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[cjarquin71@yahoo.com]

I want to know why is it bad to have surgery when you have a cold or cold symptoms? I am going to have surgery tomorrow I am having breast implants and lipo, but I woke up today with stuffy nose and sneezing my body aches and my mom tells me it is bad to have surgery like this! What should I do?

[YankeeBeckham]

There are always risks with any use of anesthesia. Having a cold or being otherwise ill increases these risks. Being anestisized is not a natural state for your body and you want your body to be as strong as possible to be able to recover from the invasiness of surgery. You also don't want to be dealing with any respiratory problems while your breathing is being messed with. It is very important for you to tell your doctors about your cold before your surgery. They may help make the decision for you, but at the very least they need to be made aware. Surgery is not something to be taken lightly, and if it were me, I would hold off on the surgery until I was feeling better, espeically if it were an elective procedure.

[Dr. Joshua]

YankeeBeckham has provided a good answer here. The anesthesiologist and surgeon together make the call on whether to operate or not if the patient has a cold. Many factors can influence this decision - emergency surgery will still be done of course, but elective surgery may be postponed, especially to avoid respiratory distress during general anaesthesia, among other considerations such as increased risk of infection.