Anesthesia, Resuscitation, and ICU: Q&A

rapidgull94 said:Go ahead and look through the posts above—tell me if you think I'm just some total masochist. 😉 I know I'm probably a little late to the party on this one, but once I've had a chance to really dig into everything, would you mind if I shot you a quick DM if I run into any snags or just have some questions? 😉

😁...I have a gut feeling you might end up having a few questions along the way.....😁😁😉Especially if you end up scrolling all the way down and suddenly run smack into those random acronyms...😍😁

For me, waking up from anesthesia was an indescribably perfect sensation; honestly, I don't think I've ever felt more beautiful than I did in that exact moment.

brightwolf9 said:Hey everyone! I’ve been lurking on this thread for quite a while now. I have an upcoming surgery scheduled soon, and honestly, I’m starting to get pretty nervous—probably because I already had to go under the knife twice when I was a kid. The reason I need the procedure is for ptosis in my left eyelid. I went in for a follow-up during my third month, and the doctor mentioned they'd be doing it under local anesthesia. Does anyone know what kind of local anesthesia they actually use for a procedure like this?

ugh, sorry about that, everything else just got lost...🙂...

So, if that's what they told you, local anesthesia basically just means they're injecting lidocaine into the surrounding area to numb things up... usually, the surgeons handle the lidocaine themselves, so there isn't a separate anesthesiologist involved for those kinds of minor procedures... unless, of course, they feel like you need a little extra help to relax, in which case they might toss a bit of sedative into your IV to boost the local stuff...

Scott Allen10 said:😁...I've got this nagging feeling that you might end up having a few questions coming your way later on.....😁😁😉...especially if you end up scrolling all the way down to the bottom and suddenly run smack into those random medical acronyms...😍😁

I honestly think it’s gonna happen. 🙂 Until I can wrap my head around this whole situation... 🙂

Oh man, Scott Allen10, seriously, thank you so much! 🙂 😍

Scott Allen10 said:man, regarding the rest... sorry...🙂...

Basically, if that's what they told you, local anesthesia just means injecting lidocaine into the surrounding area... the surgeons handle the lidocaine themselves, so the anesthesiologist isn't really involved during those kinds of procedures... unless maybe they need to boost the local stuff (like adding a little sedative through an IV)...

thanks for the reply 🙂

So, I had surgery four days ago, and honestly? I was more terrified of the anesthesia than anything else. You hear all these horror stories, and before you know it, the panic just takes over. Like, what if I just never wake up?😍 But look, it’s over now. It was actually such a peaceful way to pass out. All I really remember is being wheeled into the OR. One nurse was setting up my IV and asking how much we should give, and all I heard was, "Just give her 8, we can always add more later." Then they popped the mask over my face and warned me I might feel a little dizzy. A *little*? Give me a break. The whole room started spinning so fast I was out before I could even process it. Honestly, it was a trip.😍Then, when they were trying to rouse me in the recovery room, I could hear everything. They’re all like, "Come on, wake up, let's go, let's go..." and tapping me on the face, but I couldn't open my eyes for the life of me. When I finally did, I was so groggy. I tried to read some sign on the wall across from me, but there was no way—the letters were literally running away from me.🤣The crazy part? No nausea at all. None. No vomiting, no pounding headaches. Everything was a perfect ten out of ten.👍The only thing sucked was my throat. It felt absolutely shredded for almost two days—just a miserable feeling. Probably from the breathing tube, I guess.
So, what kind of side effects am I actually looking at after anesthesia?

Hey, The Crew! I really need to pick your brains on something before I dive in. I’m looking at getting a wisdom tooth pulled under local anesthesia. It’s pressing against the neighboring tooth, so
the surgery is pretty much inevitable. My biggest worry, though, is my long-term struggle with vasomotor rhinitis. The left side of my nose is always blocked, which means both my nose and
my mouth stay incredibly dry. Post-nasal drip is constant, leaving me with that annoying sensation of a lump in my throat, plus the muscles around my nose and eyes feel perpetually tight. Since my nose is constantly stuffed,
my breathing is significantly restricted. The last time I had a tooth pulled under local two years ago, I honestly thought I was going to choke. Between being unable to clear my throat or
spit out the drainage sliding down from my sinuses, a numb jaw from the anesthetic, and a numb nose and upper face from the rhinitis... believe me, it was brutal. I spent those
four hours stumbling around to the right like Balthazar, shoving menthol up my nose and sucking on menthol candies just to cope, counting every single minute until the numbness wore off.
Now, I’m asking my dentist if they can just use a smaller dose of local anesthetic. I think I could manage for about an hour, but not longer. They aren't budging, though. Living here in the United Kingdom, I've found that
people can be pretty rigid—they don't want to deviate even a second from what's strictly written in their manual. They follow the rulebook blindly. So, I’m wondering: will
general anesthesia knock out not just me, but also this constant drainage in my throat? Will I wake up from general anesthesia with an even drier throat? What does it actually feel like
after being put under, and how do dentists typically handle cases like mine? I posted this on the dental thread too, but maybe this is the better spot. Sorry if I'm venting, I'm just losing my mind here...
Please help! Thanks.

