Spinal block ??? anyone having ???

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Originally Posted by moerem I had a tah/bso march 13. my doc would not do a spinal. he said women get to freak ou cause of tilting the table. so I had general. I was scared silly but it worked out fine

What "table tilt"?

I'm scheduled to have a spinal as well. My doctor has over 30 years of experience and he said by far this is best way to go as it offers much greater pain management and patients prefer this. He said he is also putting me in a twilight sleep via IV because I DO NOT want to know what's going on while they are working down there!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by lorylyn What "table tilt"?

lorylyn:

read post #20. She is so smart !! She sounds like a nurse...gotta love this site !!! Thanks to all!!!

Boomer5,

You are so smart! Thanks for the tip about the twilight sleep. I have no desire to know anything about what is happening.

I am going to ask my GYN to add it to my list! What is your surgery date?

Hi all, I'm having an epidural also. I asked my Dr specifically about the possibility of severe headache afterwards. She said it has decreased substantially now that they use a much smaller needle than they used to.

I sure hope I'll be somewhat asleep though, I don't want to see or hear what they're doing.

callie2550,
glad you posted about the headaches, this eases my mind about that !! thanks

sherri04, you're so welcome. I figure there's so many things to learn & worry about, one less is welcome. Hugs

I just had an epidural. I knew that the anesthesiologist that I was using is extremely good at them, so I had no qualms about it. Besides, I had asked my nuerologist if it was a good idea since I am on daily medicine to control my migraines. He said that it was a great option and that sometimes a hysterectomy eliminates migraines (who knew?).

As for what it was like: I had the IV and oxygen and leg scrunchers put on in the first room. Then I was wheeled back to another room where the anesthesiologist and an OR nurse were waiting. I was talking the the Dr. there and that is the last I remember. He snuck something into my IV without my knowledge. They taped an oxymeter on me, put in my epidural, took me to the OR, and did my surgery. I woke up 3 hours later under warming blankets and was completely out of it. It took at least another 1/2 hour to an hour to be with it enough to leave recovery for my room.

I truly thought my legs were encased in rubber, but it was just the feeling. They had to decrease the amount of meds, but I had NO pain at all until an hour after they shut off the pump - which was 21 hours after surgery. Which meant I needed the catheter and to stay in bed that entire time. I had excruciating pain about an hour later that was easily controlled.

I was told that the pros and cons were: Epidural - pain easily controlled, no intubation, more aware after surgery, have to stay in bed longer, catheter in longer; General - pain controlled by morphine pump after surgery but sometimes wake up with pain, some wake up with nausea, intubation, groggy after surgery, able to walk the same day, able to have the catheter out within hours.

Hi, I just had my surgery last wed (19th) and I had the epidural. I was as nervous as you are, asked all the questions, and was assured that it was the best way to go.
I was taken to the OR, they gave me something thru the iv and thats all I remember. do not know when the needle was put in or anything else. the next thing I remember is waking up in recovery, not feeling my legs. it was a funny feeling but nothing alarming since the nurses explained to me what was happening, slowly I began feeling my legs, my feet and be able to move my toes, then I was taken to my room. I was fully awake, not groggy, had NO pain until the next morning, and then they gave me percocet and went home.
I was not awake during surgery, nor remember anything.
I would strongly suggest the epidural.
blessings,

Just to clarify a bit:
Epidurals and Spinals are DIFFERENT forms of anesthesia. Be sure to ask your doctor which it is that you are considering.
The spinal cord itself is in the center of the spinal column and is surrounded by the spinal fluid that bathes the whole brain also. During a Spinal anesthetic they put a needle into that space, the dura, and put the drug into that spinal fluid to provide the anesthetic effect and then remove the needle and the surgery is done pain free. The small chance of having a spinal headache is caused because a small amount of spinal fluid can possibly leak out through the dura where the needle had been inserted to put in the medication. The headaches are not near as frequent as in years past but is still a very, very small possibility.
During an Epidural anesthetic they do not go into the actual space where the spinal cord and fluid are located. They are outside of that in the epidural space. Usually a small catheter is put into that epidural space and the anesthetic drug is put in through that and the catheter can be left in for whatever time they choose to be able to keep putting more medication into the epidural space to provide pain relief after the surgery. That is why some doctors actually use a general anesthetic for the surgery AND an epidural is put in place for the post-op time to control the pain. But as piercedprincess said in #28 comment, you may have to stay in bed longer or have the bladder catheter in longer because the epidural catheter is still there providing pain relief but one can not get up and move about as without having the epidural in place.
I am sure most of you have clarified with your doctors the differences in the different anesthesia modes, but I think some women are not aware that there is a difference between the Spinal and the Epidural. I think we all should be as best informed and educated as we can so as to make the best decisions for ourselves and our bodies and exactly what is being done and why.
The anesthetic type that an anesthesiologist uses most and is the best at doing is probably something to consider also. The Epidurals take some skill to be done the best. So anesthesiologists that use them all the time will be able to do them expertly.
In my case the hospital where I had my TAH done the anesthesiologists that work the operating rooms where the hysterectomies are done do not do Epidurals very often and so would rather do a General or Spinals. Up in the obstetrics unit the anesthesiologists that work there do Epidurals right and left and are very good at them. So that might be something to ask your doctor that is operating on you also. They should know who the anesthesiologists are that they work with on a daily basis and what they are good at. Each hospital is different in what they usually do and each doctor is different. You plug that into the factor that each patient is different and you must weigh everything and decide what is best for you.
I had had 2 Epidurals with my 2 c-sections years ago and they were what was best for me at that time. With my TAH 10 days ago I chose to have a general that was aided by the great drug Versed, (my first general), and it worked out great for me. The anesthesiologist that did my general uses that most of the time and was expert with that and I had no sore throat, no groggy feeling after surgery ( I woke up very clear thinking in the post-op ward) and no nausea (although they put a Scopolamine anti-nausea patch behind my ear - like you wear on cruises - before I went into surgery to ward off any possible nausea in my post-op time from any of the drugs, be it anesthetic or pain control. I wore the patch for 72 hours and it was wonderful, the doctor said after it came off if I had any nausea she could order me another, but I did not need it) and am glad that I went the route that I did.
Bottom line is talk to your doctor to become as well educated as you can about everything. Each person is different and their needs are different. Come to a decision that is best for you!