Information about your insulin pump and your upcoming surgery
- On arrival alert hospital staff that you are on an insulin pump and show where it is located on your body.
- Bring with you a hard copy record of your basal rates, insulin carb ratios and correction factor.
- Bring all necessary supplies such as blood glucose meter, reservoirs, insertion sets, tubing and/or pods.
- If your surgery is longer than an hour or you will be receiving a general anesthetic you will be asked to remove your insulin pump; as the doctors and nurses need to keep you safe and they cannot manipulate your pump while you are asleep.
- If you use an Omni pod or a steel insertion set you will need to remove the insertion set. If you use a plastic insertion set you can keep this on during surgery as long as it is sited at a distance from where the surgery will be performed on your body. The nurses will cover your insertion site with a bandage prior to surgery.
- If your pump is removed you need to keep it secured, plan to give it to a friend or family member for safe keeping.
- Before your pump is removed an intravenous insulin (IV) and glucose drip will be started and there will be an overlap of 30 minutes before removing your pump and insertion set if needed. You should never go to operating room with your pump and IV insulin running. The IV insulin is necessary to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis.
- Your blood glucose will be monitored frequently to adjust the insulin using a hospital calibrated glucose meter. However, if you feel a low blood glucose alert hospital staff.
- Following your surgery, the Endocrine Team will assess you and make recommendations about your diabetes care.