Raymond Mitchell2 said:Hey, what's up, The Crew! I really need to pick your brains on something here. I'm looking at getting wisdom teeth surgery under local anesthesia. One of them is actually pushing against the tooth next to it, so it's a bit of a mess.
Surgery is pretty much inevitable at this point. My biggest headache, though, is dealing with my long-term battle with vasomotor rhinitis. It’s a mess—the left side of my nose is constantly blocked, so I'm basically stuck breathing through one nostril.
My mouth is bone dry. It feels like I’m swallowing sand, and there's this constant sensation of a lump stuck in my throat. On top of that, the muscles around my nose and eyes feel incredibly tight, which is probably why my nose stays constantly congested.
My breathing gets significantly worse too... The last time I had a tooth pulled under local anesthesia about two years ago, I honestly thought I was going to choke because I couldn't even swallow properly.
I was coughing up all this nasty mucus draining from my sinuses straight down my throat, plus my jaw felt completely numb from the local anesthetic. My nose and the upper part of my face were totally frozen too because of the rhinitis. Believe me, I’ve had some pretty brutal experiences, but this was easily one of the worst.
Four hours of walking and I was drifting right like Balthazar. Had menthol in my nose, menthol candies in my mouth, just counting every single minute until the local authorities finally showed up...
Now I'm actually asking my dentist if they can just give me a smaller dose of local anesthesia. I figured I could probably tough it out for maybe an hour, but anything longer than that is a no-go for me. They aren't really budging on it, though—apparently, because I live in the UK, they have their own way of doing things here.
Some people are just so narrow-minded. They can't even breathe without checking if it's written in the employee handbook first. They cling to those rigid rulebooks like their lives depend on it. It makes me wonder if they'll ever actually...
So, general anesthesia—does it knock out just me, or does it also put my constant throat drainage to sleep? And once I finally wake up from being under, am I going to deal with a dry throat? What does that actually feel like?
What actually happens after general anesthesia? And what do dentists even do with cases like mine? I posted this on the dental thread too, but maybe I should have just kept it here. Not trying to be dramatic or anything, but I am losing my mind...
I need some help here! Thanks.

Is anyone there? Riley? Please!😢

I’m looking into getting surgery for hemorrhoids using the HAL-RAR method.
My anesthesiologist mentioned they would likely use a spinal block.
However, because I’ve been dealing with some lingering back pain, I went in for a CT scan of my lumbar spine a few days ago. It turns out I have disc protrusions at L4-L5 and L5-S1.
My Neurologist told me straight up that nobody is going to perform surgery on me using that kind of anesthesia given my current condition. She said addressing the disc protrusion is actually much more urgent and important right now, so she referred me to a neurosurgeon.
I’d love to get some input from any anesthesiologists out there regarding this type of anesthesia.
Thanks in advance!

Raymond Mitchell2 said:Hey, The Crew! I'm honestly feeling pretty desperate here and really need some advice or insight from you guys. It’s about getting a wisdom tooth pulled under local anesthesia. The tooth is pressing against another one, so
the surgery is basically unavoidable. My biggest headache, though, is my long-term battle with vasomotor rhinitis. My left nostril is always blocked, which means both my nose and
my mouth feel super dry. Post-nasal drip is constantly draining down my throat, giving me that annoying "lump in the throat" sensation, and the muscles around my nose and eyes feel all tight. Since my nose is perpetually stuffed up,
breathing is a struggle too... The last time I had dental work done with local anesthesia about two years ago, I legit thought I was going to choke. I couldn't clear my throat or
spit out the mucus draining from my sinuses into my throat, plus my jaw was numb from the local, and my nose and upper face felt totally numb because of the rhinitis... Believe me, it was the absolute worst
four-hour stretch where I was stumbling around aimlessly like Balthazar—menthol up my nose, menthol candies in my mouth, just counting every single minute until the numbness finally wore off...
Now, I'm asking my dentist if they can just use a smaller dose of local anesthetic because I think I could manage for maybe an hour, but not much longer than that. But they won't budge. Living here in the US,
people can be so rigid; they don't want to deviate even a second from what's written in their manual. They stick blindly to the rulebook. So, I'm wondering, would
general anesthesia put me to sleep along with this whole drainage issue in my throat? Will I wake up with a dry throat after general anesthesia? What does it actually feel like
after being under, and how do dentists usually handle cases like mine??? I posted this on the dental thread too, but maybe it belongs here. Don't mean to nag, I'm just losing my mind over this...
Please help! Thanks.

