Anesthesia experiences?

I've been through several surgeries, including my most recent one where I had a two-level Laminectomy to deal with stenosis.
About two weeks before the procedure, I had my pre-op appointments with the anesthesiologist and my primary physician. They were very clear about fasting—no food or water after midnight. I even made sure to note the instruction about not chewing gum on my checklist.

On the day of the surgery, things were running behind schedule. I was just sitting there in the waiting room at 10:00 AM when the anesthesiologist came out to check if I’d fasted properly. I told her I’d taken a few of my regular pills (I take about 25 to 30 daily). Then a nurse came by to ask if I’d chewed any gum. I said no, but she told me I’d be going in first because another patient had chewed gum, and they wouldn't operate on him for another 3 or 4 hours because of it. It’s crazy how much trouble a single piece of gum can cause.
Generally speaking, I never deal with post-op nausea, but I can never seem to get the post-operative pain under control. I’m usually the first one up and moving during recovery, but even the pain management clinic can't help me much. For spinal surgeries, the first two days aren't too bad, but by the third and fourth day, the pain hits a 10/10, regardless of the injections. Then again, I’ve been using various narcotics for 30 years and lived on codeine for 25 years just to stay functional at work.

You really have to take anesthesia seriously. Smokers are at risk, people struggling with alcohol are at risk, and weight is a major factor too.

👋

Magic said:I asked for spinal anesthesia, but they told me they won't do it when they're operating on the abdomen. 😕

Magic, I had my surgery done with spinal anesthesia—it was totally fine. 😕

Spinal anesthesia isn't used for intra-abdominal or intraperitoneal surgeries—basically, any procedure requiring access to the peritoneal cavity. This is because the nerves supplying the peritoneum and abdominal organs (like the stomach, intestines, gallbladder, or omentum) originate from higher spinal centers that a spinal block simply can't reach. To put it simply, it’s a matter of where the nerve coverage ends.

However, organs located within the abdomen but outside the peritoneal cavity, such as the uterus or bladder, can often be managed with spinal anesthesia. In certain cases where heavy muscle relaxation isn't strictly required—like a routine C-section, for instance—this is actually standard practice.

For patients with certain underlying conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, the risks associated with spinal anesthesia are generally lower than those of general anesthesia.
Ultimately, before any surgery involving anesthesia, a thorough pre-anesthesia assessment is mandatory. That evaluation is what determines which type of anesthesia is the safest and most appropriate choice for the patient.

nimbleskipper13 said:...
Usually, you’re supposed to have a pre-anesthesia assessment before any surgery involving anesthesia—that’s how they decide which type of anesthesia is actually safe for you.

Well, I didn't even get a chance to see the anesthesiologist because my water broke and I had to rush straight into an emergency C-section.

The end result? Turns out I’m allergic to the diphenhydramine they gave me right before the spinal shot. I broke out in a rash, and then I spent a few hours after the surgery basically suffering without any pain meds at all. 😲

In my experience, the whole pre-op assessment was basically just a quick blood draw and an EKG. I didn't even lay eyes on the anesthesiologist until they were actually administering the meds in the OR. If I wanted any real answers, I had to go out of my way to do my own research beforehand.

Olivia Ruiz, Karen Brooks... I honestly don't know what to say. This just isn't right.
In an emergency setting, the anesthesiologist absolutely needs to speak with the patient before induction to explain the procedure. It is MANDATORY to take a thorough medical history, especially regarding allergies, past surgeries, and existing health conditions.

I happen to be incredibly lucky to work with people who aren't just going through the motions... though I often feel embarrassed telling people what I do for a living. Unfortunately, it’s not rare—especially in major US cities—to find colleagues who have dragged the reputation of this profession through the mud.😢

And that lack of care ends up hurting all of us who actually give a damn—those of us who treat a patient like a human being rather than just "the appendix case" or "the hernia in room four."

It wasn't even an emergency for me; I actually had my procedure scheduled two months out. Then again, I made sure to grill my surgeon about everything. We talked extensively, and honestly, I felt like I knew every single detail because they didn't leave a stone unturned. I can't really complain and say the whole thing was just some mindless routine, but that part regarding contact with the anesthesiologist? Yeah, that was definitely way too superficial.

To be honest, I don't recall having any deep or detailed consultations with an anesthesiologist either 😕
What I do remember is going through my general internal medicine checkups—so perhaps an anesthesiologist just pulls whatever data they need from those files, since they were taking my full medical history during those physicals. I have absolutely no memory of sitting down for a formal talk with an anesthesiologist before my first surgery; before the second one, the conversation was incredibly brief, and by the third, things had become an emergency, so there wasn't even a discussion 😁 For my third procedure, which was an emergency, I was under general anesthesia despite not being fasted or having undergone any bowel prep, and I didn't suffer any side effects like nausea or vomiting at all.

