Choosing anesthesia type/your experience

[VThereandnow]

Spinal with sedation worked so good for me. No grogginess after-very alert and able to talk with surgeon after surgery. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[cotton1958]

Visiting from knee side. I had a general, had no choice. Woke up in recovery. Was in my room by lunchtime.

 

[Roza53]

I was suprised to learn that all hip patients in the hospital where I am considering to have a surgery get General anasthesia, there are no other choices. When I asked if GA choice made by a doctor or by hospital, was told: the hospital anesthesiology department. This particular hospital has a Hana table, so for doctors doing anterior approach this probably is more important than type of anasthesia...

 

[Roza53]

Is it correct that Spinal/Epidural option requires urinary catheter, but GA does not?

 

[rider1960]

A spinal block is a one time injection of medication. The epidural is a continuous catheter delivery system.

I had a spinal block with "knock out" IV medication. All I remember was leaning over a pillow for the spinal ... and then waking up afterwards in the recovery room all alert and calm. Nice thing about a spinal is that you are numb for a while afterwards so you don't feel any post op pain when you wake up.

I had general for my hysterectomy and I didn't have any trouble tolerating it, but I woke up in a lot of pain and that was frightening to me. I liked the spinal much better and will go that route for the 2nd hip.

Dorothy

 

[Josephine]

Is it correct that Spinal/Epidural option requires urinary catheter, but GA does not?

choice is mostly dictated by the surgeon or anaesthetist, not which anaesthetic is used.

This particular hospital has a Hana table, so for doctors doing anterior approach this probably is more important than type of anasthesia...

I think that is a very reasonable assumption. Orthopaedic tables are extremely uncomfortable things to be on!

 

[klalota]

I REALLY appreciate this thread and the sticky with the anesthesia info! At my pre-op with the surgeon yesterday I asked what anesthesia he uses and he said I'll have a choice of GA or a spinal; he said the anesthetist will discuss it with me at the med. center so I can make my choice. I never even knew 'til I read this forum that I may have a choice. I'm so grateful for this forum as I'll be able to make an informed decision. Each time I've had GA, I get that groggy, nauseated feeling for days...ugh! In fact, when first told I'd need THR, one of my earliest thoughts was that I'd have to suffer through that sick feeling again for days. Already having had 6+ epidural pain shots for back issues, I'm not really afraid of a needle in my back. So, as long as the anesthetist and doc are positive about it, I'm going to go for a spinal with sedation. Thanks, Bone Smarties, for the helpful advise and info!

 

[Rusty dmw]

Hi Polar Ice,
Let me add one more vote for the spinal and sedation. I went as far as asking several surgeons who they liked working with and who they would want. The anesthesiologist I requested was wonderful an reassuring. Last memory was conversing with him then nothing until I woke up from a very pieceful nap.
Don

 

[leosmom]

I agree with Kathy that this is a great thread. This was not anything I paid attention to the last time and chose GA because that's what I had for shorter procedures in the past. I woke up in terrible pain - talk about a shock to the system. I couldn't hold anything down the day of surgery even though I was hungry and had trouble taking deep breaths. I asked my new surgeon for an overview of the procedure and in that talk he spoke of spinal and sedation. I've never had that done before but reading this thread makes me think that's what I want to do.
However, a number of years ago during a procedure to remove a lymph node under GA, I woke up in the op room (tube was still down my throat), and heard people scrambling about going " she's awake" and then I was out again. I certainly don't want to go through that with this op :hate-shocked: so I think I should tell the anesthesiologist that story and hope for the best.

 

[navyvet92]

Kathy i know i wasnt given the option of what i was going to be given to put me in la la land but i made a good friend with the anesthesiologist i told him i was wracked with fear an this was my first operation of my life,[/ he gave me Versede X 3 and my anxiety was comepletely calm, i cant describe to you the calm that came over me,he did his job well and im so grateful to him.I want to wish you all the best i'm only on day 10 post op,i'm doing pretty good these days,god bless you sharing your thoughts and feelings wih your anesthesiologist is, in my opinion, the best thing you can,besides having this amazing surgery that gives you a quality of life that will blow you away,im already 10 days post opand im off my pain meds....life is good.