I think in most places, dentists don't really deal with these kinds of complications in their own offices. Instead, they refer patients to a hospital for maxillofacial surgery where the procedure can be done under general anesthesia. I'm not sure what the standard practice is exactly where you live, but you really need to ask around and decide, in consultation with your dentist, what the best move is. Maybe they're hesitant to offer general anesthesia simply because there's no medical necessity, or more importantly, because it makes the whole thing way more expensive, and insurance likely won't cover it.
With general anesthesia, you could avoid most of those issues you mentioned. However, I wouldn't recommend general anesthesia—or any surgery for that matter—while you have active drainage/mucus buildup. You really need to get that sorted first. There’s a real risk of aspiration (inhaling that stuff) during general anesthesia, especially while you're being put under or right when you're waking up, before your reflexes and muscle strength have fully returned. They might try to prevent this with quick intubation and extubation, but that can lead to damage to the lining of your tongue, throat, or vocal cords, resulting in pain, burning, soreness, and that "lump in the throat" feeling that can last for days.
As for how the anesthesia might affect other organs, potential allergic reactions, or other side effects and complications during the procedure, I won't even go there. It's already a lot.
Bottom line: talk to your dentist and see what your actual options are.
Good luck.

Casey Rogers47 said:I'm looking into getting hemorrhoid surgery via the HAL-RAR method.
The anesthesiologist mentioned they'd likely use spinal anesthesia.
Because of some lingering back pain I've been dealing with, I went in for a CT scan of my lumbar spine, and it turns out I have disc protrusions at L4-L5 and L5-S1.
My Neurologist told me straight up that nobody is going to perform surgery on me using that kind of anesthesia given my condition. She said addressing the disc protrusion is actually the much more urgent priority, so she referred me to a neurosurgeon.
To all the anesthesiologists out there: I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
Thanks in advance.

Honestly, I think the Neurologist is spot on here. You really need to see the neurosurgeon first to deal with those disc protrusions—whether that’s through conservative management or surgery—before even worrying about the hemorrhoids.
As for the spinal anesthesia? It really depends on the direction and size of that protrusion, so it *might* be possible, but let's be real: most doctors aren't going to take that risk. They don't want to be the ones blamed if your back issues get worse afterward, even if there's absolutely no medical link between the two.
That's why they usually just go with general anesthesia. It keeps things simple so the physical therapists or neurosurgeons can't use any excuses if the treatment doesn't go perfectly. You know, avoiding that whole "Oh, we would have fixed your back if we hadn't used spinal anesthesia, but since we did, you can just blame the anesthesiologist for your ongoing pain" situation.
Good luck.

Hey, quick question for any anesthesiologists hanging out in here. I’m wondering if there can be lasting side effects from major anesthesia? Every once in a while, I get hit with these bouts of dizziness. It feels like my sense of balance is just totally off—sometimes I’m stumbling around like I’ve had way too many cocktails. 😁

Brenda Clark10 said:Hey there, I’ve got a question for any anesthesiologists hanging out here. I’m wondering if there can be lasting side effects after major anesthesia? Every once in a while, I get hit with this intense dizziness. It feels like my sense of balance is totally off—sometimes I end up stumbling around like I’ve had way too many cocktails. 😁

First off, you really need to rule out other potential causes for that feeling before you go blaming everything on the anesthesia.

urbanscout50 said:First, you’ve got to rule out all the other potential culprits before you just pin everything on the anesthesia.

Thanks for the reply, Doc. 🙂I've already had my head scanned—since I deal with brutal migraines, they actually told me anesthesia could definitely be a factor. I've already gone through a "ton" of it, and if luck is on my side, I'll be facing at least two more. God knows I have another major heart surgery coming up.

urbanscout50 said:If they aren't awake, we mostly rely on things like pulse trends, blood pressure, and how deep or frequent their breathing is—assuming they’re even breathing on their own.
If patients are conscious and the staff notices signs suggesting someone is in pain, we just ask them. Even if they can't talk, they can nod. They can blink. They can twitch their lips.
Plus, most people in the ICU are on some kind of analgesic anyway (usually an opioid, either solo or mixed) and/or a sedative, so they aren't hurting nearly as much as you'd think—or as much as they potentially could. And once they leave the ICU, if they're lucky, most of them don't remember a single thing. Just a total blank.
Personally, I think the much bigger issue is that patients on the regular wards—the ones who aren't intubated, can actually talk, and tell you they're in pain—aren't getting adequate analgesia and end up suffering through intense pain. Why is that? I think we’ve touched on this on the forum before.
And honestly, that’s exactly what those "acute pain services" are for—to have a specialized hospital team roaming the floors to ensure patients get one of their fundamental human rights: living without pain, especially avoiding that crushing, acute stuff that can be managed.

