Anyone know about General Anaesthetic?

[Littlestelephant]

Im due to have one tomorrow and I'm really scared. I also have TMJ issues and forgot to mention it at Pre Op. I'm so scared it's going to cause airway difficulties. I think I need to be handed a massive grip basically.

I've had GA 14 times. The doctors are very, very highly trained and I promise you will be perfectly fine. You will fall asleep and wake up before you even know what's going on.

Also, I have TMJ issues, too and it's never been a problem.

Hi OP, I’m also having a GA tomorrow. I have had 2 before, you will get a chance to voice any concerns and ask any questions when you arrive at the hospital, like you I forgot to mention things during my pre op.

The other times I have had GA have been fine, last time I didn’t have time to really stress about it as it was emergency surgery. Both times I recovered pretty quickly, it was like having a nice sleep.

It’s normal to feel a bit anxious especially when we are told about the tiny risks with GA but remember that the surgeons and doctors are doing this every day and are pretty good at what they do.

I will be thinking of you tomorrow, my surgery is scheduled for late morning.

Thanks and good luck LoveMusic123

I can't get the 1 in 100,000 stat of things going wrong out of my head. I work with statistics I should be much more sensible than I am being.

I found it helps to think about why you're having the operation, rather than dwell on the (very small) potential risks of GA. I wanted the surgery, and I didn't want to not have it because I was too scared.

Focus on your recovery and the benefits your op will bring. You can always write down any worries you have and discuss them when you go in tomorrow.

But really, you'll be fine.

It’s not as bad as you’re imagining. I had one in 2019, absolutely petrified - to the point I’ve previously elected to have much bigger operations wide awake . They gave me a premed to make me feel sleepy about two hours before, when they took me through to the theatre I was already quite drunk . I did panic a bit when I was taken through but the nurses/doctors were very reassuring, someone held my hand right through .

Put the anaesthetic in the back of my hand very quickly and I remember saying I felt weird - it’s a very strange sensation but doesn’t last long enough to feel unpleasant - next thing I was in recovery speaking to a nurse about bake off .

You don’t realise you’ve been asleep iyswim - it’s like one moment to the next and not knowing that eg two hours have passed .

Have looked after hundreds and hundreds of patients post surgery - I only ever saw one pass away as a direct of anaesthetic; he was 99 and going to die anyway bless him . Modern anaesthesia is incredibly safe .

I've had three in the past few years and on every occasion I met the surgeon and anaesthetist briefly beforehand to go through the procedure, check my informed consent etc. It is at this stage that you can say - like I always do - that you are extremely anxious and actually a bit scared - and that you'd like to mention your TMJ.

Anaesthetists are perfectly able to be hand-holdy when asked to be, or quite robotic if that's what the patient prefers. What they all are, as pp says, is very highly skilled and trained.

If you'd like the anaesthetic to talk to you while they're putting you under, explaining each step (it won't take long), then ask them beforehand. I'm like a bloody child who needs talking through it, every single time There's no shame in it.

I get scared on planes, too ...

If you'd like the anaesthetist

bastard autocorrect

Ooh I love a GA. I've had it a few times, you're out before you know it and wake up feeling lovely and cozy. If you've had an op you might get a bonus shot of morphine when you wake up which is fab.

My friend is an anaesthetist and says GAs are incredibly safe. I know that's not much comfort when your scared though. It's very normal to be scared especially if you've not had one before. I think anyone would be as it's a very weird thing when you think about it. Tell the anaesthetist about your TMJ problems and tell them You're nervous and what you are worried about. All the staff will be well used to helping you feel calmer and safe and put your mind at rest about particular worries. I'll be thinking about you tomorrow. I think you'll be amazed at how quickly it will all be over with and back on the ward.

I understand your concern. I had similar issues when I consented for my then 5yo to have a tonsillectomy (the risks to GA in that age group are 1:40,000).

I agree with PP who advise to focus on the operation itself and the benefits. My child was very unwell with his tonsils; antibiotics every 4-6 weeks, one hospital admission, one further A&E trip. The improvement to his life was worth the risk.

Your TMJ problems won’t cause an airway issue otherwise you’d have an airway issue every time you laid down or went to sleep. It’s far more likely that having your mouth wide open to get the tube in will aggravate the TMJ and leave you in a little bit of discomfort afterwards.

So your best bet is to mention it to the anaesthetist when they come round so they know to be gentle with your jaw, are aware which side is problematic, etc.

Tell the anaesthetist when they come to see you before you go down, they are well versed in people being anxious and they will be able to help you. I was nervous before a GA and the anaesthetist couldn't have been nicer about it. He reassured me that anaesthetic is very safe, that his sole job in the room is to watch me, watch my vitals, and keep me comfortable. He said - loudly - in front of my surgeon that he was the most highly trained person in the room and that there was no way he would let me die because its far too much paperwork. He also wrote me up for a premed. When I got to theatre he kept me talking, gave me the premed into my hand which was lovely and felt like being slightly squiffy and didn't tell me me he was doing the anaesthetic so I got no opportunity to fret about it.

