Letter to PALS

[ailbhe]

Hi,

While at my pre-op today for a gynaecological issue I saw a notice up asking that staff remind women to shave before surgery. I asked the nurse if I should shave, and she said no, but that the consultant preferred "ladies" to "tidy the garden."

The consultant's aesthetic preferences are not a patient's concern, and should never be made a patient's concern, and if there is no surgical need - no incision within the hairline, etc - then there is no medical requirement to depilate. Genital exposure is personal enough without bringing the surgeon's personal aesthetic preferences into it.

I have a personal preference for a gynaecologist who can cope with normal adult female anatomy.

A.

Comments

[glitzfrau.livejournal.com]

seriously? SERIOUSLY????

And they actually said GARDEN???????

Good for your letter.

[pauamma]

"As requested, I weeded our kitchen garden yesterday, and made sure to bring back the tools to the shed when I was done. But I'm not sure what has to do with the surgical procedure we're discussing. Could you explain?"

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Bonus points for bringing a home grown cabbage in a neat box to hospital as a present for the surgical team to have with their dinner after a day in theatre.

[pauamma]

*grin*