anesthesia?

Question

I am so scared of anethesia...so i am terrifiied of waking up in the middle of the surgery..so what to do?

Answer 1

The media has done a lot to scare people about the issue of awareness under anesthesia.

The first thing to do is to talk to your anesthesiologist. You can call the hospital/surgicenter and ask to talk to one before your surgery. We can usually answer any questions and explain things so it will be less scary.

Awareness is most common under the following circumstances: *Emergencies (sometimes the patient is in such bad shape that too much anesthesia will kill him. Staying alive always comes first)
*Open heart surgery
*Cesarean sections (rarely done under general, but we can't give too much for fear of anesthetizing the baby too much)
*Sedation cases - the patient wasn't under general, so they remember. They sometimes forget that we told them they'd be awake. Go figure.

Here are some things to discuss with your anesthesiologist:
*Versed - it's the drug that makes you unaware, makes you forget everything. Ask, and you shall receive!
*Avoidance of paralysis unless necessary for your procedure
*Alternatives to general anesthesia, if any. Depends on the procedure, surgeon, and other things.

The fact is that most people DON'T wake up in the middle of surgery, DON'T remember anything and DO come through their anesthetic with flying colors.

Good luck.... I'm sure everything will go fine.

Answer 2

I have had many surgeries due to having chron's disease. Anesthesia isn't without risk, but most people do just fine. It is very rare to wake during surgery. Talk to the anesthesiologist about your fears. They can tell you exactly what they are using and how they can gage the depth of how out you are. As long as it isn't trivial surgery you there are probably more risks to not having it done than there are to anesthesia. Talking to the doctor will probably ease most of your fears, and they can give you stuff to relax you through your iv before they take you down to surgery. Once you are under you feel like it has only been minutes until you wake up.

Answer 3

Depending on the type of surgery you are having, regional anesthesia (ie numbing up a single part of the body) or a spinal/epidural would eliminate the need for a general anesthetic. There is also a device known as a BIS monitor which reads your brainwaves and gives the anesthesiologist a number corresponding to one's depth of anesthesia allowing for adjustment as needed to maintain adequate levels of comfort. Any of these will do the trick.

Answer 4

The Anethesiologist will talk with your prior to surgery, let him/her know your fears. I have never had a patient wake up during surgery.. unless it was intended and needed for the procedure*, but even at that I am not sure how much the patient remembered. Dont sweat it, You'll be fine

Answer 5

I have had many surgeries including 4 c-sections, which required an anethesiologist on hand to monitor my spinal and just to be there in case I needed to be put out completely.

What you need to do is find an anethesiologist that you are comfortable with and who is reputable. You have every right to interview possible candidates for your surgery. I met with 3 different Dr.s for my six year olds hernia surgery and found the best one ever. This is their field and they don't get where they are by guessing. They will make sure you get what you need but you need to be confident in who is putting you under.

Answer 6

Talk with your nurse anaesthetist before the surgery, and ask them any questions you may have. Any practicioner worth their salt will answer your questions and resolve your concerns. Also it is absolutely imperative that you answer the questions that they ask you completely honestly. They're completely confidential, but knowing things like your real weight, medications (prescription, over the counter, and herbs, too), and if you've been dieting can really make a difference.

Answer 7

There actually are cases where the patient becomes aware while they are asleep. This is very uncommon---very very uncommon and the nurse anesthesist or anesthesiologist will monitor you closely to make sure this doesn't occur. Normally, you wake up and everything is over. You don't even realize you've been asleep.

Answer 8

1st of all, try to reduce any caffeine you are taking, like you should quit tea, coffee, pepsi, coke....etc. Only enough time before the surgery.
2nd, trust your doctor and don't panic, they'd just give you the correct dose cuz basically that's their job, anethesia is a very complicated issue, they spend years doing post graduate studies and training in order to adjust the dose....etc.
Don't worry atall and keep in mind that your fear can wake you up.

Answer 9

Take you chances,or choose not to be put to sleep,if a local can be done on your surgery.