ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: stephSF on December 14, 2011, 11:09:00 pm
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Hi. Does anyone know or have personal
Experience regarding how far down do we really go.
We heard that I might be brought to a twilight
Level during surgery to respond to requests to blink, purse
Lips. I want the real truth my friends!
Stephanie
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As far as I know you are under for the duration of the surgery but I haven't personally experienced it yet. I have heard of other brain surgeries where you are conscious or semiconscious for part or all but I don't think they do that for AN's.
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AN surgery is done under general anesthesia. You will be all the way out for the duration of the surgery!
Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)
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Stephanie .....
I am not a doctor, but I have never heard of anyone having surgery for an AN who was not totally under general anesthesia for the procedure. Some patients for treatment of other brain disorders, such as Parkinson's are partially awake to respond to commands ..... but this is not necessary during AN surgery. Your auditory and facial nerves (and possibly the trigeminal nerve) are monitored via electrodes on the exterior surface ..... along with all of your vital signs being monitored. You will be totally unaware of any of it from arriving in the surgery room until you are in recovery.
Clarice
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I was totally out.
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Hi Staretsfoote,
Having surgery made me very interested in the brain and brain surgery. I'm not a doctor, and I could be wrong, but surgery for an AN never involves actual brain matter. From what I have learned, the only time it could involve brain matter is if the tumor has grown quite large. Having said all of that, I have read and seen on television where a person who has had brain surgery that involved going into brain matter was kept awake. However, from what I have learned about the removal of an AN, the patient is knocked out ! I was sedated for about 6 hours, and wouldn't want to be awake for something like that. I hope that answers your question.
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I was worried about the same thing, so asked my doc, he sorta laughed and assured me I would be totally out. And I was knocked out completley.
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you are completely out! there is no need to keep any kind of awakeness for this type of surgery.
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The last thing I remember before they put me out is the beautiful blue eyes of the girl (Dr. or nurse?? Didn't matter to me at the time.) holding the mask over my mouth. A minute later I recall a nurse hollering at me to wake up. I'd been in surgery for 8 hours and I'm pretty sure I was all the way out.
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I guess anesthesiologist's protocol must be very different in different medical centers. I do not remember having a mask over my face for a surgery in a long time.
On this last AN surgery, the team in the surgical suite were very professional but very aware of me as a person ..... joking with me as they completed the prep stuff. Just before I drifted off (via IV administration) one of them said "Well, time to take a little nap."
When I woke up a nurse was there but very calmly saying "Surgery is over but don't try to open your eyes, you will feel better." Apparently I had already tried to open them.
I'm sure there are lots of variations on going to sleep and waking up.
Clarice
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I guess anesthesiologist's protocol must be very different in different medical centers. I do not remember having a mask over my face for a surgery in a long time.
On this last AN surgery, the team in the surgical suite were very professional but very aware of me as a person ..... joking with me as they completed the prep stuff. Just before I drifted off (via IV administration) one of them said "Well, time to take a little nap."
When I woke up a nurse was there but very calmly saying "Surgery is over but don't try to open your eyes, you will feel better." Apparently I had already tried to open them.
I'm sure there are lots of variations on going to sleep and waking up.
Clarice
I don't think they used the mask continuously. I do remember her saying as she placed the mask " this is going to help put you to sleep now." Then when I didn't go to sleep right away, she said "remember, you need to breath for this to work". I guess I wasn't breathing deep enough for the gas to work like it should. One deep breath after that and I was out. Anyway, I know I was intubated for the surgery and don't believe the "gas" was used for the whole procedure. I just assumed it was used to help me go under while they prepped for surgery.
They used a mask when I was anesthsetized for my last MRI as well. I know they used something in the IV line too. Again, they intubated me for the MRI. I guess I was in the tube for three hours. I would have been absolutely crazy if they hadn't put me out. Extremely claustrophobic. And once again, loud questions and sternum rub to get me to respond as I was coming to.
Different protocols, as you say.
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For the newbies on here, I have to say I think your situation must have warranted something very unusual from the norm. I have had numerous MRIs and most were 45 minutes in length (with a break in the middle to administer the dye). I did have one MRI for my back that was 90 minutes long, but that was because they actually did two separate tests one after the other.
I have never been anesthetized for any MRI either.
Just did not want new people to think this was automatically part of the process to be anesthetized for MRIs (at least not where I have gone ..... in the United States).
