Anesthesia, Resuscitation, and ICU: Q&A

No, I’m not headed to the hospital either—I'm right here in Cleveland. Honestly, I think it happened because I asked the nurse when she was scheduling me to make sure everything wrapped up before 1:00 PM, since that's when I need my dose. She probably just did me a favor and listened.

Karen Clark12 said:To whom it may concern,

I’ve had two surgeries at a general hospital before, and the anesthesia was brutal both times. I have a septoplasty scheduled for April 3rd, and honestly, just thinking about being stuck vomiting for hours with nasal packing in makes me panic. A nurse from a different department mentioned there’s an injection specifically for nausea that I could request. Is that actually true? I haven't met with the anesthesiologist yet, so I'm looking for any info anyone can provide.
LP

Can someone please answer?

Karen Clark12 said:Hey everyone, hope you're all doing great.

I’ve already had two surgeries at the general hospital, and honestly, the anesthesia always absolutely wrecks me. I have a septoplasty scheduled for April 3rd, and just thinking about the aftermath—being stuck with those nasal tampons and dealing with hours of nonstop vomiting—is giving me full-on panic attacks. A nurse from a different ward mentioned that there might be an injection specifically to prevent nausea that I could ask for, but I wasn't sure if she was pulling my leg. I haven't actually sat down for my consultation with the anesthesiologist yet, so I was wondering if anyone here has any insight on this or knows if it's a real thing?
LP Quote

electricangler32 said:I'm actually wondering about the exact same thing myself. The anesthesiologist I saw during my checkup told me that once I'm actually in the OR, I should just speak up and ask them to administer it. My only real worry is whether there'll even be a moment to bring it up amidst all the chaos, you know? And honestly, does anyone actually know the specifics of how it works? Thanks!

Honestly, that whole mess of nausea and vomiting you deal with after surgery? It’s really just your body reacting to those leftover traces of anesthesia still floating around in your system... so there's no real surprise there, I guess. It's pretty much just one of those standard post-op hurdles that comes along for the ride whenever you go under anesthesia.

Depending on what kind of anesthetic they go with and how the anesthesiologist reads the room, it’s pretty much standard practice to give patients an anti-nausea med once the muscle relaxants wear off. Most of the time, we're looking at an IV dose of Reglan or one of those Ondansetron brands like Zofran or Setronon... though around here, we also tend to use Droperidol, specifically things like DHBP or Xomolix. It's all administered intravenously, of course.

Look, we aren't talking about some weird, experimental concoctions or anything crazy like that... it’s just standard medication that gets prescribed when there's a legitimate medical reason for it. At least, that's how it's supposed to work. And honestly, before you head into surgery, just be upfront and tell your anesthesiologist exactly what's worrying you... at the end of the day, the final call is always up to their professional judgment.

Good luck!

Thanks anyway! I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

I’ve already brought this up in this thread, but I haven't received a "professional medical" answer yet. Here’s the deal: I’m scheduled for nose surgery in a week—that part is set in stone. But what I actually want to know is whether having my period during the procedure is allowed. If it’s a no-go, why? I assume it triggers some kind of physiological shift in the body, but how exactly does that work? And does it have any connection to anesthesia at all? I’d really appreciate it if someone with actual expertise could break this down for me.

electricangler32 said:I’ve already brought this up in this thread, but I haven't received a "professional medical" answer yet. Basically, I’m scheduled for nose surgery in a week—that part is set. But what I really want to know is whether it's okay to be on my period during the operation. If not, why? I assume it somehow affects bodily changes, but how exactly? And does it have any connection (if any) to the anesthesia? I would truly appreciate it if someone with expertise could explain all of this.

If I recall correctly, I told you before that you shouldn't have surgery while on your period. That’s what they told me when I went in for sinus surgery. As for the reason, I don't know.

Good grief, that’s exactly why I said I already asked! Look, I realize there are rules and protocols, but I don't care about the fine print right now—I want a straight answer from my anesthesiologist. What are the actual risks if I undergo surgery while on my period? That is the specific question I am asking, and nothing else.

electricangler32 said:I've already asked this on this thread, but I haven't gotten a "professional medical" answer yet. So, here's the deal: I'm heading in for nose surgery in a week—already known. But honestly, I'm wondering if it's okay to be on my period during the operation? If not, why? I'm guessing it affects how the body reacts somehow, but how exactly? And does it have anything to do with anesthesia? I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me a professional breakdown.

You definitely shouldn't. Every time I book a surgery, they ask when my cycle is so they can schedule it during my off weeks. During surgery, you lose quite a bit of blood, especially with nose procedures—unless it's an emergency, which yours isn't. You'll need less blood loss to recover properly, and it puts way less stress on your system. Doctors don't know your specific flow or how much blood you lose, so just imagine: dealing with your usual period bleeding on top of surgery and meds? That’s just asking for trouble for your body. Once the surgery wears you out, you'll barely be able to get up, let alone be running to the bathroom every two hours to change pads. It's honestly weird they didn't mention this to you...

