Hysterectomy today 1/19: Spinal or General..???

The Aneathisist (sp) just called and gave me a choice of spinal or general. Many questions???!!!

Interesting! Well with the spinal, you would be awake. I think there's less risk because you will be breathing on your own. The down side is, you will hear everything that's going on. I had spinal anesthesia when my second son was born, and I don't remember anything bad about it- but you have to weigh the fact that you will be semi- aware the whole time vs knocked out.

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Originally Posted by Beth0810 Interesting! Well with the spinal, you would be awake. I think there's less risk because you will be breathing on your own. The down side is, you will hear everything that's going on. I had spinal anesthesia when my second son was born, and I don't remember anything bad about it- but you have to weigh the fact that you will be semi- aware the whole time vs knocked out.

That's what I was worried about but he said he would give me drugs to put me to sleep so I won't be "awake" but not intubated. I have never had general and not sure which is best. But this may be on option...

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Originally Posted by Beth0810 Interesting! Well with the spinal, you would be awake...

Not necessarily. I had an epidural for my hysterectomy and was also giving something to knock me out. I remember doing an "angry cat back" for the insertion of the epidural catheter. The next thing I remember is waking up in my hospital room!

I had both.

My mother in law had a hip replacement a couple of days before my hysterectomy and she was given a spinal because she was terrified of being completely under. They also gave her something to make her sleep so she doesn't remember anything. I think, like someone else posted, the benefit to doing a spinal is you don't have to be intebated.

I was terrified I was told they were doing a spinal...they also gave me meds to knock me out. After I was beyond happy they chose spinal - kept my pain at a minimum for the first day or two!