Is it standard practice to be shaved before surgery?

A male friend of mine went into have a hernia repair , and yes he was shaved before surgery

When I had a vasectomy the doctor told me to completely shave myself prior to the appointment. Probably less risk of embarrasement for most people.

I required urgent abdominal surgery when I was 16. After getting an enema an older black woman came in and said she needed to shave me. OK, no problem. I am a hairy person and she started shaving my chest area and kept doing lower. When she got to my crotch she said she had to be careful. She then announced she had to make me hard so I didn't get cut. So she stroked my penis, shaved me a little, and stroked me more. She asked if it got harder and I said, she asked if she could make me harder. What teen boy would object to being stroked off? She put some lube in my penis and stroked me really fast, and said don't cum. When she stopped she shaved my penis. I don't think she followed hospital protocol. I had no complaints.

I had double hernia surgery about 18 months ago. I was specifically instructed to not shave beforehand because the nurse would shave any hair that needed to be removed.

When I woke up, my lower abdomen and pubic hair had been shaved. But the nurse didn't shave my scrotum or anywhere else.

I required urgent abdominal surgery when I was 16. After getting an enema an older black woman came in and said she needed to shave me. OK, no problem. I am a hairy person and she started shaving my chest area and kept doing lower. When she got to my crotch she said she had to be careful. She then announced she had to make me hard so I didn't get cut. So she stroked my penis, shaved me a little, and stroked me more. She asked if it got harder and I said, she asked if she could make me harder. What teen boy would object to being stroked off? She put some lube in my penis and stroked me really fast, and said don't cum. When she stopped she shaved my penis. I don't think she followed hospital protocol. I had no complaints.

Seems like that nurse liked young boys!

I was told not to shave prior to me recent hernia surgery. When I came to, I found they had shaved most of the right side of my groin.

I can imagine the embarrassment poor @connie davis had pulling her gown up to realise she had no panties and no pubes. Bet it was a pretty sight though. 😃

These days they don't want you to shave due to the risk of infection. A nurse or orderly will shave the area around the anticipated incision with an electric shaver to prevent nicks.

But in the old days when I worked in operating rooms (1960s) the standard for abdominal surgery was to shave the patient "nipples to knees".

Not sexy, but I had my leg shaved below the knee for my ankle replacement. They,shaved it and cathed me after I was out. Didn’t realize they shaved my shin until they put me in a cast a week after the surgery and I noticed the stubble and couple of stitches on my shin and the back of my ankle. They snaked a rod down my shin to the ankle for alignment, and cut my Achilles halfway through in a couple of places to stretch it ou because it had shrunk due to my being unable to walk flat footed for some time to my ankle injury. Guess that was standard procedure for that

Sorry, no one shaved my genital area.

For my hernia repair, I met with my surgeon the day before the operation and he indicated which area would need to be shaved the night before. I ended up shaving my entire pubic area as I thought it would be an odd look to be half shaved! My penis and scrotum are normally shaved so it would have been silly to leave a patch on my left side 😂

In the operating room, the nurse checked and commented i did a good job and there was no need for her to touch up places I missed. If I had known that was an option, maybe I would have “missed” some areas.

For my hip replacement surgery my legs were trimmed, not shaved.

I had an inferior vena cava filter placement in Mayo Clinic. They shaved half of my pubic area including one testicle. It was a perfect shave line like they used a damned straightedge ruler!

I had C sections with both of my boys. The little hair on my lower stomach and pubic hair was shaven. That was normal practice in 1999 and 2001.

I'm scheduled for a laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in January. I expect some of my pubic hair to be removed with a surgical electric clipper, but I have no idea if they'll do it before or during anesthesia. I would certainly prefer to be clipped by a female nurse while fully conscious.

In current, modern practice, procedures have banned shaving, whether by the patient or by medical staff.

Indeed, the passage of the razor causes micro cuts and attacks on the skin which are favorable to the appearance of the risk of infection.