I was very worried before my first GA, I just couldn't imagine it working properly. In the event, they put me out very quickly so I didn't stress out and I knew nothing until I woke up in recovery. Pretty much the same thing the second time I had one. I was also very relieved that you are put in recovery until you are fully awake so DP doesn't hear the incoherent random ramblings...

Waking up afterwards is a bit weird as it can be disorientating and you're all groggy, I'm a weeper when I come around and spend the first ten minutes or so having a cry. Cry because I'm tired, cry because someone was nice to me, cry because I don't know where I am, cry because I was some water and I'm not allowed yet, cry because I eventually get the water, and then I wake up a bit more and spend the rest of my time in recovery feeling politely mortified. The lovely nurse who took me back to the ward last time said anything you say in recovery doesn't count anyway.

I've only had one GA and I was very nervous beforehand. As it was administered, a nurse asked me what I'd normally be doing at the moment. I clearly remember saying I'd be at my Pilates class...and the next thing I remember is someone calling my name and feeling a bit annoyed because I was having a lovely sleep!

Take it easy afterwards and be prepared to feel a bit off for a while.

You really will be fine and afterwards you can feel pleased that you've experienced it.

TMJ ‘issues’ aren’t often a big issue, and rarely cause surprises. The routine pre-op visit from the anaesthetist includes airway assessment (on all patients) so just mention whatever the problem is then (a useful indicator of possible problems is if the dentist struggles to get at your back teeth, so if that is an issue then mention it). Many operations can be done with regional/spinal anaesthetic so that may be an option if you’re really worried about your mouth. I wouldn’t dwell too much on pp’s comments about your mouth being wide open and aggravated by intubation - you really don’t need much space at all to get a tube in and we have a whole bunch of toys beyond what you see on Holby City etc to keep things safe and atraumatic. Hope it all goes well.

I get chatty as all hell when I come round from a GA, I think I was a bit high as I was prattling on for ages, you couldn't shut me up
I was so nervous before my recent one I bought a rosary online and started praying all the time, I was soooo scared. It was fine and I will be less scared if I ever need one again.
The time thing is weird, not like being asleep, it's like someone pressed the pause button on you for a bit. Like no time has passed at all.

The anaesthetist will see you tomorrow before your op. I’ve had 20 plus and they always pop to see you before you get to theatre. Also if you are anxious ask for a pre med.

I enjoy a GA, have had several including an op that started at 8.30am and finished at 10pm. You might wake up with a dry, scratchy throat but apart from that it’s a doddle

@Greybeardy

TMJ ‘issues’ aren’t often a big issue, and rarely cause surprises. The routine pre-op visit from the anaesthetist includes airway assessment (on all patients) so just mention whatever the problem is then (a useful indicator of possible problems is if the dentist struggles to get at your back teeth, so if that is an issue then mention it). Many operations can be done with regional/spinal anaesthetic so that may be an option if you’re really worried about your mouth. I wouldn’t dwell too much on pp’s comments about your mouth being wide open and aggravated by intubation - you really don’t need much space at all to get a tube in and we have a whole bunch of toys beyond what you see on Holby City etc to keep things safe and atraumatic. Hope it all goes well.

Thank you Grey that's helpful to know. Dentist can get to my back teeth ok. The muscles in one side of my jaw are in a constant spasm and feel tight. I can open my mouth fine but my jaw swings open towards the non tight side.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance. I think it's the lack of control that I'm struggling with and the trusting someone else to keep you alive. When I was 16 a school friend died in what should have been a routine operation. I'm not sure what went wrong but it has stuck with me. It helps to know I will have a chance to ask questions tomorrow too.

You'll be fine. Ask for a pre med. Once you're taken down to theatre and into the anaesthetic room everything will have been pre prepared by the anaesthetic staff and it takes only a few minutes before you're asleep. They'll put a cannula into the back of your hand and put the meds down it. They make your arm feel warm and tingly then you fall asleep. It's a nice feeling, not uncomfortable or scary at all. The atmosphere will be calm and fairly quiet and the staff professional and calming.

You might not remember waking up, but once you do start to come round you'll just feel bit woozy and relaxed. The anaesthetist will give you pain relief prior to coming round, so you shouldn't wake up in pain. You'll also be given something to prevent any nausea.

And if you do have pain or feel sick, say so straight away and they'll get medicine straight in your cannula to sort it out.

Anaesthetists do this all day every day, I had the two loveliest ladies looking after me recently during a 6.5hr operation.
I felt very safe with them, one of them held my hand whilst I was breathing in the oxygen and being put to sleep.
I also trusted my surgeon and whilst I wouldn't have chosen to have surgery, the surgery was the best bit of my hospital stay. (don't get me started on being woken up to take my blooming blood pressure!).