Pre- and post-operative nursing rounds for colorectal cancer

Like most tumors, colon cancer is treated with surgery. Removing the tumor as thoroughly as possible is a common option for curing colon cancer, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. There are various difficulties before and after surgery. Overcoming the difficulties requires the doctor's superb medical skills, the nurse's careful care, and the full cooperation of the patient and family members to jointly cope with the difficulties. What are the preoperative and postoperative nursing rounds for colorectal cancer?

1. Preoperative Preparation

(1) Before deciding to have surgery, you need to undergo a thorough examination. If any problems are found, they should be corrected preoperatively before surgery.

(2) Eat a low-residue semi-liquid diet for 3 days before surgery, a liquid diet for 1 day before surgery, and fast before surgery. For patients with obstruction, the fasting time needs to be extended, and a gastric tube is routinely placed on the morning of surgery.

(3) One to three days before the examination, the bowel should be prepared according to the presence or absence of obstruction. Oral senna or castor oil can be used as a cathartic every night, a large dose of enema should be given the night before surgery, and a cleansing enema should be given the morning of surgery.

(4) Oral antibiotics that are not absorbed by the intestines can reduce intestinal bacteria and reduce the chance of postoperative infection.

2. Postoperative Care

(1) Colon cancer surgery requires general anesthesia. After taking the medicine, you may feel dizzy and nauseous when you are about to wake up. This is because you have not woken up from the anesthesia. Don't worry too much. Since you may feel back pain from lying flat for too long during the operation, you can move your hands or lower limbs slightly.

(2) The drainage tube is usually properly fixed to the side of the bed by the nurse. When family members help the patient move his limbs, they should be careful not to twist or flatten the drainage tube to avoid affecting the drainage. After 6 hours, the patient can further turn over from side to side. At this time, the drainage tube must be carefully protected to prevent it from falling off. When the drainage tube is pulled, it will also cause discomfort and pain to the patient.

(3) The patient needs to fast for about 3 days after surgery, depending on the patient's postoperative intestinal ventilation. After the patient is ventilated, the gastric tube can be removed and a light liquid diet can be given, which can then be gradually transitioned to a semi-liquid and soft diet.

(4) The catheter is usually placed in place for about 3 days after surgery. Before removal, the catheter needs to be clamped intermittently to exercise the bladder function and restore the normal elasticity of the bladder muscles.