Anesthesia, Resuscitation, and ICU: Q&A

frozenmaker74 said:I haven't dealt with a broken nose myself, but honestly, I’d be way more terrified of the pain after waking up than just getting put under for a few hours. Plus, the biggest thing for me is how I'll look afterward. 😬 🥳
I've been put under a few times for other stuff—nothing serious. I wasn't scared for a single second. You have to go through all the tests and talk to the anesthesiologist before surgery, so you'll definitely be in good hands. 👍 Forget about the stuff that happens to some people. Just think about having a cute little button nose. 😁

It’s already cute, but I can barely breathe. 😢
The pain after surgery scares me, but anesthesia is a total mystery to me. 😁 Fools are afraid of the unknown, and I guess I'm one of them. 😁

Chris Gonzalez3 said:he’s such a sweet little guy, but he can’t even catch his breath properly right now😢
I’m honestly terrified and in pain after the surgery, but anesthesia remains this huge, swirling mystery to me😁 and I guess stupid people fear the unknown, so apparently, that includes me too😁

Mm actually went through that exact surgery before we even met, and he was telling me they had to pull out some massive wad of stuff—like miles of it—stuck deep in his nose🙂 and he was swollen for what felt like an eternity afterward.

Look, just ask your doctor if they can give you something to take the edge off before the procedure, something to help you relax, because once they pop that mask over your face and tell you to start counting, you won't even make it to two before you're drifting off. I don't know how anyone *isn't* a little spooked by anesthesia🤷 I get it, it’s unsettling knowing someone is basically forcing you into a deep sleep, and even if you've had surgery a hundred times, that sensation stays the same—it's just like falling asleep every night, only this happens way faster. All that scary stuff you read about on the internet regarding side effects? It could happen to anyone waking up in the morning. But if your body is young and healthy—which is what they check during those pre-op tests—there’s really no reason to expect complications, especially the extreme ones you've been reading about. ☕The most likely thing is just feeling a bit nauseous when you wake up, and you shouldn't eat anything that day; those are just standard side effects, whereas everything else is rare, and since you're such a sweetheart, you aren't exactly a walking medical textbook case for complications.😛

I’ve been through anesthesia quite a few times—everything from local and general to spinal. And honestly? It hurt every single time. I even had that one terrifying moment where I swallowed a piece of ham and it somehow ended up lodged in a weird spot in my esophagus. Once, being in the OR, you see all those instruments laid out... seeing them up close just makes you realize how much of an assault they are on your body. I also had liposuction done at a private clinic once—that was rough. Total shock, chills, pain... just awful, though I did bounce back pretty quickly. Then there was the surgery for my broken leg—they had to install a rod through the bone and screws through my knee and ankle. Believe it or not, the actual break hurt less than the recovery; I was dealing with excruciating, screaming pains for three months after the surgery. I spent the whole day after the procedure feeling completely wiped out. When it came time to remove the hardware, they gave me a spinal block. I slept right through the surgery, but the second they started stitching me up, I woke up—though I felt almost nothing because I was so out of it. Still, I couldn't open my eyes or even speak, and the pain dragged on for another two months. Before the spinal, the anesthesiologist actually asked if I wanted him to go straight for the heavy-duty stuff and the painkillers, which I definitely said yes to. That spinal experience was... surreal. Being unable to move your legs is such a strange sensation—it really gives you a sudden, deep empathy for anyone who can't walk.
Every surgery is its own unique beast, but man, you get through it. There's no reason to be scared, unless you have some underlying chronic condition—and even then, you've got the anesthesiologist to figure out the best way to handle things.
Wishing everyone the very best

Adam Thomas14 said:I think I read somewhere that Mayo Clinic has the best anesthesiologists in the States.🙂

😍😍😍😍

Back in the spring of 2001, I had a minor procedure at Dubrava, and the anesthesiologist there was just so kind during our pre-op consultation. She actually took the time to go through all my medical records in detail.

It was such a different experience compared to what I went through over at Vineyard later that same year. During a winter surgery there, I didn't even get a chance to talk to the anesthesiologist beforehand. In fact, the doctor was incredibly rude—he actually snapped at me once we were already in the operating room, questioning why I was even asking for general anesthesia for a tonsillectomy. I was only 23 at the time. Later that year, when I had another short procedure at Dubrava, nobody gave me any trouble about the anesthesia at all. The level of care and the human connection at Dubrava felt completely different, and honestly, much better.

On July 15th, I underwent surgery under general anesthesia, and things went south fast—I had a terrible reaction where my whole body turned blue and they actually had to resuscitate me. Now, I need to undergo some testing for anesthetic sensitivity. Does anyone know how this process works or how much time I should set aside for it? ivana

I have a question for you all. Actually, I think I have two questions 😁
In the near future, I’m scheduled for a minor surgical procedure under general anesthesia.
The hospital staff advised me to sit down with the anesthesiologist to make sure everything is cleared for anesthesia, specifically because I have Multiple Sclerosis. I guess I'm wondering what kind of specific MS details the anesthesiologist actually needs to know, and how those two things even relate to one another?
My second question—which I might also post in the thyroid discussion group, but if anyone here happens to know—is about my thyroid. I need to get my thyroid checked before the surgery because there's a possibility that the anesthesia might not work properly due to thyroid issues. What exactly happens if I'm under anesthesia and my thyroid hormone levels aren't where they should be? Or, would it cause any problems if I'm currently taking Synthroid?
Has anyone else here gone through something similar?

Thanks!

