Bilateral THR Anesthesia Options

Chef

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New here and super excited to be counting down to surgery March 15th and very much looking forward to a more functional level of pain on the daily. However, I'm looking for experiences with spinal blocks vs. general anesthesia. No great fan of being awake to hear the sawing and pounding, but I am terrified of waking up halfway through a long procedure. I have only had general anesthesia once before and that is exactly what happened. A skosh off-putting. My ortho surgeon's nurse was very kind when I brought this up and told me about my options, but she obviously can't *promise* an ideal outcome, so I would love any first hand experience stories you can share. TIA!
 
@Chef Welcome to BoneSmart! And congratulations on your upcoming bilateral hip replacement. My 2 hips are now 11+ years old and truly it was the very best thing I could have done for myself! As for the anesthesia question ... I had general with the BTHR and with each of my shoulder surgeries. Did not have any untoward experiences with those! About 20 years ago I had an arthroscopic procedure on my left knee and had spinal with sedation .... and that one I did wake up in the middle. Popped into the middle of the conversation between surgeon and assistant, watched him (on the big monitor screen) scoop pieces of shredded meniscus out of my knee (looked rather like a game of PacMan), then went back to sleep (or fainted or had more sleep meds administered I'm not sure what exactly happened). So my preference would be for the general anesthesia ... and I think that most surgeons prefer that when doing a bilateral procedure .... but preferences vary from surgeon to surgeon.

Here is our list of pre op suggestions and articles. Feel free to read threads here and over in the recovery section. If you click on a Bilateral prefix to a thread you will get a list of all the bilateral threads. The link to my thread is in my signature ... it's quite old and does not get updated much as there is nothing new with the hips :)


Hip: pre-surgery considerations

If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:


Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic hip?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:


Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads in stories of amazing hip recoveries
 
For my two surgeries I had spinal with light GA. The anaesthetist said that’s what she and the surgeon preferred but I could have sedation instead of the light GA. I went with the recommendation both times. I think if you tell the anaesthetist your worries about waking up during surgery they will discuss options.
 
@Chef - I opted for spinal and sedation in the end although I felt quite uncertain beforehand and told them I wanted to be completely out of it. I was. I think the advantage is that you come round more quickly and feel great and it reduces the amount of other pain killers needed for several hours.
 
Hi @Chef
I'm another grateful double hippy.
BTHR was my first "real" surgery and honestly I didn't Think to ask about any options.
I'm assuming my Surgeon is the one who set me up for general anaesthesia.
Many members who tell about their Spinal with anaesthesia have had very positive experiences though.
I was so weary of the hip / back pain, decreasing ROM, and lack of sleep... I was rather resigned to whatever would get me back to life and healthy and happy.
Six years out (almost) and very grateful for BTHR.
 
I’m excited about my (first) medial PKR on March 1st. My surgeon prefers and is suggesting the spinal anaesthetic. His preference is based on the reduced recovery time (from the op).
I’ve had numerous surgeries, all with full anaesthetic. I have also had a broken leg set with some kind of pethidine jab. That was a wild ride

I’m not squeamish and trust the surgeon so I’m planning on having a spinal jab with no sedation. The way I see it, it’s no different to the dentist; you can hear the drill, and feel the vibration etc. as long as it doesn’t hurt, who cares.
 
I’m not squeamish and trust the surgeon so I’m planning on having a spinal jab with no sedation. The way I see it, it’s no different to the dentist; you can hear the drill, and feel the vibration etc. as long as it doesn’t hurt, who cares.

@PoorlyKnees you are a brave one!

However...Hip replacement is a bit different than knee surgery and I'm sure it Could be done, but I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be there for mine.
 
I've had enough operations especially ortho to not enjoy general anesthesia. I was presented the options with my first THR and went with the spinal and sedation. This sounds crazy but it was great compared to general. Both time I awoke in recovery clear as could be like I had just taken a nap. No ill effects, no nausea, no grogginess at all. Granted it is a little strange when you go numb and also gets you anxious waiting for sensation to return. I was sedated so I never heard anything and don't remember any of it.
 
Also nervous, but ready to go. I want my life back and there are too many things I can't do already. Crossing my fingers, toes, and eyes for smooth sailing for your surgery, as well!
 
Hello @Chef,
I‘ve moved your post above out of the Monthly team thread as we reserve that thread for surgery date information, and so members can see who else has surgery the same month. We prefer all other comments and discussions to take place in a pre-op or recovery thread, such as this one. So, I’ve started this Recovery Thread for you. Enjoy interacting with others who are on the same journey, here in this thread.

Here are the instructions for finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts?

A helpful hint - Many members have found it useful to bookmark their thread so they don't lose it.
 
Hi @Chef My experience for this second hip was similar to @Gloucestergal65 and @Eman85 with spinal and sedation. I was concerned about being conscious during the procedure and discussed this with the anaesthetist so I think they used deep sedation with propofol. I walked into theatre and woke up on the operating table as they were clearing up - no memory of the procedure. Back in the ward having tea and toast after a total of three and a half hours!
 
Thank you all so much for your input! I appreciate all the info and perspectives I can get. My official pre-op appointment is Mar 7th, so I can continue compiling my question list to dump on them until then. Haha
 
I had my hip replacements (and first knee) under general anesthesia. I was a little woozy with the first; other two had me waking up easily and hungry!

The anesthesiologist for knee #2 suggested a spinal. I told her I didn’t want to know anything, feel anything, remember anything. All I remember is looking at the tools and I made a comment about the workbench. I remembered nothing and woke up easily and hungry!

Marie
 
Best Wishes for your surgery tomorrow, Chef!
Please join us on the Hip Recovery forum once your home and resting comfortably. We'll have some guidelines to share and we'd like to follow your healing journey, supporting you along the way.
See you there soon! :wave:
@Chef
 
Healing Mojo coming your way!
Byebye Hip Pain! :egypdance:
 

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