what kind of anesthesia is best?

When I went for my pre-op yesterday I was shown a paper with 5 different types of anesthesia. I have to pick one out but I dont know which is best. I was told by a friend to pick the kind that goes in you spine. But can anyone help me figure which one really is best.

Thanks so much

Hi Christie,

Five different types ... hmmm, I'm really only familiar with the option of general anesthesia or epidural. Eveyone seems to have their own personal preference here ... some women feel strongly that they do not want to be completely unconscious so they prefer epidural anesthesia where they are numb in the areas where surgery is taking place, but still awake. Other women do NOT want to be awake, so they prefer general anesthesia.

I'm not sure what the specifics are of all the choices you have been given, but perhaps they are variations of the two types I've listed. Did you gyn tell you what he/she suggests? If you've ever had surgery before, you may have a preference based on that experience too. There's really no rule about what is "best" - it's whatever you prefer and what your doctor indicates as the choices.

Keep us posted on what you decide. Sending hugs your way.

Beth

Gee, I'm very surprised. I've never offering the patient the choice what type of anesthesia they want. Most patients do not have any clue as to what type of anethesia is best for them as they simply don't have the medical training to make that type of choice. I'm a nurse practitioner and I spent 10 years as a nurse anesthetist; I can't ever remember offering a non-clinician a choice!

You need to have a long chat with the anesthetist about this. You should be very involved in deciding what's best for you, but you can't pick the "best" without knowing what the choices are and what the pros and cons of each are.

For my LAVH/BSO at the end of the month, I will be very involved in the choice of anesthesia, but I won't make that decision alone. Both the anethesiologist and my surgeon will have a say in the matter, along with me!

Here's a link to a very informative website from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, of which I am a member:

http://www.aana.com/patients/having.asp

There is a lot of very good information here written by nurses for the patient to make an informed choice about anethesia care.

Check it out and work with your anesthesiologist to make the right choice for you!