A question about an epidural during surgery...?

Question

I am having a breast surgery next week to remove some tumors - they will be giving me an epidural - I will be awake during the procedure is what my understanding is? I am kind of confused about that. Does anyone know if there is any way I could be asleep during this?! I am waiting for the office to open to call - but just want peace of mind please. Thank you!

Answer 1

Sometimes doctors like to have you awake during as many operations as possible. The epidural will be a great pain killer for about 12 hours, you won't feel anything for the first 4 hours, after that it would be pretty mild. If they put you under they would only be able to give you a local drug, that would not be as strong as an epideral. I would suggest the epideral, it will make you a lot more comfortable after the surgery. And epidurals are not that bad, I have had three. I think getting a needle stuck in my veins are worse.

The only thing you will want to watch out for after the epideral is a migraine, if you get a migraine let your doctor know.

Answer 2

In regional anesthesia, your anesthesiologist makes an injection near a cluster of nerves to numb the area of your body that requires surgery. You may remain awake, or you may be given a sedative. You do not see or feel the actual surgery take place. There are several kinds of regional anesthesia. Two of the most frequently used are spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia, which are produced by injections made with great exactness in the appropriate areas of the back.
By doing this, your doctor will be able to operate safely and not use general anesthesia which carries more dangers than useing regional (or epidural). Still, you will be sedated so if you want to sleep, you will sleep, but still will be able to wake up on request.

Answer 3

An epidural is a local anesthetic and you WILL be awake. In order to be asleep you would have to have general anasthesia and there are far too many risks involved in that process to validate using it for simple tumor removal. Don't worry, there will be a curtain in front of your face so you do not have to look at what they are doing. However if you are brave you may want to watch on a monitor, it's pretty fascinating!!!

Good luck and don't worry, it's cake!

Answer 4

An epidural is an anaesthetic that is injected into the spinal column that blocks sensation below the injection level. It is often used for childbirth. I had one for my daughter's birth by Caesarean section.

You are definitely be awake during an epidural though you will have no sensation in or ability to move your body below the injection level. They will check to make sure that the anaesthesia has worked properly and that you cannot feel anything in the appropriate area.

Answer 5

You will be awake but you will not feel a thing.
Epidural injections is to literally inject a local anesthetic in to your spine actually laming you.
Unfortunately the surgeon has only one chance to do this procedure and if it fails they actually do a general anesthetic without asking you.
Also remember to lie flat for at least three days after, or at the very least to restrict your movements until the minute hole in your spine has healed otherwise you will have a spinal leak which will have to be "blocked" with a drop of blood. Complicated procedure, so behave your self. Talk about this to you doctor. Good luck.

Answer 6

you will be awake, and its not that bad, its more uncomfortable than painful. I had to have 2 within about an hour apart when i was in labor with contractions. Theyre not going to put you to sleep because they're are going to need to find out from you whether or not its working.

Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Yes, you're going to be wakeful. You might be numb from approximately the backside of your rib cage down. You maybe ready to consider stress and tugging on you, however you should not consider any ache.