Medical procedures such as dental procedures, orthopedic procedures, and surgeries in general, are often a necessary part of life. These procedures can become complicated if a patient has an allergy to the medications, adhesives, or other materials used to complete the procedure. Unfortunately, many patients do not know that they have an allergy to the procedure materials until after the procedure when they develop symptoms of an allergic reaction. To ensure patient safety, your dentist or surgeon may recommend a visit with an allergist to determine which materials the patient reacted to and which materials can be used safely in the future. 

Anesthetics, the medications that numbs you, are often the cause of a reaction during a dental procedure. It is important to determine which anesthetics you can and cannot tolerate as well as the severity of the reactions. Our specialists at Columbia Allergy are able to accomplish this through anesthetic allergy testing. We can customize this test based on the medications used during your procedure as well as ones that were not used to see if we can find a safe option. 

Orthopedic procedures such as knee and hip replacements can also be the source of an allergic reaction. These reactions are often caused by reactions to adhesive from the wound dressing. Many of these patients will require a surgery on the opposite leg or a repeat surgery when the joint replacement wears out, so it is essential to find out what caused the reaction. Our specialists at Columbia Allergy are able to accomplish this through an adhesive patch test. We are able to test the adhesives used during the procedure as well as some new adhesives to find a safe alternative. 

If you have experienced an allergic reaction during or after a medical procedure, call your nearest location or schedule an appointment online today!