anyway.

I've had the pubic mohawk each time I've had a cardiac catheterization. I don't understand why they do that. I'd prefer them to just take it all.

BTW, if this happened in the 21st century and in North America, they didn't shave, they clipped. Shaving has been found to increase postoperative infection.

In july of 2016 I went through a heart catherization for the 2 time. The first tried to go through the artery in my wrist but it was to small. So they had to go through the groin. But when I went in I was already completely shavin and did not have any issues afterwards.

Wake up after 6 hr of opertion shaved and with catheter in my member i remember telling the doc at the op room as i was waking up that i need to go to the restroom to take a leak he said no worries just let go

I don't know, I'm always shaved so nobody asked questions about it

It is entirely normal practice to shave hairy regions prior to surgery as hair harbors bacteria.

Do you know if they shave for abdominal hysterectomy? Asking because I may have to have one (hopefully not!) and want to know what to expect.

You will be trimmed or shaved depending on the hospital and doctor's policies and preferences.

If it is an issue for you then do your research (find out if there is a significant medical reason to do one or the other or neither), come with that and bring it up. Negotiations may not be common but they are legitimate.

Hospitals no longer shave surgery patients. They use clippers to trim the hair.

When i had my artificial spincter replaced they shaved me

You will be trimmed or shaved depending on the hospital and doctor's policies and preferences.

Thanks. There's not much to trim, it's pretty short and sparse (middle age!), hopefully they won't shave as that is a bitch growing back.