Consequently, patients are asked to shower the day before the procedure and during this shower to use a depilatory gel which will clear the operating field of any unwanted hair.

Consequently, patients are asked to shower the day before the procedure and during this shower to use a depilatory gel which will clear the operating field of any unwanted hair.

I've never heard of this happening before. Does make sense, although I'd say that men using a depilatory gel is considered to be a somewhat feminine thing. I wonder if this would be considered embarrassing for most men?

I think it depends on the surgery. I had a heart cath done which goes through the groin and got shaved twice. First by the student nurse then again because the supervisor didn't like the way she did it. A twofer

It is standard procedure. Just normal things and nothing worried about. Made for few reasons- one when docs made the cut, it's natural that hairs can falling down or being cut inside into wound and can be problem. Second thing easier to take care about wound after op.

Franklin there's still well used and seems that nothing gonna change it rn.

@agracier

I understand your defensive reaction implying pseudo male shame in using hair removal gel.

However, I think that when you are in the situation of undergoing even minimal surgery, you do not think about your pride and obey the practice of the establishment that welcomes you.

I hear and often read comments from men known to be very powerful in hormones who fantasize about the idea of ​​the young, scantily clad nurse who will shave their private parts. But in practice the same people don't shine so much when they are about to have an operation.

As for these new procedures, I am obviously only talking about what I know, namely the hospital establishments in mainland France.

I understand your defensive reaction implying pseudo male shame in using hair removal gel.

As for these new procedures, I am obviously only talking about what I know, namely the hospital establishments in mainland France.

It was not a male shame defensive reaction on my part. I've used the stuff often enough.

I was simply sharing what I have heard others saying or implying. Even lady friends who think depilatory gel a bit too feminized for men. Just repeating what I've heard.

About the second part: I've never heard of depilatory cream being used in hospitals in Belgium yet.

I had shoulder surgery a couple years ago. Nothing was said about shaving or hair removal.

A couple days after the surgery. I noticed that all of the hair in that armpit was gone. I'm assuming it was shaved, but I guess it's possible they used a cream or something.

Regardless, I'm glad they waited until I was out. The pain of lifting my arm for that before surgery would have been intense.

For my hip replacements my thighs were shaved by a med-tech using a small shaver (ie not a razor and blade)

Just had surgery to reattach my distal bicep tendon at my elbow. Preop shaved just about 2 inches around the elbow crease.

I was expecting the whole arm so happy as I am in a full arm cast for 2 weeks and wasn't looking forward to all that hair itching as it grew back.

Also the shave was more of a trim as there was still stubble left.

Preoperative hair removal from male genitalia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22908852/

I was shaved for an appendectomy (bush but not labia) in 1978. I’ve had laparoscopic surgery since and there was nothing to shave so no. Hubby had an orchiectomy and they shaved that side of his body belly button to hip.

End of 2011 I had Melanoma removed woke up with shaved member and a tube coming out of it

They removed the catheter the following morning (woke up around 11pm)

I had all my pubic hair shaved for an appendectomy, but this was in the 1970's.

Had an open inguinal hernia repair about a year ago. I was advised "do not shave the region prior to surgery, even if you normally do, we will take care of any required hair removal."

They did use electric clippers/electric razor to remove hair from my navel to mid-thigh once I was under anesthesia. The front and sides of my scrotum were "sort of" shaved/trimmed and two or three pubic hairs were left at the base of my penis, but the area near the incision site was clean & smooth.

I had my hair removed from belly button to the anus and half my thighs whenever I have a genital surgery or invasive urology procedure. Sometimes nurses did that sometimes they give me a depilatory cream. I remember also a few schoolmates of mine having hydrocelectomy who told me they have theyr balls shaved by nurses with a razor before the surgery and it was very arousing.

About 20 years ago, I some varicose veins removed from my right leg and incisions were made in the groin and just above the ankle. Hair in the pubic region was shaved about an hour prior to surgery. I liked the look and although I let some grow back I keep the hair short and trimmed