I had a deeply exhausting conversation with the anesthesiologist before my surgery... and I have to admit, it was pretty unsettling 😉😁

I was honestly appalled when I heard they might need me to strip the polish off my nails just so they can judge whether I'm still breathing based on how they look 😱

I'm exaggerating, obviously ;😁

But seriously, it felt terrible... I mean, don't they hook you up to those pulse oximeters and all that? Are they really still checking fingernails?

Thank God they don't use chickens to slaughter people by pouring lead over them and throwing beans around to predict the outcome of a procedure 😵

The anesthesiologist was easily one of the kindest, most thorough, and most straightforward people I encountered during my entire stay at the hospital.

I especially appreciated her telling me that if it makes things easier, I could show up to surgery wearing makeup 😍, as long as I didn't put anything on my lips... and obviously no nail polish 🙄 😁

You know, you’ve really hit on something there, Betty Rivera14. It’s funny how that works. I never actually had anyone mention the whole nail polish thing to me—I found out by complete accident from some random person who isn't even in the medical field. Apparently, they were the one who got warned about it right before their surgery.

Nobody bothered to give me any specific heads-up regarding jewelry, so I ended up walking right into the operating room still wearing my wedding ring (that’s surgery number two for me)

Karen Brooks said:Honestly, nobody mentioned the whole nail polish thing to me—I just happened to hear it from some random bystander who wasn't even medical staff, though they had been warned before their own surgery.

I get how things might slip through the cracks during emergency surgeries, but I don't quite follow why it would happen with a scheduled procedure. Personally, I appreciated my experience at New York City's Mount Sinai—they were incredibly thorough about everything... from makeup and polish to jewelry, right down to what to expect post-op. To be fair, they mostly just confirmed what I’d already dug up online; from the moment I got my diagnosis until the surgery (about three weeks), I was obsessively researching—I found just about everything. There are some fantastic American preoperative guides written specifically for laypeople—simple, illustrated manuals for various procedures and tests—so, really, I wasn't worried at all.

Back when I had my first surgery, the internet wasn't even a thing yet—we were still stuck in the dark ages of information. There was no way to just look things up online.
But let’s be honest, some things are just plain absurd. I ended up finding out the most critical details by pure accident.

Dear Raymond Bennett9,

I’m currently practicing as an anesthesiologist in the Atlanta area—so perhaps I can offer some clarity on what to expect if surgery becomes necessary. Shoulder procedures are typically performed via arthroscopy (using a camera) under general anesthesia. The main reason for this is positioning; the patient is usually seated or lying on their side, which limits an anesthesiologist's immediate access to the airway should breathing issues or complications arise. Spinal anesthesia isn't really an option here, as you'd be anesthetizing structures far too close to the spinal cord—specifically those controlling breathing and circulation. While one could theoretically perform the surgery using an "interscalene block" (a local anesthetic injection near the neck) without any additional sedation, it isn't standard practice due to the aforementioned accessibility issues—something I haven't personally witnessed or performed. Though I certainly hope you don't need the procedure, if it does happen, it will most likely be under general anesthesia. If you end up needing surgery on the rotator cuff or a subacromial decompression, I would suggest discussing an interscalene block with your anesthesiologist—it provides much better postoperative pain management than opioids or other analgesics.
Common complications from general anesthesia include mild throat soreness or discomfort from the endotracheal tube, as well as postoperative nausea and vomiting—which we can manage quite successfully, though not always 100%. There is also a risk of soft tissue or dental injury during difficult intubations. More serious complications are extremely rare—they are generally tied to the patient's age, overall health, and the specific type of surgery being performed. At our hospital, most patients head home within 30 minutes to an hour following an arthroscopy, or by the next day if they undergo a rotator cuff or subacromial decompression repair.

Best regards,

Bradley Chavez4

Thanks for the reply, Bradley Chavez4, even if you weren't actually talking to me. I’m headed in for surgery this Saturday—unfortunately, though I suppose it’s actually a relief since I’ve been waiting on this forever. There's no dodging it. It’ll be standard general anesthesia (I don't really know how else to put it; I graduated from MIT, so all this medical jargon is completely foreign to me). They’ll be "pushing" me to head home after about half an hour, thankfully. There aren't any alternative methods available for my specific situation, but they did point me toward some anti-nausea pills. That's a huge deal for me because the physical strain of vomiting could absolutely wreck everything. As for pain management, there isn't much wiggle room beyond the standard meds; I asked the anesthesiologist, and they basically said there’s nothing else they can do there.
But honestly, the pain is the least of my worries. I handle pain just fine—I'm not one to sit around and whine. My main priority is making sure everything is done correctly so I'm not losing my soul on the recovery floor afterward.

