My appendectomy was done with spinal anesthetic and IV sedation. I was told that the reason was I would be less likely to be nauseated, and I’d be so relaxed from the sedative, I’d basically fall asleep. Bullshit. It was like I was trapped inside my mind - I was terrified, trying not to vomit and could hear every word (and other assorted sounds), but was unable to speak coherently It was truly awful.
The four other procedures I had with general anesthetic were far less horrific. Once they understood that I need prophylactic anti-nauseant medication, it was all a piece of cake.
I’ve had 4 rounds of leg surgery, 2 with general and 2 with epidural plus IV. (The surgeon wanted to do epidural the first 2 times, because anasthesiologists aren’t crazy about sticking tubes down the throats of asthmatics, but they decided on general because the surgery was going to be several hours long.)
I was out cold all 4 times; they did let me wake up partway halfway through one surgery (they were working on the front of my ankle and wanted to reposition me so they could do the back; I vaguely remember turning over, but afterwards didn’t remember feeling a thing). I will say my stomach didn’t like the general at all on one occasion, but with both epidurals I was feeling perky and giving the nurses hell pretty much immediately after I woke up.
Which is why it took two days of my mother going all Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment on their asses to get a neurologist to see me! Turns out they either used “too big a needle” or there was some other screw-up, and I wound up losing all my spinal fluid–which not only resulted in the worst pain I’ve ever been in (like a rusty sword up my spine and into my brain), but copious vomiting from the spinal fluid in my system.
The Trendelenberg position is “head below heels,” so I was basically trussed up like a mummy, hanging from the ceiling like a bat, so when I manufactured more spinal fluid, it would flow to my head. That’s how I spent April 1986 (for my birthday, one of the funnier doctors brought me a pineapple upside-down cake).
Not to pee on the epidural, but after that, I’d never have one again.
Is all general anesthesia given with the tubes down the throat? I had surgery a month ago, and didn’t have the sore throat everyone said I would. [/hijack]
I’ll leave it to someone more knowledgeable than me to post a definitive answer to this, but ever surgery, no matter how short, I’ve had with general has involved a breathing tube. It’s my understanding that the general represses body functions to the point that, without the tube, you just wouldn’t breathe. However, I also understand that not everyone gets the sore throats. In fact, one or two times, my throat has been just a teeny bit sensitive but not sore. But usually it’s really sore.
I don’t remember ever having a sore throat after general, even the time when they left the tube in (I’d been warned beforehand!) until I was fairly awake after six hours of spinal surgery when I was nine. Not fun at all, but I like oxygen, ya know?
Due to said surgery I can’t have epidurals, but if I had the choice, I’d consider it, since the last time I was put under I had serious nausea afterwards. I will be demanding drugs for that beforehand next time, since chances are good I will have future surgeries.
I had a general for a breast lump (cyst, thank God) removal. I had no memory except the gag reflex when I started to come out of the anesthetic in the recovery room and still had the breathing tube in my throat. I didn’t even know I was going to have a tube in my throat and when I finally woke up, I thought it was just a dream. Many years later when a girlfriend was going to school to be a surgical tech I asked her about the tube and she confirmed that it was indeed a breathing tube.
I’ve also had that “twilight drug” for a colonoscopy. I have vague memories of the procedure and a vivid memory of waking up in the middle of the procedure and trying to get up off the table to get a drink of water. I remember the nurses giving me a damp cloth and I settled back into la-la land.
Because of the recovery time and higher health risks of a general, I think I’d opt for the epi if I could have a consult visit with the anesthesiologist before the procedure. I would NOT want to remember any bone crunching blood spattering surgery stuff.
You guys are giving me a lot to think about. Also, being the good consumer and nurse that I am, I looked up Lovenox in my med book. It is the blood thinner that my doctor would have me take for 3 weeks after surgery, to help prevent DVT in the legs. The book specifically says “use with caution after epidural procedure due to potential hemmorhage from insertion site”, which if I am reading this correctly, would be a rather big problem. As in paralysis (worst case scenario), infection and uncontrolled bleeding in the epidural space.
I’ve given Lovenox a zillion times to post-op patients as a home health nurse. I just never thought about it causing such problems after an epidural. But wouldn’t Coumadin be in the same category then? I like the idea of Lovenox, it’s less difficult to control and doesn’t require as much blood testing for PT/INR levels.
I wonder if I can arrange to meet the anesthesiologist the week before surgery and discuss it with him/her???
My husband has an appointment to meet with the anesthesiologist about 3 weeks before. He had one last time, too. It’s part of the pre-admissions testing. During that time he will also meet with someone from physical therapy to get a better understanding of what happens after the surgery like restrictions and deciding what we will need as far as medical supplies (like that nifty sock put on thing). He will also have the opportunity to donate his own blood. This was all set up by the surgeon’s office. You should definitely see about setting up these appointments yourself if they are not automatically part of what your surgeon’s office does.
We still have all of the durable medical supplies from the last time. Elevated toilet seat! Now that’s what I’m looking forward to.
After my general anesthesia, I had no sore throat at all. Of course, my nose hurt like hell (had septoplasty and assorted other work done) but the throat was fine. I have a very, very faint memory of them actually removing the tube from my throat, but I was still deeply-enough asleep that it was a non-problem.
Ugh!!! How awful. Doctors are real asses about admitting that anything has gone wrong.I guess they’d rather let the patient suffer than open themselves up to a lawsuit. My first epi was done by a jackass who took an hour and a half to show up, and his response when I said “Can you please stop, I’m having a contraction” was “If I stopped every time a woman had a contraction, I’d never get done”. Moron. Then he botched the insertion: apparently you’re not usually expected to jump and scream in agony when they do it. No spinal headache fortunately.
With the second kid, the epi was much more tolerable - no pain, just that weird sensation Hokkaido Brit described.
Beckwall, I think it’s a dandy idea to meet with the anesthesiologist beforehand. At the very least, it’ll answer many questions on your part; it’ll also allow you to provide any info to the anesthesiologist. Like, s/he might not know that your doctor wants you to take Lovenox afterward, and that might affect how you’ll be anesthetized.
Needless to say, I never plan to have another epidural!