The nurse at the desk told me they don't perform surgeries during that specific window, but she didn't give me a reason why. I’m scheduled to get my period the day after surgery, so it shouldn't be an issue—I won't be in pain and there isn't much blood involved anyway. Honestly, my cycles are incredibly irregular, so this timing actually worked out perfectly. It’s a relief to have the procedure set for the day before it starts; who knows how long I would have been stuck waiting if I had to time everything perfectly?

electricangler32 said:The nurse at the desk told me they don't perform surgery during that time, but I was curious why. I’ll actually be getting my period the day after surgery, so it’s not like I'm in pain or anything. But since my cycles are super irregular anyway, it worked out perfectly that the appointment fell right before it starts—who knows how long I would've waited for everything to line up if it hadn't!

It would be totally perfect if you didn't have to deal with it at all for a few days post-op, but if you mentioned it and the nurse didn't flag anything, then you should be fine... honestly, with all the pre-surgery stress and excitement, your cycle might even end up being a few days late!😁

Karen Clark12 said:Ideally, you wouldn't have to deal with even a couple of days of downtime after surgery. But if you already mentioned it to them and the nurse didn't bat an eye, then it’s probably fine. Honestly, between the stress and the pre-op jitters, you might just end up pushing things back by a few days anyway. 😁

It’s possible. Honestly, after surviving childbirth without any anesthesia—and not even touching a single pill since then—I can probably handle this too, if God wills it! 😁

The short, blunt answer—if you want one—is that during your period, your metabolism undergoes this specific shift where things tend to speed up significantly. Because of that, an anesthesiologist isn't exactly eager to gamble with the rapid absorption of anesthetic drugs... which, to make matters more complicated, could potentially interfere with the menstrual cycle itself or mess with blood clotting issues... so, there you have it! You have the rapid absorption factor, and then there's the issue of contraindications with other physiological imbalances...😉

Hey,
Quick question. Who actually handles the local anesthesia during minor procedures, like a lipoma removal? Is that the anesthesiologist's job or the surgeon's?

Thanks,

Henry Richardson91 said:Hey there,
I was wondering if anyone could clarify something for me. When it comes to minor procedures, like getting a lipoma removed, who is actually responsible for administering the local anesthesia? Is it the anesthesiologist or the surgeon?

Thanks

The surgeon.

Thanks, Angela Wright

I'm scheduled for a laparoscopy to deal with an ovarian cyst, and my doctor mentioned it doesn't matter if I happen to be on my period at the time. Is that really true???
Well, what am I even supposed to make of that? ://

I am reaching out to ask for some help from kind souls out there... I have a breast surgery scheduled for this coming Tuesday. I deal with a very specific issue where just seeing a blood pressure cuff or an EKG monitor makes my heart race uncontrollably; because of that, my heart rate was sitting at 126 beats per minute during my check-up, even though everything else looked perfectly fine. Last year, I had to undergo a similar procedure (with a similarly erratic EKG), and back then, the anesthesiologist carefully reviewed all my previous medical records and the Holter monitor results I had provided, which showed no underlying issues. Everything went smoothly with the surgery itself. Now, however, my anesthesiologist is recommending that I take Ormidol—which my primary care physician is practically forcing me to take right now because she knows my heart tends to race due to anxiety. I am in a state of absolute panic. What if my irrational brain wins and my heart starts racing again during the premedication? Will they refuse to operate on me then? Please, I need some comfort. Is there any way to stabilize this? All the Ormidol does is make me sleepy...
Thank you for the response.

You’re going to sleep like a baby, so please don't get all worked up over those "what if" scenarios... just relax and stop stressing about things that aren't even going to happen. Honestly, having a bit of general panic, some anxiety, or feeling a little spooked is totally fine; it's just part of being a normal person when you're trying to navigate your own health stuff.

Thanks so much for getting back to me!! I was wondering, could I run into any issues if I take Ormidol for the four days leading up to my surgery? Yesterday, I checked my blood pressure and it was sitting at 100/60, with my heart rate down to 50 beats per minute. Honestly, I felt like I was just wandering around my house like a zombie... I'm really hoping they can manage to calm my nerves once I get settled into the hospital.

Hi there, I was wondering—how exactly do doctors determine if I’m actually fit for surgery just by looking at my blood work, chest X-rays, and urine tests? I'm scheduled for an ovarian cyst removal, but it makes me nervous. What happens if there’s an underlying issue with my large or small intestine that hasn't been caught yet? Or even some other general health problem that I have absolutely no clue about?