No insulin from pump for 12 hours. WTH!

[JustSayMoe 163]

So I did my preop today. It went fairly well, but one thing really concerns me. My surgeon wants me to disconnect my insulin pump at midnight day of surgery. I'm scheduled for 12. I take tons of insulin a day like 160 units a day.

This seems like a very dangerous thing to do. I've heard of people who have had their cats chew their tubing in the middle of the night and have to go to the emergency room in the morning.

Am I the only one who thinks this is borderline suicidal? Damn!

I hope this isn't the beginning of the end of my high confidence level in Dr Kim. I'm talking to my endo on Monday. I'll have her talk to Dr. Kim about that.

[DDFinn 118]

Are you on a very restricted diet in the days before surgery? Can you disconnect the pump and still take humulog injections if you need them? You are going to have to be testing like crazy for those 12 hrs.

[JustSayMoe 163]

Yeah it's not happening. I see the surgeon Tuesday and I'll be in touch with my endo Monday. I'm comfortable doing it at 7 or 8 in the morning, but midnight is a trip to the emergency room.

I have 100% confidence my endo will call bs on it too.

There no reason to do it more than 4 or 5 hours before surgery. That's about the total lifespan of Novolog in your system.

The whole point is not to go hypoglycemic in the OR. Even if I d/c'ed an hour or two before surgery there's no way I would go low.

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

Yeah it's not happening. I see the surgeon Tuesday and I'll be in touch with my endo Monday. I'm comfortable doing it at 7 or 8 in the morning' date=' but midnight is a trip to the emergency room.

I have 100% confidence my endo will call bs on it too.

There no reason to do it more than 4 or 5 hours before surgery. That's about the total lifespan of Novolog in your system.

The whole point is not to go hypoglycemic in the OR. Even if I d/c'ed an hour or two before surgery there's no way I would go low.[/quote']

If you are following an even moderately strict pre op diet there shouldn't be a problem. As you well know, insulin keeps your blood sugars from spiking, since you won't be consuming any sugars you shouldn't need the insulin

[missjenny 43]

My Dr's had me keep my pump on during surgery just at a reduced rate. If i was disconnected I would have being in serious trouble but I also am a type 1 diabetic.

[JustSayMoe 163]

The problem is when you are type 1 on a pump and you disconnect your body gets zero insulin. You can get very sick in a very short amount of time with zero insulin. People have gone into comas and died from DKA (diabetic Keto acidosis) . I had it once and spent three days in ICU.

If you are following an even moderately strict pre op diet there shouldn't be a problem. As you well know' date=' insulin keeps your blood sugars from spiking, since you won't be consuming any sugars you shouldn't need the insulin[/quote']

[JustSayMoe 163]

Well, my surgery happened on 2/14 and no one really gave a damn about my pump. They knew about it, but pretty much left the management of it up to me. It turns out the doctor's orders were just a blanket rubber stamp type of document. He assumes type 2 which cutting off insulin at midnight is probably a good idea. Kind of pissed at the doctor doing this, but my surgery was great. I took no narcotic pain meds and I feel great!