Anesthesia?

anonemouse · January 5, 2007

To be honest, this is what I am worrying about the most, as I get closer to being approved. My mom had both knees replaced a couple of years ago, and the only problem she had was related to the anesthesia and post-surgery pain killers. She said they made her feel so bad that she wasn't sure she would survive being in the hospital, and that it was a few months before she was anywhere close to her former self. A couple of days after the surgery, she had them take her off all pain killers other than an occasional regular Tylenol, which I can't even imagine after having both knee joints replaced. I am really nervous about this, because my (hopefully) last semester in grad school is starting this month, and I will probably be having surgery during the semester if approved.

shutuplena · January 5, 2007

There's no reason to think that you'll have the same reaction as your mom. Unless you've had any kind of reaction before? Talk to your surgeon about your fears and see what he says. Pain killers didn't agree with me after the surgery, made me very nauseous, but I didn't really need them. I had no adverse reaction to the anesthesia but I suggest you talk to the surgeon who can speak with the anesthesiologist and you'll work things out. Hang in there! You'll be fine.

anonemouse · January 5, 2007

The only reason I am sort of worried about it is because it apparently runs in my mom's family. Her sister had the same reaction when she had a surgery. I have never been under anesthesia before, so I don't know how I will react.

enterprise01 · January 5, 2007

I'm not banded yet but hope to have it done by the end of the month. I have however had more than a dozen surgeries and each time the anesthesia has had a slightly different effect. The first few times, I suffered severe nausea. And one time I had a horrible burning sensation in my veins. Now, I make sure to always talk with the anesthesiologist before I'm sedated. They have much better meds than they did 15 or 20 years ago, so I no longer get nausea. I tell the doc to give me IV anti-nausea meds before I wake up. We also determined that the burning sensation was from valium, which they no longer give me.

Talk about your concerns with the anesthesiologist. Let him know your family history with anesthesia, and I'm sure he'll be able to adjust the meds accordingly.

The part of all this that I'm dreading is the pain from the carbon dioxide that they pump into you during laparoscopic procedures. When I had a tubal, the pain from the gas was much, much worse than the pain from the surgery.

lisah25 · January 5, 2007

I second the suggestion to talk to your anesthesiologist.

I would think also that the lap-band surgery is shorter then knee replacements, esp if she had them both at the same time. I've heard that the longer you are under, the more likely reactions are.

cindylouwho · January 5, 2007

Hi Laurend -

My biggest fear about the surgery was the reaction to anesthesia too. I (and my mother and sister) have horrible nausea and vomiting after anesthesia and I was scared to death that throwing up after getting my band would damage it (or me) in some way. I was not sick when I woke up... not even a little. I was very surprised. Another of my doctors told me that people who do get sick usually do so following surgery to the breast, eyes, ears, or head. Don't know why, but in my case, it's true. Hope that helps! Good luck and happy banding!

cindylouwho