Jamie Davis17 said:I have a question—actually, let's call it two questions. 😁
I have a minor surgical procedure coming up soon, and it’ll be under general anesthesia.
The hospital staff told me I should sit down with the anesthesiologist to make sure everything is cleared for the anesthesia, specifically because I have Multiple Sclerosis. What kind of info does an anesthesiologist actually need regarding MS, and how do those two things even relate to one another?
My second question—which I'll probably also post in the thyroid thread, but if anyone here happens to know: I need to get my thyroid checked before surgery, because there's a possibility that the anesthesia might not work properly if my thyroid levels aren't right. What actually happens if I'm under anesthesia and my thyroid hormones are off? Or does it matter if I've taken my Synthroid?
Has anyone else here dealt with something similar?

Thanks!

So, here's my experience—I had surgery under general anesthesia back when I was dealing with hypothyroidism. My TSH was sitting around 4.50 at the time, but they gave me the green light for the procedure anyway. On the morning of the surgery, I just took my dose of Synthroid with a little bit of water, and that was that. The only thing was, after the surgery, I couldn't seem to wake up for about four hours, so they kept me under observation for a bit. Now, whether that was due to my thyroid issues or something else entirely... honestly, I haven't a clue.

Hello everyone,

Tomorrow morning I’m heading in for surgery—some sort of atheroma complication near my navel... they did a little probing while I was awake 😢 but there's some kind of sac left behind, so they've decided to remove it under general anesthesia.
Since I've never actually been to a doctor before—aside from the occasional sore throat—I am curious about everything. Does anyone have advice? To the surgeon, this is a trivial matter, so he wasn't particularly talkative—even though I've had to visit the clinic four times in the last three weeks due to various inflammations. It's incredibly small, like a grain of rice, but I suppose it's deep enough to cause complications..

What is the actual procedure once I arrive at the hospital tomorrow? Is an enema required for short-term anesthesia? Will I need to stay overnight if they perform it early in the morning? And should I bring something like Ketorolac or similar for potential post-op pain? How short can a general anesthesia session actually be?

Perhaps I should just grit my teeth and deal with it—general anesthesia feels like far too much of an ordeal for me. Maybe if I just knock back two or three shots of hot sauce, they can just get on with the cutting...😲

Is there a standard minimum gap you'd recommend between general anesthesia sessions when someone needs multiple procedures? My first round was mid-July (went totally fine), but the second one in mid-November left me feeling nauseous and weak for a few days... When would be a smart time to schedule a third? No chronic issues here, just deal with low blood pressure.

Thanks in advance.

Usually, there isn’t any specific waiting period required between anesthesia sessions if everything went smoothly and there weren't any complications... though I guess a surgeon might suggest a gap depending on what kind of procedure we're talking about.

Usually, you're expected to wait for one thing to heal if a second procedure is scheduled right near the first site. I suppose you can always just ask the surgeon, though. In my case, I didn't have much luck there—he wouldn't give me a straight answer and was honestly pretty rude about it. So, I ended up going to a different hospital for that smaller follow-up procedure instead. The staff there were wonderful; they were so kind and treated me like a human being. They actually explained everything to me, including the details my first surgeon was too grumpy to mention that day.

Chris Gonzalez3 said:Sure, he’s a cute little thing, but breathing isn't exactly easy right now.😢
I'm terrified, and the post-op pain is daunting, but anesthesia remains a complete mystery to me.😁 Even the smart ones fear the unknown, so I suppose I'm no exception.😁

I'm not sure if you've had surgery yet, but when I went through this exact procedure, I was absolutely petrified. When I pulled up to the hospital, I honestly thought I was saying my final goodbyes to the world.🤣 By the time they came to get me, I was shaking. They give you a pill first, and within minutes, it's pure bliss—all the fear and anxiety just vanish. You stay awake for maybe fifteen minutes before drifting off into a perfect sleep. When I woke up, I couldn't believe it was already over. The pain wasn't even that bad; honestly, I deal with worse cramps during my period while trying to make it through a workday.😁 Usually, you just take some Advil. A few days later, they removed some metal hardware from my nose. They didn't stuff my nose with gauze or anything, and when they took the pieces out, it stung for a second or two, but that was it.🙂

Scott Allen10 said:Generally, there isn't a set waiting period between anesthesias if everything went fine and there aren't any complications... though a surgeon might suggest an interval depending on the specific procedure...

Thanks a lot. 🙂

I have what might seem like a silly question, but I’d really appreciate some clarity here.
In about a month, I’m scheduled for nose surgery under general anesthesia. Since my cycle is pretty irregular, I’m wondering: what happens if my period starts on the actual day of the procedure? Is that a contraindication for the surgery itself, or specifically for the general anesthesia? Or are the two completely unrelated? Just for context, I’m not on any oral contraceptives or other medications.
Thanks in advance for any insight.🙂

I guess it really just depends on which hospital you're dealing with. Some places will actually ask if you're expecting your period around the time of your surgery—I've even heard of procedures being postponed because of it—but then again, at the hospital I went to, they didn't even bring it up. If you're traveling from out of town, maybe it's worth calling ahead just to be safe and ask if having your period would affect your surgery date. Personally, I wasn't even sure if my cycle was going to start or not, but they didn't end up needing to reschedule anything since it never actually happened.

Fair enough, but I’d still want a direct answer from the anesthesiologist before I start prepping.

electricangler32 said:Fair enough, but I’d still love to get a definitive answer from an anesthesiologist so we actually know how to prepare ourselves.

When I went in for my groin surgery this past summer, I had a real heart-to-heart with my surgeon about this exact topic. To be honest, most of them couldn't care less whether you're on your period or not when it comes to scheduling. Personally, though? I find the idea of going through with it during my cycle completely unthinkable, especially given the area being operated on. Luckily, I didn't have my period then, but I really can't imagine what that whole situation would have looked like... :/

I think they told me at this new hospital that if I start my period, they won't go through with the sinus surgery. I already waited six months just to get on the schedule, and who knows when I’d be back at the front of the line again!