Clarice
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Thank you all. I do not want to be awake or even gasses
For that matter. I am scheduled for translation Jan
25 at House Ear Institute. I just want everything
To be ok. I get pretty freaked out every so
Often. My ear feels fuller...but I know I shouldn't
Feel it getting bigger since my diagnosis on
Nov 18. Glad people understand this whole
Situation we are all going through at various levels.
Anyone else a singer or musician here?
Stephanie
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Knocked right out! For the full 15 hours and then some, woke up around noon the next day on the ventilator! Last thing I remembered was then starting an IV (apparently I fainted at the sight of it......some nurse I am eh?)
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Hi Stephanie,
I had my AN surgery with the doctors from the HEI in September of this year. From my experience I would have to say you are in excellent hands. Whatever questions and fears you may have regarding any part of the prep., surgery and post-op will be addressed as you present these issues to your team. They are AMAZING. A piece of advise from my anesthetist which I will share with you...clear your mind, be at peace, use zen, pray or whatever gets you to a happy and relaxed state...whatever your mindset going in to surgery will be what you come out of it with. That was very reassuring to me and it worked. I felt at peace entering the surgical room and the same when I awoke.
My experience included no gas mask. I drifted off to sleep very easily with the IV injection and awoke to an outstanding nurse by my side giving me comforting advice to keep my eyes shut and just rest.
I hope and pray for your successful proceedure and healing journey.
Kathy
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I was out 15.5 hours straight under an operative microscope. Woke up in the ICU completely intubated. I couldn't talk because of a feeding tube but was so out of it at the time I couldn't understand why. I eventually got a hold of my surgical report and it referred to "endotrachial anesthesia". It took a while for my voice to get back to normal.
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I'm not a doctor, or a nurse, or an anesthesiologist, but I've never heard of AN surgery being done without general anesthesia - as in, you are definitely knocked completely out. 1) AN surgery is very invasive and 2) it's typically a very long surgery.
BAHA implant surgery on the other hand, can be done with local anesthesia; I had mine that way. General anesthesia is also an option though.
Have always been wide awake for all my MRIs.
Jan
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My wife is a drug rep and used to sell a drug that disables your muscles during the surgery. You may have read about people that have had that drug, cannot move, and then they were never given the medicine that knocks them out, and they are awake during the surgery, suffering as they are operated on. They cannot defend themselves because they cannot move. They do not give you this drug during this surgery. They stimulate your facing nerve during the surgery to determine that it is still working, and they need your facial muscles to move. Other than that, you are out BIG TIME.
I had a BAHA abutment implanted during my surgery, and it was closed over and not exposed. Three months later I had another surgery to expose the abutment and scalp the skull tissue around the abutment. I was given verset (sp) to knock me out, but I woke up during the surgery and spoke with the doctor and his staff of nurses...they were a little suprised. My scalp was so full of some drug that there was no pain. I think most people even get a BAHA just under a local, and never get knocked out like I did.
I have had several surgeries and every time I get put under, it feels like I just blinked my eyes and then woke up. There is no concept of time. It is not unpleasant and there is nothing to fear.
James
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I am feeling confident about going under now. Thank you for the replies
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Could someone tell me if they meet their anastesiologist(sp?) during pre-op? Or just right before surgery? I want to let them know that my past surgery (eye surgery) I woke up vomiting from the anastesia. Yes this is how I woke up :o
I want to make sure they give me something to help prevent this.
Thanks
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Could someone tell me if they meet their anastesiologist(sp?) during pre-op? Or just right before surgery? I want to let them know that my past surgery (eye surgery) I woke up vomiting from the anastesia. Yes this is how I woke up . I want to make sure they give me something to help prevent this. Thanks
Mindy ~
I met my anesthesiologist about a half-hour before my surgery. I believe this is the standard protocol in most all hospitals. I was asked about any problems with anesthesia in the past (like you, I also had experienced severe nausea) and they were noted. I did not have any nausea problems after my AN surgery.
Jim
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Thank you Jim. I sure hope that they give me something for it. I understand nausea but I don't want to wake up throwing up again. That is an awful way to wake up ;D
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Hi Mindyandy - I met with an anethesia nurse at my pre-op and then met the anethesia MDs just prior to surgery.
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Any procedure I have ever had done I met with the anesthiologist prior to surgery. I have had issues in the past of not waking up quickly enough. With the brain surgery I didn't meet the doc until about 30mins prior to surgery. I thought it was strange....but everything turned out fine