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Another Menstrual Cycle Mystery: When Do You Plan Elective Surgery


A new study questions whether surgery could be safer at certain times during the menstrual cycle. A researcher who follows menstrual cycle variances has found another conundrum for her data base and sent me a link to look over. In a small study in Turkey it was found that at certain times of the menstrual cycle blood pressure responses to intubation (tube placement in general anesthesia) varied dramatically depending upon the phase of the menstrual cycle. They felt that the blood pressure responses were smoother during the early menopausal phase, and it is true during the very earliest time the levels are lower. The authors are quick to point out that they didn't actually measure the hormone levels of the study subjects nor did they measure the levels of the adrenaline and adrenaline-like substances (catacholamines) that would affect these things. It is very likely that healthy women with very normal blood pressures will not have a medically relevant change in their blood pressure, it is however a concern that someone with abnormal blood pressures or other medically unstable factors could have this be an issue. It is important to keep reading about this issue and when scheduling surgeries there are a lot of factors to consider.

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