Anyone had LAVH with twilight and epidural?

Hi everyone,
I'm not a new member here but I haven't posted really much at all. I actually chickened out of my first scheduled hysterectomy back in 2004 when I joined this site and have been getting worse and worse, to the point that it's now or death! ) : Can't deal with pain anymore!!

I have lot's of fibroids, none too huge (largest about silver dollar size) but my doc says I'm "peppered" with them and tons of them. I have a very enlarged uterus which is retroverted AND tilted backwards, go figure. The main reason I'm doing this is because of severe lower back pain but I also have extreme periods that are very heavy and last about 9 to 10 days now.

I'm so excited and so scared at the same time. It's the weirdest feeling. I had my labs done and EKG on Friday and wondered why they waited so long for me to do them? I am not scheduled to see my doc again until day of surgery. I have WPW, which is a heart condition but I've had other surgeries so don't think that is a problem. I spoke to an anestigiologist (sp) yesterday on the phone because I had read on here that a lot of ladies have epidural and twilight and they had me scheduled for general. I really prefer not to go under general but he said that with Laproscopic they can't do twilight because of the gas they pump into your abdomen and I wouldn't be able to breath. Has anyone had LAVH with twilight and epidural?

Sorry so long, just need some support. Really nervous!!!!

Leesa

Sorry....I had general with my LAVH. What is 'twilight'?

twilight is basically a cocktail of drugs that just make you sleep but they don't have to put a tube down your throat and it's so much easier coming out of. My other surgeries that I've had with general seem to take like 4 weeks to get back. I'm so tired afterwards, like needing 2 or 3 naps a day and with a two year old now, that will not be possible!

How is your recovery going? I would love to hear all about your experience if you want to share. Thanks for replying to my post. ( :
Leesa

I'm doing good. I'm still sore though but it's managable. I went to the hospital Tuesday 5/6 and had the general anesthesia. They apparently started me on morphine before I woke up because I work up hurting pretty bad and I remember them saying something about giving me something else which turned out to be dillaudid (sp?). It worked great! I slept alot that day and they had me on a liquid diet. My DBF had to help me eat my broth cause I would fall asleep with the spoon half way to my mouth! The staff was great too. Anything I needed they got me fast and was wonderful about checking on me too. The next day I was on a regular diet and came home after lunch. I was still sleeping a lot though. I would sleep for a couple hours then be up for a couple hours and be back out again. I've been awake more now where I might take 2 naps during the day. I'm taking it easy and not doing too much yet because I don't want to over do anything. I've have had some sweating spells so I guess my ovaries aren't back on track totally yet. I haven't had a lot of gas but when I do it hurts until I get it off. It also takes awhile to have a BM. I finally able to have one this morning.....YAY! Oh yeah, my throat didn't bother me from the tube like it did when I had a D&C in '93. I was surprised about that! I feel like I'm rambling.....probably because of my pain meds (percocet). So I think I will take a nap now. Anything else you want to know just ask! A LAVH isn't bad at all like you would think it would be! ttyl

Hi i had a tvh on the 28th of april under a spinal anesthetic no other medication they did offer me sedation on top but i wanted to be totally aware of what was happening i had spinal as iam a bad asthmatic and i have a hole in my heart i can throughly recommend a spinal you are numb from your waist down and they blew my stomach up so they could have a good look at my ovaries at the same time my op took 1 hour and the spinal took 7 hours to wear off. i dint feel anything during surgery and i was able to chat to the surgeons through out the op i was allowed out of the castle after 2 days and havnt needed any pain relief at all
ask for some more information on spinal anesthetics i know they are different to epidurals but im not a doctor . i do know that they can also do a tah with a spinal as i asked my surgeon what would happen if they found anything that needed doing they said they could open me up abdominally under the spinal no problem as i refused to eve have a general sorry im going on a bit arent i lol!! hope that helps if you want any more info ill try and help as much as i can
hugs mickey love xxx

Thanks for all the info. I am going to ask morning of surgery if they can do it with a spinal. The anestigiologist I talked to on the phone had said that they couldn't do it because of the gas but if they did with you maybe he was mistaken. I would SOOO much rather go that way. I'm almost considering doing an abdominal instead if they say they can't just so I dont have to go under general. I'm not afraid of it, I've had it before, I just don't want to feel like crap the entire summer because I'm so tired! Thanks again for the posts and I'll keep you all updated. Only 4 more days. ( :

I am very interested, actually would rather have, a spinal and a sedative. My dr didn't mention this and actually said he would know for certain how he would perform my surgery after I was asleep.

I wonder if this means he is only willing to do general. Is it his choice or the pain dr choice or a combo of both? I am more afraid of being sick after the surgery and the tube in my throat than the surgery.

Hi Rosemary,
Why is your dr. not sure about what type of surgery he is going to do? That would be a concern to me, but maybe not in your situation. Why are you having hysterectomy?

I loved the way my anesthesiologist described twilight sedation. He said it puts your brain to sleep, but not your lungs or your bowels, like general. I am having TVH with spinal and twilight sedation on the 12th.

I wonder if they use large amounts of CO2 for TVH? I have done too much research via internet! I'm going to make an appt. with my doctor for Monday or Tuesday to discuss. I am freaking out about the gas they need to use and I don't want general anesthesia! I guess if it comes to that I will deal and do it but I would like to avoid it if possible. Do you know if they will need to use the gas in your abdomen for TVH? Also, you are really close! Good luck to you and you'll be in my thoughts and prayers Monday. ( :