To ask you what general anaesthetic is actually like?

The first few generals I had I woke up shaking madly and feeling very sick, so once realised I was having reactions to the meds they use I ask for anti sickness medications to be administered via the IV whilst under, this works a treat. As for the actual going under part itself, it's just like a real heavy sudden need to sleep that hits you out if nowhere that you can't fight, one second you're looking around/talking to the staff, next second you're zonked and then waking up in recovery. You don't remember anything that happened, it isn't really like sleeping however because you don't dream or have any awareness whatsoever, it's just at though you lose a chunk of time.

I've had two- one at 11 and one at 24. I remember a feeling of cold spreading up my hand from the cannula which isn't unpleasant, just strange. Then just falling into a deep sleep. Both times afterwards I came around feeling like I'd woken up from a nap- bit confusing, not unpleasant. I was sick after both but I am a 'sicky' person, so hopefully this doesn't happen to you. You will be fine- the build up will be far worse than doing it!

The best sleep of your life!

seems to be lots of chat about airway devices this evening....
in general, the choice of airway is based on patient factors (things like weight/weight distribution, breathing trouble, acid reflux, fasting, quality of teeth etc making a difference) and operation factors (things like where/what the operation is, what position the patient needs a patient to be in, how long it might take). There is almost always an airway of some sort used these days (used to be more common to hold an airway open just with a facemask and a strong hand when I was young but not so much any more), but not everyone needs to be intubated (where a tube is passed into the trachea not the lungs) and often an airway that sits higher up can be used. It is well within the realms of normal to be aware of the airway device coming out either in recovery or still in the operating theatre once the procedure's finished (because the whole point is that someone's regaining consciousness enough to not need the device anymore). It's not unusual to have a scratchy throat for a bit afterwards....usually settles pretty quickly though. Coughing on waking's not wildly uncommon either and isn't usually a problem (much more common in smokers and can be more problematic for them), but we normally try to use techniques that reduce the chance of coughing for operations where it can cause some problems (which includes a lot of ENT procedures).

I have spent much more time than I would like there over the past 18months. The staff have been lovely pretty much without exception.

I did have to have an ETT tube for the surgery because it was emergency and I wasn’t nil by mouth. But it was fine other than a slightly sore throat for a couple of days after. The anaesthetist will decide what’s safest for you. I was nervous about the GA because I hadn’t had one before. It was fine. The last thing I remember was them injecting a ‘strong painkiller’ into my cannula and saying it would make me woozy (it did). Then they must have injected the anaesthetic but I don’t really remember that. The next thing I remember was waking up.

Oh this is me, had GA 3 times so far and each time I refused to be bothered to wake up from having cocktails on a train going through a best beach party ever (or something random and crazy but very exiting and fun lol) 😆

When they inject you, its like liquid bliss.

I always have trouble waking up - literally cant open my eyes or move but i can hear everything. Always the last out of the recovery room.

I've had two - both times I was very nervous but it was completely fine 🙂

It's very quick when you go under and you don't really think about it like you do when falling asleep.

I was fine coming round both times. The first was when I was 17 after having my appendix out - I remember feeling a bit woozy and having a very dry throat, but otherwise fine.

The next was 10 years later when I had a c-section. Again, came round fine and actually didn't feel as bad with that one, but obviously had the baby to focus on.

This might be a stupid question but there’s lots of knowledgeable people here! After my op, all the bumps on my tongue vanished for a week or two, it was totally smooth and also sore
was that the tube? It’s never happened before but it was also the longest GA I’ve had

I haven’t read the full thread because you’ve replied 98 times OP 😂 but you’ll certainly be given the proper into the lung tube for FES surgery because the other type would be too big, clunky, and get in the way. It protects your airway so any liquid or bits fall down into your throat they won’t go down into your trachea. Even more so by being on mounjaro because it delays gastric emptying so your airway needs protecting from any gastric reflux. You might feel a bit of pressure on your neck before you go to sleep to stop anything coming back up.
You'll have the cannula, it will hurt a bit going in but nothing you can’t handle. The white liquid might also sting but it won’t be there when you wake up.
Make sure you use the toilet before you go down, but it’s really unlikely you’ll poo. And if you do, you’ll be cleaned up before you even know about it. You’re more likely to pee, especially after coughing when you’re waking up so make sure you use the loo!
You can wear a bra, preferably without metal. Even if they don’t use the electrocautery machine (which is why they say no metal), an underwired bra is more likely to dig in and you won’t be able to adjust it because you won’t know. You can wear your normal underwear but go for ones you don’t mind peeing in, just in case.

