I’m going under general for the first time in two weeks for a brain biopsy.
Explain it and how it’s safe.
I’m not scared of the biopsy, just the general.
Is that normal?
In: 90
You ever just fall asleep mid afternoon because you’re super tired and then wake up and shocked it’s night time and you didn’t mean to sleep that long?
It’s like that. Except there’s also a signal blocker running interference on pain signals. So stuff doesn’t wake you up until it wears off.
Totally normal to be apprehensive about this. So anesthesia is kind of a marvel of modern science and what a wonderful discovery it is. Without it, things like heart surgery would be excruciating and essentially impossible. Essentially what’s happening is they’re temporarily turning off the signals that make your brain do stuff so that they can do stuff to you.
Is it safe? The answer is **yes**, it’s very safe. But what makes it safe? Well, it’s the anesthesiologist. You have a whole-ass MD (and supporting nursing staff) right there whose sole job is to monitor your vital stats and make sure that you’re getting exactly the right amount of medication for the desired result. They have **one** job to do, and they are **very** good at it. This is why it’s VERY important not to lie to your doctor about your medical history, because there are things that can interfere with anesthesia and make their job harder. So if you’re a smoker, be sure to tell them you’re a smoker. If you have metal pins in your wrist and you think, “*Meh, this is irrelevant…*” NO! Tell your doctor EVERYTHING!
So long as you provide a comprehensive medical history, you can rest assured that you’ll be in good hands.
there is an entire team of people in theatre whose whole job is monitoring the effect of the anaesthetic on you. they do the ‘something went catastrophically wrong with the anaesthetic’ thing in medical TV shows because it’s dramatic and exciting, but in reality (and especially in non emergency situations) it’s very rare for something to go wrong.
my experience was this: I was walked into theatre by one of the surgical team, who made light conversation with me throughout. my dressing gown, slippers, and glasses were all put in a plastic bag and labeled with my name – my other jewellery I’d removed earlier and left with my husband. I lay down on the table, and the anaesthesiologist checked my hands to see which had the better veins. he told me what he was doing before he did each thing – inserting a cannula, injecting the medication. I didn’t have to count backwards or anything. the last thing I remember is thinking, I feel really dizzy but not sleepy at all what happens if I don’t fall asle- and then I was out.
there’s no sensation of time passing like there normally is when you sleep. you probably won’t remember any dreams. you’ll start to wake up in recovery – that’s where they take you after surgery but before returning you to your room/ward, to make sure you get extra monitoring as you come around. my memories of recovery are very hazy, which is normal, you normally wake up a bit and then drift off again a few times.
afterwards your throat will probably hurt a lot, because once you’re out they put a tube down to help with keeping your breathing stable. they should remove it before you wake up. the weirdest immediate after effect for me was I couldn’t tell when my bladder was full, so I had to consciously remember to go for a wee even though it didn’t feel like I needed to.
it’s pretty normal to be nervous of the anaesthetic, I know I was, and the surgical team are used to it. they should explain everything to you and tell you they’re happy to answer any questions you have.
It’s normal to be nervous, but modern anesthetics are very safe when used properly, and there are people in the operating room whose only job is to ensure they’re being used properly.
I’ve been under before. But I can’t tell you what it feels like, because I don’t remember anything. I don’t even remember *nothing*. The doc asked me to count backwards from ten, I think I got to like six or something, and then I was in recovery and the surgery was over. It’s like the time in between just didn’t happen.
I have been under anesthesia a lot
Had stomach surgery and my tonsils got removed when I was 6 (two separate procedures)
Had open heart surgery when I was 20 which was the last of 6 separate procedures that year.
Had another heart surgery when I was 27
Had another stomach surgery when I was 28
Had numerous diagnostic procedures done over the years that needed general anesthesia (including last Thursday)
Generally i remember them injecting the medications, then I remember waking up as if no time passed.
The anesthesiologist should be actively monitoring your stats and they will probably put a tube down your throat to keep your airway from collapsing. You will probably be tired and likely have a sore throat, for a day or two after the surgery.
Nothing is ever completely safe, but I generally trust doctors to take risks into account when suggesting procedures that need general anesthesia.
Anaesthesia is not at all like being asleep, you are completely unconscious but again I have never had an issue, and I have been put under quite a few times.
perfectly normal i was the exact same
whilst i know that wanting to be pre warned i would advise that, unless one turns up here, speak to your anaesthesiologist when you are in the hospital. in my case he sat with me for a good 15-20 minutes answering all the questions that i had about the process. he finished by assuring me that he would be by my side throughout the whole process and that once it was done the nurses would keep a close eye on me as i was coming around
he even offered to do the ‘count backwards from 100’ thing from the movies, apparently it’s not the done thing anymore but a lot of people ask for it anyway
I’ve had general anaesthetic a few times.
They wheel you into the room where the anaesthetist is. He will put something in your IV, assuming it’s already been prepared.
Then he will ask you a few small talk questions or ask you to count backwards from 100.
I don’t think I’ve made it to 95 before suddenly waking up in recovery.
The only negative experience i ever had was after getting my wisdom teeth out but that was because I could smell my own horrible breath in the oxygen mask. Each time I took it off to reduce the smell…. Bam right back unconscious
I just had a colonoscopy last month. One minute I was greeting the doctor, the next I was waking up. It was that fast.
You may have some nausea after you wake up. That’s normal. The anesthesiologist will ask you if you have any adverse reactions to anesthesia. Since this is your first time you may not know. But next time, you can tell them and they can take steps to alleviate it. They put something in my sleepy juice so I don’t throw up anymore.
Anesthesiologist here. Patients tell me all the time that they’re more scared about the anesthesia than the procedure. I still don’t understand why, but it’s a very common feeling. We take care of a lot of very sick people every day, and the vast majority (>99%) make it through just fine. Happy to answer any specific questions you have, but don’t want to be redundant as a lot have answered already.
I’ve been under general anesthesia quite a few times. It is going to feel like a time skip once it is all said and done. They will likely ask you to count backward from 10 then all of a sudden you will be awake. If they ask you if you are uncomfortable just take whatever medicine they offer. It will make the process smoother
I have also had several brain procedures done. Please please please take any nausea and cough medicine they offer. I sprung a CSF leak once and I had to have a redo of my surgical procedure in order to patch the leak.
Please ask me if you have any specific questions.
* a scopolamine patch also worked really well for post-surgery dizziness.
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