How to avoid the negative side of surgery
For months now, I have been meaning to write a blog about surgery. This discipline is often considered the pinnacle of modern medical care and surgeons are often looked upon as gods. Being a surgeon for more than 23 years and performing a variety of surgeries as a vet, I have come to the conclusion that surgery is one of the most controversial disciplines that definitely has its dark side.
There are two sides to everything
In fact, everything in nature has a good and bad side. Water is a life saver and can also be a killer, atomic power can be good or bad, the sun rays are essential to all life on this planet, but also cause cancer and can burn everything to ashes. The same polarity applies to surgery because it can be life-saving and it can destroy lives, and I don’t only mean Michael Jackson.
Most people are aware of the positive aspects of surgery. A surgeon can reattach a cut off a finger or even an arm, transplant a kidney or heart, repair fractured bones and suture wounds caused by an accident. This is the good part.
The problem is that the more advanced it gets, the more surgery is mistaken with 'treatment of choice' instead of the 'last resort.' From what I've seen, most people do not understand the implication of cutting and surgically altering the body at all. The truth is our body is not a car and parts can’t be made in a factory and swapped in at the nearest body shop.
Cutting the energy supply
No matter how technically advanced surgery is, a surgeon cuts through and alters energy pathways, meridians that are very important for the proper function of the body.
These pathways can be compared to a watering system in the garden or electrical system in your house. They supply energy and nerve signals to particular parts of the body such as organs, muscles and skin. When they are severed and cut through, they can never be completely restored, which ultimately affects the function of different body parts. This effect can be less or more severe depending on the affected area. No one really understands the impact of surgery completely, including the surgeons. In fact, they often offer surgery just because that is what they do best and its what they get paid for.
I have discussed this with my physiotherapist Dean Smith and here is his opinion:
“The formation of scar tissue around the surgical site can result in stiffness with possible compression to adjacent tissues. There is also the potential for prolonged inflammation that results in pain and swelling and loss of function in the surgical site. Surgery can cause altered muscle function, which may never return to normal.”
A last resort
In reality, the body is much better off without surgery if it can be avoided. This applies to ear cropping and tail docking in dogs, circumcision and plastic surgery in people. Surgery should be seen as a vital part of emergency care as opposed to a solution for treatment of preventable disease.
It is vital to know that in many cases, the cause of the disease such as disc prolapse, chronic disease or cancer often lies elsewhere.
For example, a tumor can be compared to a signal that the body is out of balance and surgery can be seen as the removal of a bulb on your car’s dashboard when the oil is leaking. We wrongly assume if a tumor is removed, the cancer is gone. In reality, you may be aware that people and animals who survived cancer must pay attention other aspects of healing and the best way of all is disease prevention.
If you are a dog or cat owner, I urge you to think twice before you get an unnecessary surgery done. Not only does it result in unnecessary suffering, but every Chinese medicine practitioner will tell you that removing body parts has dire consequences. Plus, how would you feel if someone cut off your ears? One of the most brutal surgeries that should be outlawed is ear cropping and declawing in cats. However, even tail docking or dewclaw removal can cause problems. Did you know that the removal of the foreleg dewclaws in dogs also removes a very important acupuncture point that is connected to the function of the immune system?
How can you avoid surgery?
When it comes to you as an owner of 'your own body,' do your best to look after it well. Reasonable exercise is better than too little or too much. Eat good food, take all natural supplements and have regular massage, physio, chiro or acupuncture appointments. Tune-ups may prevent hip and knee replacements or even a kidney transplant.
When it comes to plastic surgery, let's be happy that we are alive. Many people have wrinkles, do not have perfectly-sculptured noses or breasts or a full head of hair, yet they are still loved, respected and admired. It all comes down to whether we think we are worthy of love the way we are. After all, we all know the story of the best teacher on this topic – Michael Jackson.
© Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM
PS: Here are a few other blogs you may want to read:
How to reduce the risk of cancer naturally
Lipomas and other lumps and why surgery is not the best choice
