GA or Epidural with or without sedation?

[Littlejem]

Hang on a minute, if you had sedation, how did you see the legs bit? Do you remember much?

With my first hip I had the spinal and then they fitted a catheter before my sedation, after the sedation I don't remember a thing!! When I woke I was very alert and felt wonderful!!. I have watched the surgery since having both my operations but I didn't want to know too much pre op, I'm such a coward!!

 

[VThereandnow]

Just to add my 2 cents, I had a spinal with sedation-loved it. No grogginess after etc. and all I remember is being wheeled into operating room. They had me sit up. Told me to lean forward and then I woke up in operating room when all was done. I have a friend who is a ortho surgical nurse and she had explained everything to me (you've already watched it but I do not have the stomach for it) and she told me it sounds like a workshop with all the sawing and pounding. I later had a vague recollection of hearing some pounding and thinking, oh, my friend was right. ...but I don't really know if I heard that or had a dream because she told me that. In recovery room I was alert and just had to wait for the feeling to come back in my leg before going to my room. I am choosing the same thing for my revision.

I might have missed it but are you having anterior or posterior?
Good luck with things. I'll be watching all the December surgeries
Cahy

 

[emjayar]

Gum168 I am currently 27 days post THR which was done at The Spire, with spinal block and slight sedation. I was awake (I think) and aware for most of the op, plugged into my iPod. I previously had hip arthroscopy in March. Please feel free to ask me anything you might like to know of my experience

RTHR 11 NOV 2013
ARTHROSCOPY MARCH 2013
54 yrs old female

 

[inca1]

Gum168 Hi, I have had both hips replaced this year in separate ops. 5 months apart and at a Spire hospital.

For each I had spinals without sedation. I can highly recommend it. I went into each op. feeling bright and chatty if a little apprehensive and remained wide awake throughout. The surgeon asked if I wanted to see my hip once he had removed it which was fascinating and not at all gory. Whilst I could hear all that was going on I was not at all bothered by it and it all felt somewhat unconnected to my body as I couldn't feel anything.

For the first op. I listened to music on my IPod but for the second I wanted to listen to all that was going on - it was interesting. I had watched the YouTube video of the op. and I could imagine what they were doing even though nothing was visible to me. I was abe to chat with the anaesthetist and I left theatre just as bright as I went in.
I did have low blood pressure the following morning and felt faint and nauseous but this soon passed. The only other thing that I put down to the spinal was a very bad headache which lasted a day about 5 days after each op. I left hospital 3 days after each op. requiring only paracetamol for pain relief which I took regularly for 2 weeks and have not taken anything since.
Both hips are absolutely brilliant now - I can walk miles and never think twice about doing anything I want to. I did not have physio with the second hip but did a lot of walking and my recovery for each has been excellent.i wish you well with your op.

 

[dickinson]

Hi Kim, thanks for starting this thread and also inca for your comment. I also have felt that I wanted to be awake for the whole thing. Probably partly out of fear of disappearing (dying.. but thanks to Josephine i'm not so afraid of that anymore)...and also because I want to know what's happening. I wouldn't call it nosy, but curious.

I love that your doctor, inca1, asked if you wanted to see the hip. I really thought I would want to see, but it seemed sort of gruesome and when I mentioned it to someone in my family, they definitely thought I went off the deep end.

Sorry about the headache...

So Kim, you'll let us know what you decided.. hope it goes well (I forget when).
I'm on January 6

 

[Gum168]

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to go for light sedation with Epidural if it's offered. To be honest I'm trying not to think about it at the moment. Nerves suddenly kicked in big time on Friday. I'm not scared, just very nervous. I suppose like taking an exam or something, you know deep down that nothing bad will happen to you but you are nervous because you know it's something you have to endure to get to the result you want. But I know I'm in good hands. It'll be fine. I'll let you all know what I decide and how it goes. I might ask before hand if it'll be possible to see my bone. My surgeon knows I was a bit anxious about what happens to it after. Maybe it's a good thing to see that it's a bit rubbish now and not capable of doing its job properly.

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[Madowa7]

inca1 hi there! Just read your input and was amazed that you only needed paracetamol for two weeks post surgery. Did you have anterior approach? I'm so afraid of being sent home with just Tylenol. I'm having posterior approach in two weeks. I think that's great that you had little pain!


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[Hoppy Nanny]

Gum168 I had spinal with sedation and it was fabulous....didn't feel a thing...was aware at times but nothing more.... Walked within 4 hours of op.....only a shirt distance but enough to feel confident of my new hip.....good luck for the op....you will soon be without the excrutiating pain.....only normal to be nervous...I was terrified...but it's all been so worth it.....thinking of you...Chrissie xxx


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[Gum168]

VThereandnow I don't yet if it's anterior or posterior. I forgot to ask.

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[Butterfly]

Gum168 You will be SO glad you did this. I was really scared, but the whole experience wasn't anywhere near as bad as I had anticipated -- not bad at all, really. I had the spinal with sedation both times (didn't want to know what was going on, so I peacefully snoozed away). Pain was managed very well, both in the hospital and when I came home, and now I'm recovering. Right now I'm at that impatient stage where I want it to hurry up and be ALL better where I can do anything I want (almost 6 weeks post second hip), but I'll get there and it won't be long.

You'll be amazed at how much better you'll feel, even immediately post op. That awful grinding pain will be GONE forever! I'll be thinking of you and keeping you in prayers on Tuesday.

Peace and love to you.

 

[VThereandnow]

Good luck to you, I will be on the other side waiting to hear about your recovery.

 

[Freaky freak]

That is what I am considering, spinal with sedation. I will discuss with the anes. team when I meet with them. Dr. Kurtz seemed ok with it but I want confirmation it will work with the bilateral procedure since I have to be out for 2.5 to 3 hrs. So just another thing to add to my list.


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[Gum168]

Woo hoo, it's done. I'll move to the recovery area after this, but on the subject of this thread, I had spinal with sedation. Best thing ever! Thanks so much to everyone for the reassurance about it. Without all of you I would probably have taken GA. As it happens I had full choice, spinal, Epidural or GA, but I didn't like the idea of a canular in my back so opted for spinal. I was pretty numb and sort of dead weight heavy from tummy down when we went into the theatre, and was awake for all the prep. Then before the incision they turned on the "good stuff" by drip, popped Michael Buble on by headphones and that's it until I woke at 9.12pm, by the clock on the theatre wall. So you were all correct, I was pretty bright and alert. Spent maybe 10 minutes or so in recovery, and back in my room at about 9.30pm. I'm so pleased I did it this way and wouldnt hesitate to have a spinal again. I was even eating a slice of pizza that hubbie and daughter brought me after they'd been to eat at Pizza hut while they waited and I ate it with relish.

Thanks so much to everyone for the info and encouragement. I wouldn't have had the confidence without you.

Freaky, if it's available, I'd say go for it.

So see you all on the other side from now on.

Thanks again, Kim

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[Hoppy Nanny]

Gum168 Fantastic news Kim. So glad all went well and your experience was a good one....take it easy now and rest as much as you can. Looking forward to hearing that your recovery goes well too. Take good care. Chrissie xxx


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