With the spinal or epidural they usually give you enough relaxant (sp?) that you'll likely sleep through it anyway. When my O/H had his broken hip and femur fixed, he snored through the whole thing, with a spinal. If you prefer a GA, the anaesthetist usually gives you stuff that stops the barfing before it starts. Good luck.

Had an epidural for childbirth. You won't feel a thing and no you will not be released the same day. The spinal and epidural require that you can take a piss after it has worn off to be sure that your kidney/bladder is back to full function. So you will be confined to the hospital.

I had a local for breast cancer removal and left the same day.

I just ask myself why do they do GAs as routine if an epidural is better/safer??

Anaesthetic risks, dodgy heart and lungs, want the mum to be awake when the babe is born?? Ok then keep em awake.

I dont want to listen to machine sounds and drilling, especially if it was my bones they were drilling. The dentist is bad enough.

Just was talking to a friend (nurse) in my office here at Calgary. Her son-in-law had reconstructive surgery on his knee just recently and came home that evening from the Peter Lougheed Hosp.

As soon as you regain feeling in your legs (after a spinal) and prove that you can P you can go!

Hi Smelly

GA...nowadays the drugs used in GA's are much better than they used to be....a GA involves several drugs injected intravenously, the drugs include muscle relaxants and pain killers. 10 years ago GA's were notorious for causing sickness but today the drugs have changed and the level of sickness and nausea is greatly reduced....if you do feel sick tell your Nurse and she can give you anti sickness drugs. The advantage of GA is as mentioned you are unaware of the events in theatre which can seem and sound horrific (even as a nurse they can be). Your discharge timing will depend upon the drugs given, the surgery and your side effects also in the UK if you have a GA the NHS generally doesnt discharge you same day if you live alone.

Spinals/Epidurals... They do indeed speed up discharge times....once we can ascertain you have bladder control (you have pee'd) and you have full sensation in your legs providing everything else is okay you should be able to go home. We do this to ensure you have recieved no spinal nerve damage. Downside is as mentioned you are aware of everything going on in theatres. Orthopaedic Surgery often has more sedative drugs with the spinal/epidural due to the smell and sounds in Ortho theatres and the time of the surgery involved.

Your Dr will make an assessment of your Anaesthetic risk....you shouldn't be a GA risk unless you have underlying disease that mainly affects your Cardiovascular Function or Respiratory Function.

In my experience, for me....I would always opt for a GA unless minor surgery....just my opinion

Good luck

Julie

bazzz try suicide, you`ll cure so much hurt, upset, and stress

I had a general a couple of years ago. It's brill. Sudden drop to sleep and wake up with several hours missing. Felt perfectly fine. Most modern generals are pretty good with few side effects, and even then they only affect a few people. I was perfectly fine a minute or two after waking.

The decision you need to start with is do you want to be conscious during the op or not? If you don't want to be conscious (would definitely be my choice) then go for the general. If you have some strange fascination with wanting to hear what they are doing to you then go with one of the other two, though it seems like my worst nightmares.

Mrs Blimey (doctor) writing:

spinal and epidural are the same thing, "spinal" being the lay-term.

any anaesthetic injected directly into the spinal cord (which is not what happens in an epidural - it goes into the fluid surrounding the cord) would be a form of local anaesthesia and wouldn't be what you would receive for a knee operation (local would be your knee in this case, obviously).

you can have day surgery with either epidural or GA - it's not the type of anaesthetic but the type of surgery, other medical comorbidities you have and your response to the procedure etc that determines the length of stay, otherwise the anesthetists office would be advising you on this, not the surgeon's office as in your case.

hope that helps.

how old are you?

...... something you should never ask a lady!

Hi Mrs Blimey (doctor)

Our hip and knee replacement patients are routinely offered spinal anesthesia as opposed to GA, unless they have a strong preference or other medical considerations eg previous spinal surgery. I see no reason to say that Smelly's reconstructive surgery would not be done under regional anesthesia.

GA's have a demonstrably higher risk of morbidity/mortality, http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...rtype=abstract and regional spinal/epidural block can lead to better post-op pain relief than GA's followed by PCA, and a faster recovery time.

I'd opt for a spinal personally Mels, given the choice, and if the thought of "hearing/feeling stuff" upsets you, you are usually offered sedation and can listen to music etc so you are unlikely to have much recollection after the event.

Smelly,

Here's a link to the "Knee Guru" site which has some nice info on ACL tears, reconstruction and rehab..... http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEnotes/node/775

Many thanks for the offer Gryph, unfortunately I was at work yesturday. I hope you enjoyed those suasages though


I did have a surgery at the base of my spine, just over 15 years ago I wonder if this still counts.


Thanks Morw The Knee Guru website is a great resource and I have been posting a little on the bulletin board.

I've had a number of reconstructive surgeries on my skull and eventually gave up on the anaesthetics altogether. The anaethetics became an anathema to me, and the saw-bones all proffered the various drugs as panaceas for my "head troubles." I eventually opted for a technique called the stick (q.v. photo).

Thanks for all the other replies too. It seems people have a real mixture of preferences when it comes to anaesthetics .

I guess I will have to see how I feel on the day. I think I might have a few things to consider and chat with the anesthetist about. My mother had DVT from a knee trauma and subsequent surgeries, not sure if that is also a factor to consider. I am guessing this will all be discussed and assessed on the day.

The last time I had a general anaesthetic was a very long time ago and I dont have any recollection of how I felt after the event, as it was an emergency op. in the middle of the night. It does sound like things have moved on in the last 15 years though.

Thanks again all.

I am looking forward to getting the surgeries all over and done with.