Raymond Bennett9 said:Thanks, 326 👍 ... spinal without local 🙄
Does anyone know the potential side effects of general anesthesia?
And isn't there anyone from the US, Europe, or Australia who can weigh in on how it is over there?

Due to various circumstances, I have undergone four surgical procedures under general anesthesia. Twice as a child and twice within the last five or six years. I never experienced any issues or side effects.

The most intense experience was actually a heavy sedation during a sinusoscopy. They first injected me with something intravenous—before they even moved to the local anesthetic injections around my nose, at which point I felt nothing—that left me absolutely sky-high. I was babbling such nonsense that I would have been embarrassed to see the doctors on rounds the next morning.
I was laughing like I was drunk and asked the doctor, "Are you Dr. Mark Greene?" 🙄 😁

Thanks, Bradley Chavez4, I was actually wondering about that exact point.
My thanks to everyone once again.
Karen Brooks, I hope everything went smoothly on your end.

Thanks, Raymond Bennett9. Honestly, this went so much better than the last two times I had to do this. I should probably mention that I’ve already been back at my computer after just a few days—not for long, obviously, but I am back. The anesthesiologist was the complete opposite of the ones I dealt with before. We actually talked. He walked me through every single little detail, leaving nothing to chance. Even when I was waking up, he stayed there, explaining everything that happened during the procedure and just chatting about life in general. It made a difference.
Aside from the inevitable nausea following the anesthesia—which is just my luck, really, since I've always been prone to getting sick—everything else was miles ahead of my previous experiences. The surgery ended up lasting four hours because things got a bit more complicated than they initially anticipated, so I was "under" a little longer than planned. Even the anti-nausea meds couldn't quite stop the vomiting entirely, but truly, everything else was so much better. As for any throat or dental soreness? Nothing. Maybe a tiny bit of discomfort for an hour or so once I came around, but nothing worth complaining about.
And the staff... I don't even know where to start. They were a total dream for anyone facing surgery. No ego, no confusing medical jargon thrown around to sound important, just pure professionalism and kindness. I hope you get the same experience when your turn comes.
(Hopefully without the vomiting part.) 🙂

I’ve actually had two surgeries over in Munich. The first one was about nine years ago. They used general anesthesia where I was put under via an IV, but they also gave me something through a mask at the same time. The whole thing took five hours, and I was completely out. It went really smoothly—no nausea or vomiting at all. The anesthesiologist actually came by my room twice just to walk me through everything and explain how the anesthesia works. You have to sign consent forms for both types of anesthesia because there's no way around it. Honestly, the scariest part is when they start explaining all the potential complications; it really makes the panic set in.
My second surgery was last year on my arm. This time, they sat me down for a consultation and had me sign the paperwork again. I received anesthesia through a vein near my shoulder area rather than my chest. I was actually awake for this one! I spent the time chatting with the anesthesiologist and watching the monitor that tracks my blood pressure and heart rate. I could even hear the surgeons talking and the sound of the surgical tools.
Even though I didn't get nauseous during this procedure either, I had this awful sensation of my arm being totally numb. It gets even weirder when the anesthesia starts wearing off; you feel it creeping up from your fingertips toward your entire arm. Your arm feels incredibly heavy, and it just flops around uncontrollably. You can't stop it or move it back yourself—these involuntary movements are pretty painful.
In American hospitals, dinner is usually just some tea or soup, and once it hits 10:00 PM, you aren't allowed even a single drop of water. They make you wear their hospital gown, which basically looks like an apron that ties around your neck. You have to strip down completely, and instead of your own underwear, they give you these mesh-like briefs. You also have to take off all your jewelry, dentures, and makeup.
After the surgery, they give you oral spray because your mouth gets incredibly dry. That spray was a total lifesaver during my first operation.
The very next day, they expect you to get up on your feet regardless of what kind of surgery you just had. That’s definitely the hardest part, but you have to stand for a few minutes. After that, you do these little physical therapy exercises in bed every morning with a nurse who’s assigned to help you. You’ll be wearing those tight rubber compression stockings up to your thighs the whole time, and they’ll inject you in the stomach every day to prevent blood clots.
Before they finally discharge you to go home, they run every possible test and ultrasound they can.
Since you were curious about how things work abroad, I figured I’d share my experience.
Best of luck!