I had 4 adult teeth pulled when I was 12 without anesthesia. (Right here in River City) The dentist closed the door and told me I’d better not make a sound. I didn’t. But now I go to the Dental Fears Research clinic now. Peter Milgrom is my dentist and Phil Weinstein holds my had.
As far are kids having surgeries without anesthesia, until 15 or 20 years ago, many surgeons, here in the US, were convinced that infants didn’t feel pain. A med student I worked with got funding and did the initial study, proving that newborns were negatively impacted during circumcisions without pain control.
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Last year, I had a stent implanted in an artery, and the surgeon put a probe from my leg through my heart and out the other side into an artery. I was awake the whole time, and didn’t feel a thing The heart itself and the arteries hasveno pain-receptor nerves. There was only a local anesthetic at the spot where the probe went into my thigh.
There were times he had to shove so hard with the probe through the arteries, that he was grunting. As long as the surgeon can get to the heart with surgical instruments, there is no need for general anesthetic for procedures directly in the heart itself.
Heart surgery itself does not necessarily need anesthetic, but “open heart” implies a fully opened thorax, winch would be something quite different.
I have a friend who is an MD who used to be a surgeon who went into medical hypnosis full time. He has performed surgical operations while people were under hypnosis, hypnotized people for surgery for other doctors. Without traditional anesthetic. Whether this extends to open heart surgery, I do not know, but I would be highly doubtful. I’ve had open heart surgery and hypnosis (by this doctor) but not at the same time. How one could be under hypnosis for six hours and while on a heart/lung machine is beyond me. I’ll ask.
John Adams’s daughter, Abigail, had a masectomy done without anasthesia, since back then, there wasn’t a way to anasthesize a patient, other than lots and lots of alcohol. It seems she was pretty stoic about it, but the surgery failed to remove the entire tumor, and she died shortly thereafter.
I have had extensive dental work done without anisthetic, root canals and extractions. My limit was 2 extractions, I just wasn’t strong enough to endure the third. Funny thing was that after each one I got this feeling of exhileration that left me tempted to go for the third. At first my dentist was afraid to try it but after our first visit he seemed like he kind of got into it. He was extremly gentle considering.
It isn’t of course “open heart surgery”, but this guy pioneered the use of catheters inserted into a vein and snaking into the heart - by doing it on himself. :eek:
He used a local on his own arm … this still strikes me as totally insane.
Ok double zombie, but I came across this in Cracked
And then we have
[QUOTE=KarlGauss]
In “real” open heart surgery, at least the way it’s currently practised, the sternum (breast bone) is sawed open down the midline and then pulled apart. And that’s just for starters. As you might expect, then, I have my doubts about her claim
[/QUOTE]
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In the article he claims that his sternum was cracked without anesthesia and with music and happy thoughts.
I get most fillings, crowns, etc. done without anaesthetic. The doctor jokes about me being “soooo tough”, but I tell him “No, I’m just a wuss about having numb lips and drooling for an hour.”
I can’t say I control the pain with my mind, it’s more of a zen thing (“Wow, this is really hurting… my body, but hey, here’s my mind, and it’s still its usually quirky self. Hi, Mind, can I hang out here while my body’s going through some crap?..”)
But seriously? Anything major and I’d ask “Can I get gas for a while just for fun, and then knock me out til you’re done?”
I had root canal work done on one of my molars before having a crown fitted just last year with no anaesthetic. It was uncomfortable, but not particularly painful.
Why would a surgeon in America agree to do open heart surgery without anesthetic? I cannot see what the upside is, and there could be million-dollar lawsuits.