Redundant question, but Spinal or General Anesthesia?

I've been searching all through the forums about this question, but I still don't have a solid feel one way or the other. My TAH/BSO is scheduled for 10/22/03, and I will meet with the A-man 10/17/03. My doctor says I have a choice between having a spinal or general anesthesia.

What questions should I ask the A-man on my visit? (I'm considering asking which method do most of the medical professionals choose?)

Can I hear from people who had spinals with side-effects, what the side effects were, and would you choose differently if you had it to do again? Same question for those who had general anesthesia - what side-effects? Would you do it differently?

I've had general anesthesis before which usually makes me throw up, but the last time (6 years ago) with a lap, I didn't have any problems. I had an epidural with my C-section, and also did not have any problems. I've just recovered from bronchitis, which I'm told shouldn't interfere with the surgery, but I'm wondering if a spinal might be a better choice in light of that?

I'm very comfortable about the surgery, and looking forward to a better life than what I have now with the endo pain. The only thing nagging at me is this decision. I would appreciate any suggestions and personal experiences that you care to share.

Thanks in advance!

Dixiegal

Hi There,

I had the spinal for the first time with my TAH on Oct 1/03. I thought it was the best way for me to go because I also get sick from the aneastetic.
It went great. The other good thing about the spinal is you don't require the tube down the throat which makes you cough when you wake up. Also the pain was not as bad becasue I was still frozen when I woke up. I didn't have to wake up to that stabbing pain in recovery until they pumped in the pain meds. It is a gradual increase in pain as the spinal wears off.
They give you drugs to make you drowsy and you don't even know what is really going on.
I am in Canada and that is the way it is done here, maybe ask about the drugs they will give you will a spinal.

I would recomend the spinal, it was great.

Best of luck!

Michelle

Here's a link that may help you out a little. s
https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/sho...ghlight=Spinal

Make sure you mention the problem about any nausea in the past. It's possible they gave you some good antinausea meds last time to prevent you from getting sick. Good luck with your decision. Here's another link about nausea. https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/sho...ghlight=nausea

I had a general. Absolutely no problems at all. The new anesthetic agents don't have as many side effects as the ones in use only a few years ago. I went to sleep in the OR and woke up in the recovery room. There was little post-operative pain. Didn't have any coughing or sore throat. The anesthesiologist recommended a general...but that may have been because I used to work there and they know how much I talk normally! They probably figured it was the only way to keep me from talking their ears off!

Do what you feel most comfortable with, if there was a definite reason for one or the other in your case, they wouldn't have given you the choice!

Good luck.

Hi, I had my TAH about a week ago with a spinal. I've had bad experiences in the past with general anesthesia--mostly just feeling weak and dopey for nearly two weeks after, which I hated. Also, the idea of a tube in my throat freaked me out. So I was really committed to having a spinal. I knew it would be a long surgery and was worried about remaining calm during the whole thing.

It turned out I didn't remember anything from the time I got on the table until I woke up in recovery. I didn't get general anesthesia, but I was doped up on something that made me forget all about what happened. Apparently I was quite chatty and wide awake, but I remember nothing.

Apart from the weirdness of wondering what I might have said (!!!), the spinal was a great choice for me. I had no immediate pain in recovery, which was really nice. I was completely lucid, was told everything had gone well, and was feeling no pain! It was kind of rough later, coming off the spinal and going onto the morphine, but that's probably an issue of good or bad pain management and not the kind of anesthesia you get.

Good luck with your decision--I imagine you won't go wrong either way.