TVH~Spinal Block or General Anesthetic!?!

Hi again!

I want to thank everyone who shared information with me about their experience with having a TVH, I really appreciated!

I noticed a few of you said you had a spinal block and sedation instead of general anesthetic, and I was wondering if you would mind answering a few more questions for me!?!

Was it requested or the docs preferred method?

What do think the advantages/disadvantages are vs. the two options?

If you had a spinal block, how aware of the surgery were you?

I like the idea of a spinal block, but at the same time it scares me to think I will be aware of what is happening! Thanks in advance!~Carebear

Hi Carebear,

I requested the spinal because I was afraid of the general. I absolutely loved it! You can be as aware or as unaware as you wish. I was somewhere between the I don't care and I don't know mode. I did kind of wake up enough to ask two questions but I was not freaked out at all. Whatever they gave me made me feel very relaxed and peaceful and I snoozed. I would like to have some of that at home. haha If I would have told them I wanted to be completely unaware, I don't think I would have even woke up at all. The whole surgery seemed like it took about 5 minutes to me.

I was so alert and up and around quickly after the surgery. I felt great and still do for the most part. I know with a general you can feel kind of sick, slow, and out of it for a few days. We all react differently to anesthesia but for me the spinal was exactly the right thing to do and I would do it again.

Good luck making your decision.

I agree with Teresa. Although I had a TAH my doc suggested that I go with the spinal. He said he was having very good success with it. It was painless and when I got to the OR they went ahead and knocked me completely out. Next thing I knew, I was in recovery. I guess we think that since so many women have this procedure when having C-sections and they are awake, that we will be too. They will make sure that you arent aware of what is going on with this type of surgery. I had no nausea or sick feeling at all. I was up walking (a few steps) that night. I am glad I took my doctors advise. Its the way to go if you ask me. I watched my hubby go through 2 surgeries with general anes. and he was a sick puppy for at least 48 hours and also had gas lodged in his shoulder. I knew if I ever had surgery, I didnt want to experience what he did! Everyone is different, but personally I am glad I went for the spinal.
Good luck to you Carebear in whatever you decide.

Hi again, Carebear

The anesthesiologist suggested the spinal with sedation to me in the pre-op area, after I told him about problems I've had with general anesthesia in the past. General anesthesia always makes me extremely nauseous, and gives me terrible headaches. And one time, my front dental work got knocked out while I was being intubated for general anesthesia, and I woke up missing my favorite teeth, which were, as it turned out, in my husband's pocket! Not a good memory.

I remember the anesthesiologist injecting medication into my IV in Pre-op. The next thing I remember is being fully awake in Recovery.

I remember absolutely nothing about the surgery. I did itch a lot in Recovery, because the spinal contained a med related to morphine, and I'm allergic to morphine. The nurse gave me benadryl, and no more itching. Also, NO nausea, and NO headache. No missing teeth, obviously.

I was able to walk shortly after I got to my room. I threw up once in the hospital, about four in the morning, probably because I was drinking cranberrry juice on an empty stomach. The cranberry juice was intended to help prevent a urinary tract infection from the urinary catheter. After I got sick, I persuaded my nurse to take out the catheter.

Common side effects of general anesthesia include nausea, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, and a generalized "hangover" feeling. Some people experience heavier bleeding after a general. The spinal with sedation was the way to go for me! Obviously, you'll need to discuss this with your surgeon and anesthesiologist.

Good luck with your surgery, Carebear

I'm not sure if you only wanted to hear from those that had spinal blocks and if so- just pass on over my post. LOL

I had a TVH and they gave me the choice right before surgery (to my surprise) and I chose general anesthesia. I chose this because I didn't want to be aware AT ALL- mostly because I know I will ask questions and talk a lot just like I did during the c-sections I'd had previously and also because I didn't want to find out in any way possible during surgery if they had to go to doing it abdominally because of scar tissue/etc. I knew it would upset me for lot's of reasons (mostly because of the longer hospital stay/etc and how it would interefere with nursing my daughter/etc etc) I also really didn't like the idea of yet another time something being stuck in my back/spinal area. I'd already had epidurals 3 times and didn't want to test fate. I know it's rare but I have a friend that ended up with all sorts of problems after her epidural when she had her baby.

Anyways, I was out of it after they got me on the surgical "table" (that's what it looked like to me! LOL) and all I remember is them putting the gas mask on and then waking up in recovery. I has surgery at 9:30am- I only remember waking up at 3:30pm in recovery although my path report says they woke me before taking me to recovery. LOL And I left THAT NIGHT... in other words I got up quickly afterwards, urinated, ate, drank, passed gas, etc. I know that might not be normal for everyone. Because I know with a D&C I'd had in the past with general anesthesia that I developed fluids in the lungs afterwards.

Good luck in your decision.. I just wanted to say how well general anesthesia worked for me and I hope whichever you decide that you are up and feeling well very quickly after surgery.

Thanks to everyone for the great info! Shellbelle yes I wanted to hear about general too I guess I worded it more towards the spinal block, but I want to know everything there is to know about everything! LOL

The idea of a spinal block is really sounding like the way to go for me, I am so glad I was able to find this site and can't wait to go and bombard my doc with all of my questions! LOL Thanks again everyone and I hope your recoveries continue to go well!~Carebear