 

[klalota]

Well, I was feeling so confident in my decision until hip class Thursday. During class, the nurses commented that we patients would have the choice of GA, epidural, and spinal. They remarked that with spinal we'd be awake. When I questioned that, saying that I'd read of others who were sedated, they replied that I could have some sedation, but would likely hear what was going on. After class, little old lady in the row in front of me assured me that when she had her hip done last year with a spinal that she heard nothing; however, those nurses really planted a seed of anxiety. I'm now so nervous about something about which I was feeling confident. I hate this. 3 days away and now I'm worked up. I also asked about possible med to calm me and the nurse looked at me like I had two heads! She explained that that's not typical procedure, but I should phone the doc's team leader to discuss it with her.

I'm now feeling more nervous about this whole thing. I am relieved that hopefully I will feel better soon, but now I'm dreading Wednesday. I try to keep reminding myself that no matter what, it'll be so much less stressful than my bro-in-law's emergency surgery last week (rib-crackin' triple bypass). Still, I'm nervous. I'm really wishing I hadn't gone to hip class at all.

 

[navyvet92]

Klalota I dont know who this nurse saying we dont normally do our prcedures like, i can almost guarentee you that when you talk to the anesthilsiologist and him or he yourevery nervous about this surgery they will give you something, they gave me a sedative called Versede this stuff is magic they gave it to me X 3 thats how anxiety ridden i was, the nurse has no say i what drug you get for you nerves especially when it has to do with your nerves,bring this up to the anesthesiologist and he or she will take good care of you my frien they dont want you anxiou going into surgery....keep your head buddy you're going to be ok.

 

[Elizak]

There is no true general versus the sedation that one gets with a spinal. It is only a matter of degree of how sedated one is. The spinal works to completely numb the lower body so that less sedation is needed. I am happy to be corrected if I am wrong.

 

[Elizak]

I agree with navynet. Nurse doesn't know her stuff. You Can contact anesthesiologist ahead of time, but, excepting some medical problem that would not allow sedation, there is no way that you would be awake in the sense that you are thinking. I was told that I talked on and off and was thanking everyone for fixing my leg, but I talk in my sleep as well. I remember nothing. Call and check to calm your worry. Best wishes.

 

[navyvet92]

I was a mess going,in, i was crying and i wanted my wife with every second because i had this lingering thought i could'nt break that was going to and therefore never make to th recovery room, i didnt even go to bed/sleep for two nights prior to the surgery i was in bad shape let me tell you, im so grateful its over and i can live my life, however my left hip is no better it will need surgery sooner or later, none of "oh Mr Cooper you can lose more weight and you need the surgery"...some of these doctors i cant understand what makes them tick'wether i lose weight or not isnt going to make left hip somehow miracously get better without surgery, ill end up getting the left one surgically repaired sooner then i may think.

 

[Jamie]

Shame on that nurse. These folks are right....if you want to hear and know nothing, just advise your medical team of that when you're checking in. They will do as you ask and you don't need to have a general.

 

[Roza53]

What are the advantages of General Anesthesia?
For some reason my surgeon/hospital do only GA for all hip paitients... When I asked why, I was told that is the way surgeon and hospital decided to do.

 

[DallasSarah]

Mine was the same Roza, I was not given a choice.

Ive read lots of good things about spinals on here, however my GA was great they get the IV in this stays in while you are in hospital, then the anesthesiologist put something into the IV as we rolled into the OR and then the next thing I was awake in recovery, personally I felt I rebounded quick in recovery and had Grahm crackers, water and some soda and in next hour was in room and eating more..within a few hours I had a filet steak for dinner YUMMY! They used my IV for the morphine drip.

This sounds warped I love how they can knock you out and you know nothing!

 

[Roza53]

Thank you, Sarah. I do not worry about nausea/vomiting after surgery. I am just so scared about intubation in my throat, not be able to breathe on my own...
It's my understanding that you are intubated because one of the anesthetics is a paralytic (paralyzes all muscles, including those required for breathing).

 

[DallasSarah]

I couldn't even tell you if they put a tube down my throat they must have, I had no side effects of that happening, my throat felt normal, not sore and they must have done it while I was out. I didn't have any tubes in my throat or nose (oxygen) when I woke up in recovery. We are all different how we react to surgical procedures. These guys are knocking out people all day, I'm confident if you got a stat-ratio report the chances are very rare for stuff to go wrong.