You will have had a tube anyway, but the type varies. There is the laryngeal mask airway, which sits higher up than an endotracheal tube.
A sore throat is common after LMA use.

I had them for an operation twice - going under was fine it was just like falling asleep very quickly. I’ve got to be honest I don’t come out of them very well. It takes me ages to wake up (I got chucked out of the day unit at 5pm as they were closing, all the others who’d had similar procedures were sat reading magazines even though I’d gone down first at 9am and I couldn’t even stand up properly) and the one time I was really sick.

It was fine. I had it endometrial surgery. I did get confused when they woke me up in recovery as both times they've been repeatedly calling my name til I properly woke up. I also tried to get out of bed, disoriented the first time!

After they gave me pain killers, I actually felt quite chilled and in a content snoozy mood for a few hours. They first time I had it, I was shattered, I mean to the point of exhaustion for a few weeks after. The second time I had it I was fine after a few hours and pottering about in hospital and then home the next day.

The only thing I felt uncomfortable with was they put a tube down my throat both times once I was under the GA and they pull it out just before it's time to wake up. I couldn't stop coughing, choking infact, both times as I was in recovery. I don't know if they intubate every patient or if they did it to me because I'm clinically obese. It wasn't nice and left me with a sore throat afterwards.

What I like most of all after coming out of GA is the first meal and the nurses are usually really attentive and just lovely.

Love the going to sleep part, not so much the waking up

I have not had a GA, but assisted anaesthetists lots (I trained as an ODP).
We used to get patients that asked what it was like. I just said it is like time travel. You blink and then you are hours into the future. I lost count of the amount of patients that woke up properly in recovery and asked if they had had their op as they thought it went by too fast.
Some people really love a GA.

Please don't use AI for medical advice. I see it has told you that you wont be intubated because your procedure is short. If you are having a GA, you will be. But you wont be aware of it at any point.

My DP had a hernia repair last year. He had a GA and was intubated, and his op was only about 20 minutes. I went to get him... met him outside the hospital and he marched out like nothing had happened.

@RainSoakedNightsdo you think you will go through with this or pull out at the last minute?

I wasn't meaning to talk about the actual op - I was meaning to address this what seems to be acute health anxiety.

I have been under general anaesthetic four times. Each time felt very standard. They may or may not give a sedative before. Then they put the cap over and within a few moments it is blackout. I don’t recall dreaming or being aware of anything. Waking up for me was groggy because I seemed to have low blood pressure as a result every time. Other than that, after the first meal I felt more energy and all good.

It's not like sleeping. You just switch off like flipping a switch, mid-sentence if you're talking.

You will be catheterised during a long op. If you pee beforehand, you are unlikely to wet yourself during a short one.

It counts as clear fluid if you can see through it. So weak squash. Don't guzzle drinks, just sip them, you don't want to fill your stomach up with fluid, just enough so you're not dehydrated.

No extentions because they are metal and in the even that they have to shock you or use anything with an electrical current, they will burn you. No underwired bra if you want to keep it on. Sports bras are usually fine. Nothing with any metal in it.

Knickers will often be removed once you're under if they need to run a catheter in.

That's certainly not the norm, most describe it as v pleasant but yea it's not true sleep. My recent pt amused me as was v annoyed at me waking him up declaring "why couldn't i sleep longer I was having an amazing time in india playing cricket with a fish" haha

When you talk to your preop nurse ask if an anaesthetist wouldn't mind talking to you for a min.

GPs don't really have the insider knowledge to provide the reassurance (same as gp stuff is way outside of my scope)

What do you mean by "reach out"? Have you made an appointment?