Just wanted to jump in here with my two cents regarding the pain stuff. When I was in, I was getting Tramadol mixed with Voltaren. It was weird, though—the incision on my chest didn't even hurt; instead, my right arm was killing me. To this day, if I stay in one position for more than five minutes, my arm starts tingling and aching. The doctors didn't even believe me when I said it was my arm hurting rather than the surgical site. So now? I don't even bother telling anyone about the numbness or the pain anymore. No point. As for remembering the ICU, I remember everything from A to Z. I also vividly remember the first time they tried to take me off the ventilator. I was begging them to pull the tube out, but they just adjusted something and told me, "Not yet, you aren't breathing on your own yet." Someone please explain that to me... how exactly was I *not* breathing on my own???? thanks

P.a- so, basically I was holding onto that tube for almost 48 hours straight, ccccc

I mean, looking at those ventilator settings, you probably weren't seeing the numbers you wanted to see... like, maybe your tidal volume or minute ventilation wasn't hitting the mark, or perhaps the SpO2 readings on the monitor were looking a little sketchy. Plus, if they were watching you clinically and saw you struggling with muscle strength or just seemed too restless and agitated to breathe on your own, that's a huge factor. There are honestly so many different variables that go into making that call...

As for your arm, during anesthesia, they usually grab one of your arms and lock it into a splint at a 90-degree angle away from your body—you’re basically lying there with one arm stretched out to the side—so they can monitor your pressure or run meds through the IV line. If the whole procedure dragged on for a while, I wouldn't be surprised if that weird sensation you felt was just some lingering aftermath from being stuck in that position for so long...

Brenda Clark10 said:So basically, I was stuck holding onto that tube for almost 48 hours straight, ugh...

Honestly, don't even sweat it... you just keep the tube in until they actually need you to stop using it.🙂>

Scott Allen10 said:It’s likely that based on the ventilator settings, your numbers just weren't hitting the mark... say, you weren't reaching a satisfactory tidal volume or minute ventilation... maybe even the SpO2 readings on the monitor were looking shaky... plus, maybe clinical observations didn't show enough evidence that you could breathe on your own—you know, things like lacking muscle strength, restlessness, agitation... and so on. There are plenty of factors that go into that call...

As for your arm... during anesthesia, they usually "take" one arm and fix it in a splint at a 90° angle relative to your body (you're lying there with your arm stretched out to the side), and that's where they measure blood pressure or pump meds through the IV cannula. If the surgery runs long, I can totally see how that described sensation is just some lingering consequence of being stuck in that position for so long...

Yeah, about that arm thing—when the doctors came by for rounds the next day, my arm was a total mess. It was pale, swollen, and just looked trashed. I had the cannula in too (I think it was in the bad vein; the anesthesiologist basically taped it down right there in the OR, ugh), so that's probably it. I don't want to get the details wrong, but honestly, the whole thing was just pure panic and stress because of that arm. They tried icing it, massaging it, blah blah blah... but when I kept insisting it hurt, they didn't really believe me. So, by the second day, I just refused the Tramadol and Voltaren altogether since nothing was helping anyway (I hate meds, honestly; I only take the stuff for my heart because I have to). Sometimes I'll go get a massage for my arm privately once it starts acting up again, mostly because I just don't have the willpower or the energy to keep complaining to doctors about the pain. Hey, Scott Allen10, if you have any advice, I'm all ears. Thanks! 🙂

Oh man, I just realized you’re the same Victoria from that cardiac surgery corner who had that aortic coarctation and thoracic aneurysm surgery, plus a few other things if I remember correctly... Honestly, don't take anything I say as gospel because your situation is way more intense than most. Between having an arterial line for blood pressure monitoring, IV lines for fluids, using the axillary artery for the ECG setup, dealing with cardiac or circulatory arrest, and the whole risk of thrombosis—all of that could have played a role in the ischemia (that lack of blood flow) in your arm that I can see from what you described. It reminds me a bit of what happened to Balthazar, though in his case, the ischemia in his leg lasted much longer... Your issues come from a totally different place entirely (I'm sure there wasn't any staff error), but in both scenarios, the blood just wasn't getting where it needed to go for a while, so even if no extra surgery was required, those symptoms clearly stuck around.
I’m not sure how much I can actually help with the pain you’re describing. Medication probably won't cut it. Since you've already started looking into physical therapy, maybe lean into that? Massages and different types of PT have this... how should I put it... suggestive, soothing, psychological effect that can really help you feel better. You might want to check out a specialized Pain Management Clinic—they usually work alongside Anesthesia departments and offer things like TENS, ultrasound, magnetic therapy, or acupuncture. Those are common methods they use that might give you some relief. Also, maybe ask if hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) makes sense for you, and if there are any contraindications given how complex your medical history is...
I haven't been able to help all that much, but hey, good luck with everything.