I am having hand surgery tommorow and I am a bit nervous about anasthesia. I am allergic to so many medications that I am scared that they are going to give me something that will really make me sick. I have a chioce of general anasthesia or local, which is best?
2007-01-01 05:18:26 · 8 answers · asked by giamc 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
I'm an anesthesiologist. This is something that you need to discuss with your anesthesiologist tomorrow.
Depending on the procedure, there are a variety of techniques that can be used to keep you comfortable.
Straight local: The surgeon injects the numbing medicine right where he/she is working. It burns for a few seconds, then goes numb. Your anesthesiologist can sedate you.
Bier block: (Not "beer"): A local technique where an iv is started in the operative limb, the blood squeezed out of the veins and a tourniquet applied. The veins are filled with numbing medicine, and because of the tourniquet, only that arm goes numb. Only good for 20-60 mins of surgery, though. Great for procedures that take about 30 mins. Again, you can be sedated if you want to.
Nerve blocks: The upper extremity can be blocked using different techniques, such as axillary block or inter-scalene block. Better for longer procedures, but does involve a needle in your armpit or neck. Personally, I'm not a fan, but some anesthesiologists can do wonders with them. They take a while to work, though, and your surgeon might start pacing.
General: We can do general anesthetics with very short acting drugs (propofol, sevoflurane) that will have you up and about in no time. They are very well tolerated by almost everybody. If you're thin, you may only need to have a mask held to your face, and no breathing tube, or you may get an LMA, which is a mask that sits in the back of your throat after you go to sleep. If the procedure is a quick one, like carpal tunnel surgery, you may be able to have a general with only iv medications.
Again, talk to your anesthesiologist. He/she will do whatever makes you the most comfortable and keeps you the safest.
Best of luck!
2007-01-01 06:34:20 · answer #1 · answered by Pangolin 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1
2016-05-28 11:14:45 · answer #2 · answered by Gabrielle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in terms of allergic reactions, there's no difference between local and general anesthesia. true allergies to both general anesthetics as well as local anesthetics are both very uncommon. however, there are some known side effects, such as approximately 25% chance of nausea after a general anesthetic. this is a known side effect, and NOT an allergic reaction to the anesthesia. local anesthesia has a lower chance of post-op nausea, but the risk is still not 0. i would agree with the other answers recommending local if possible, but again just to re-iterate, it's not because there's a lower risk of allergic reactions. it's just because you'll be less likely to have nausea afterwards, as well as having less grogginess.
2007-01-01 05:49:00 · answer #3 · answered by belfus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you tell the Drs and Nurses all that you are allergic to this way they could determine the best course of action for you ... this should have been done prior to surgery because as far as I know general anesthesia usually requires not eating some hours before surgery and for local it doesn't matter.
2007-01-01 05:32:07 · answer #4 · answered by Chele 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Local
2007-01-01 05:26:18 · answer #5 · answered by rpoker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Local.. to avoid the usual side effects associated with General anesthesia
2007-01-01 05:25:52 · answer #6 · answered by Mopar Muscle Gal 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell the doctor what you are allergic to.
2007-01-01 05:25:21 · answer #7 · answered by Kevin H 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I gave you a thumbs down because your avatar is ugly and your hat is gay.
2007-01-01 05:25:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