Spinal anesthesia for upcoming hysterectomy?

HI...I'm new and getting ready to schedule my hysterectomy. Doctor wants to try to do an LAVH/BSO with regional anesthesia. Has anybody had this successfully? If not LAVH/BSO then with TAH/BSO? Scared completely of being "put to sleep."

My older sister had her TAH/BSO with this type of anesthesia and she did just fine. Talk to your doctor about what to expect during surgery. My sis is a nurse so all the medical talk going on around her during surgery didn't bother her. It would have bothered me. She also said she could feel slight pulling and tugging. Ask lots of questions before you decide to go this route. Best of luck to you!

I wanted a spinal but my dr. said it would be best for me to go with the general anes. And if you are freaked about being awake and hearing everything you could ask for versaid (spelling?). It's an amnesiac medication so you wouldn't remember anything about the surgery. Hope all goes well for you! Take Care!!!

Hi Janet

Lot's of folks are fearful of being put to sleep, so you aren't alone there. I'm o.k. with general anesthesia, but I'm also o.k. with being awake and aware of what's going on, so I asked my doctor if spinal anesthesia was an option with my LAVH. He said it "can" be done if they must, but isn't recommended with LAVH due to the gas they inflate into the abdomen/pelvis and the patient positioning, etc. - So I had the standard general.

The anesthesiologists typically meet with the patient before surgery, but you might even check with the hospital to see if you could talk with an anesthesiologist now to have some questions answered or fears addressed, if you think that might be helpful.

I'll be thinking of you. Please let us know what you decide.

s,
Beth

Beth,

Thank you SO much for replying back! I am scheduled to talk to the anesthesiologist in 2 days. I am really afraid but your care and concern helps a lot! I'll let you know what they/me decide about anesthesia.

Janet

HI, I had a spinal for my dec. 29 tvh. I liked it.
They added versed and some antinausea med to my iv as soon as i hit the or and i didn't feel/remember a thing. I woke up without pain or being sick to stomach.
My advice however would be to ask for additional pain med when you feel pain kicking in. I had an iv with strong antiinflammatory meds in it but need some darvocet added. I wish i had just had the darvocet as i was beginning to feel sensation...that and i needed to be catherized for my first urine elimination. But
another advantage of the spinal was no sore throat which i think I might have had with a general. anne

Thanks Anne for your story. That helps me tremendously. Hope mine will go the same way.

Janet

I had a spinal block with my last c=section and though infrequent, it can cause a spinal headache that is sooo painful that I ended up back in the hospital a week later. I could not move. The puncture did not heal because I got out of bed too quickly and did not stay on my back long enough. Needless to say, I am about to have my hysterectomy on Jan 20 and will go for the GA this time, no spinals for me!

Hi Janet :dance2:

When I was preparing for my D&C with hysteroscopy recently, during which we used spinal, I specifically asked about spinal headaches. The newer method does not usually cause headaches anymore because the medication itself is different than what they used to use, but also and especially because they now use a much finer needle to administer it. I had no headache whatsoever. The funny part about a spinal is that they turn you on your side to administer it, so the side that is down gets a little bit more. When you "thaw out" afterwards gravity plays a part. So your tummy thaws out before your buns and, in my case, the left side thawed out before the right side. Ha! Someone suggested that the last thing to thaw out is your bladder and you can't go home until you've pee'd. Well, my bladder did just great thawing out, and was ready before my right leg was! Ha! It wasn't terrible, though. I did try to wiggle my toes and legs alot to make the thawing out happen faster, but I think it didn't much help anyway, and one could strain a muscle by forcing it when you can't feel it. So, maybe just go with the flow there.
All the best as you make ~your~ decision.
XOXOXXX Kythe

Oh, I just caught up with the dates, here.
Janet, did you talk with the anesthesiologist yesterday as planned?
How did it go for you? Were you satisfied?
No hurry. Just thinking of you.