Anaesthesia pre-op, check!

Alitm

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Had my anaesthesia pre-op this morning. Feeling comfortable about the whole thing, as much as one can be while still having a pulse!:heehee:

The anesthesiologist said that he would prefer I had a general as he felt I might get a bit restless with only sedation, given the time frame for bilateral anterior approach surgery. Having never been nauseous after a general, was told that even so, I would be given something for nausea as a precaution.

Along with the general I will also have a spinal and he wasn't worried about getting through an arthritic, somewhat narrowed spinal column! He said they will give me a long acting pain med in the spinal for post op.

I can have Tylenol "Night time" the night before and a glass of water if I wake up thirsty during the night. I refrained from asking if I could have a booster juice (or gin) with that!

Further, I was told that the surgery would most likely be first thing in the AM bar any unforeseen dire emergencies and they will call me the day before to give me the time.

The doctor also said that if I had any further questions to feel free to call. He was very frank and honest, which I liked, but presented it all in such a way as to make me feel at ease, phew!

Now to stay out of trouble for the next two weeks and a few days...but who is counting :snork:!
 
The anesthesiologist said that he would prefer I had a general as he felt I might get a bit restless with only sedation. Along with the general I will also have a spinal
This is a contradiction as if you've had a spinal then you can't be restless! Obviously a 'belt and braces' man!
 
I had GA...slept through the whole thing.:zzz:
Let's rock and roll and get rid of that horrid hip pain:yes!:
 
@Josephine I have to admit, I almost said, "Well it isn't like I'll be able get up and walk away!", but thought that would be over the top cheeky! :rotfl:.

His actually phrase was, "You might get a bit wiggly". He also said, with sedation, as the patient becomes light they can really see it, whereas when under the general they don't see the patient becoming light. I said, "Wouldn't my vitals indicate that I'm coming out of it?". He said that sometimes that isn't always the case!

Again, I almost said, "If I hear any carpentry, I can assure you my heart rate will be going up big time", but thought better of it! Maybe I should bring ear plugs!?!

Is that why, when having bilateral in particular, they do the spinal as well? I've had an abdominal (gynae related) surgery under general and no spinal. It wasn't as long a time under though. Don't remember a thing. It seemed as if the minute I went under, I was awake again.

As long as I have no idea what is going on at the time, and have no memory of it, I'm happy.
 
The spinal will last a few hours after surgery. It's great post op pain management. Don't worry - you won't remember a thing!
 
Hi @Alitm ....I think I'm going to opt for a GA (if I get a say in it).....better the devil you know! I've thought long and hard about the spinal + sedative, but there have been several people comment lately that they became aware of 'noises off' during their op, and although they didn't feel anything and weren't worried, the fact that they remember it when awake puts me off, along with the numb legs. I was off with the fairies for a while after my GA, don't remember much apart from throwing up the lemon ice lolly they gave me in Recovery..... the rest of the stay I did what I was told but didn't have the energy to worry or be bored .....and I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing! Last time the anaesthetist told me my risk with a GA was more or less the same as with a spinal so to choose what I wanted, so I'm hoping that still stands now (haven't had preop this time as I'm just under the 6mth mark, so hopefully no surprises!) However, nothing is written in stone, and you know what they say about a woman's prerogative......:heehee:
 
Hi @anny I agree on going with the devil you know! I have had four generals in my life time and I don't recall ever throwing up. I asked the anesthetist if he thought the longer surgery (the new hips) would make a difference and he said that folks who don't throw up usually stay that way. Isn't it something to do with how the drug affects an area of the brain that governs nausea? Anyway, I sure hope that this isn't the time when my body decides that is it throw up time. I asked if he could give me something for nausea, regardless and he said yes they could do. What happens on the day, who knows. They are giving me the spinal as well, I think for pain control. My poor pelvis won't know what hit it, so the spinal is a good thing. Also will get a long acting pain killer put into the spinal for post op pain control. It is going to take a long time to detox from all the drugs we need to have to make this surgery happen.
How are you doing? How are your Butterflies? Mine flit about here and there!!
 
I personally would always opt for GA if I could with any surgeries. I've had that early on and did get the shakes and some barfing afterwards, but GA seems to have improved when I've had it in recent years it's been great (go to sleep, wake up tired but alert) and my experiences with sedation have been very mixed (waking up in middle once, waking up near enough to the end of a scope to be aware of instruments being PULLED out of my throat). But, my doctor didn't give me a choice for hip replacement--just firmly announced "spinal plus sedation". But I am going to have a SERIOUS conversation with the anesthesiologist beforehand, to impress upon him or her that I have absolutely no desire to be aware of anything for the entire procedure. It is frustrating to me that somehow they haven't been able to judge things properly and really and truly keep me completely under for an entire procedure, whatever it might be! I have had such good experiences with GA so the whole spinal/sedation path makes me very nervous. Ah, just another thing to keep me up at nights!
 
I had GA and spinal. I didn't want GA, I was afraid of it and told the anesthesiologist this right before my surgery. After I expressed it she said "It will be light". She said it firmly with a poker face as if to let me know not to challenge her. She was a bit unkempt and way too serious for me. She was the only person who made me nervous that morning. Of everyone I dealt with, I wanted to be comfortable with her and I wasn't. I was very fearful for a minute and that's when prayer is my go to. At that point I knew I wasn't getting out of the situation. What was I to do? Say "I don't feel I like you, NEXT, please".

My last thought as I watched the mask come down over my face was -just go with it- next thing I woke up choking and gagging as the tube was being pulled and a nurse who I couldn't see was reassuring me I was okay. I felt like I was in the dark somewhere and could hear, but not see. Once awake I don't know if I've ever been happier in my life aside from the birth of my children.
No nausea, all went really well aside from wetting the bed in Recovery :heehee:
 
Wow, @Layla, that sounds absolutely HORRIBLE! That describes how I felt as the instruments were being hauled out of my throat at the end of a endoscopic scope! I wasn't choking or gagging, still unable to say/express anything, but I was shaking and trembling for an hour afterwards. It scared me horribly and made me very, very nervous about sedation--but to think you had that experience with GA as well. Shudder...
 
I don't want to give you the wrong impression.
It lasted seconds and was my first realization it must be over and I was awake.
I was confused and it felt dream like, but it really wasn't bad. I spent months feeling terrified of surgery and aside from not liking the anesthesiologist it was truly not a bad experience for me. I was in my own clothes within hours of surgery, in my room, going to the bathroom on my own and walking the hall several times that day. Slept well, woke and went home. I guess all in all the combo worked well for me.
@Barbaraj
 

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