Before I have surgery they make me remove my artificial nails. What do they do when it's emergency surgery?

Do they rip them off, or do they leave them alone? And if they leave them alone, why is it so important when you are having a scheduled surgery, and not so important when it's emergency?Before I have surgery they make me remove my artificial nails. What do they do when it's emergency surgery?
Fingernails are breeding grounds for germs, particularly those applied at salons. Most hospitals don't allow those who are employed there to have fake nails or even real nails past a certain length. All germs leave risk for infection during surgery, so in the ideal world of pre-op preparation the nails have to go. If you are brought in to the ER on emergency status and need surgery to save your life, they aren't going to rip your nails off with a pair of pliers. If time allows, they may cut them as short as possible, but they will chance the infection rather than chance your life by waiting.





Another important consideration is that fake nails, which are notoriously inflexible, could possibly affect the measurement of pulse oximetry (the saturation of oxygen in your blood). Some recent studies have suggested that the change is only marginal between pulse ox in the same people when wearing and not wearing fake nails at varying lengths....but doctors prefer to err on the side of caution and know whether or not the patient needs oxygen in order to get the pulse ox back to a satisfactory level. Some hospitals will only require you to remove 2 fake nails to ensure proper readings. Again pulse ox is on a lower priority level when in an emergent status where death may be imminent.





Not all surgeries require this level of preparation and it is at the discretion of your surgeon and his/her understanding of the standard medical protocols for any given procedure.Before I have surgery they make me remove my artificial nails. What do they do when it's emergency surgery?
Well if it's an emergency then you could be dying so it's more important to try and save your life than removing your fake nails.
They make you remove your FAKE NAILS DUE TO THEY MAY CAUSE INFECTIONS. During ER surgery I dont think they are going to care.