To be scared of having general anaesthetic?

[IndiaRose22]

Posting here for traffic really!!

I have an op at some point this morning to remove my gallbladder, so keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic. When I was talking about "whipping it out" I don't think I actually thought this far ahead and now it's here and I'm bricking it! That's all really, being a softie and over thinking - how do they make sure I'm asleep? Do I really not feel anything during?

When I had my first anaesthetic the nurse said in quite a critical way, you look nervous, as if I was ridiculous to. I wasn't clinging onto the bed refusing to move or lying down groaning, I just had a slightly apprehensive look on my face. I think she was really rude! Most people are going to be a bit nervous. Apart from her all the other nurses and doctors were really lovely and made it easy. I quite enjoyed having the time in hospital for my op as it was a rest from my small children!

Its a whole lot better than the pain you get with gallstones.

I love a GA have had several. The longest I was under was about 14 hours, when I woke up it felt like it had been 5 minutes

good luck!

Good luck to you both!
I was terrified first time.. seeing the corridor lights above me, like being in my own ER episode! :-)
I cried.. the nurse was lovely. Gripped her hand again when I woke up! Hugs.. x
PS I found eating & drinking asap got rid of the after effects of GA.

My OH (a doctor) used to say that you are at your safest in your whole life whilst under anaesthetic, because it is the only time in your life when a specialist will be monitoring your every bodily function minute by minute to make sure all is well. Good luck with your op - be thankful that you can have keyhole for the surgery - I had the "full works."

I trained as an ODP (not currently working in theatres due to health issues).

The actual falling asleep part is very quick and gentle. What will happen is:

• Depending on the policy of the NHS trust you're with you will either be anaesthetised in the anaesthetic room just next to the theatre or actually in the theatre itself.
• You will initially be connected up to some monitors which will check your heart rate, BP and oxygen saturation throughout the operation, you may also have your temperature taken.
• You will be asked a lot of questions, which may sound silly such as "what are we going to do for you today?" and "have you got any loose teeth?" - these are all safety checks.
• You will be given some oxygen through a mask and if you do not already have a cannula in your hand one will be put in.
• The anaesthetist will give you some anaesthetic through the cannula which will send you off to sleep - through personal experience it is a very nice feeling!
• The next thing you know you will be awake in recovery - you will have actually probably started regaining consciousness before you reach recovery (once the anaesthetic gasses have been stopped after surgery is complete you will start to come round - usually when we're wheeling you out of theatre) but you'll have no recollection of that.

Rest assured that the likelihood of you waking up or being in any way aware is minuscule; we would see unexpected changes on the machines that are monitoring your heart rate and BP for a start which would alert us, but the anaesthetist is very skilled at providing the appropriate amount of anaesthetic gases and there are a variety of failsafe mechanisms on anaesthetic machines.

There are 2 people minimum whose job it is to purely ensure that you are safe and unconscious throughout the procedure - the anaesthetist and their assistant (either an ODP or specially trained nurse) - and they don't take their job lightly!

Let me know if you have any more questions.

It's fine, OP - but a bit weird. It's not like sleep, where you sort of know you've been asleep for X hours as you wake. You honestly just zone out and the next thing you know you're being woken. It's normal to feel a bit sick when you wake too.

They give you the most lovely drugs where you feel light as air and then you are completely gone and dont feel a thing. Both times I've had one I woke up confused because I was convinced I'd only just closed my eyes a moment ago

Hi OP - you'll be completely fine and will feel SO much better after you've recovered.

Gallbladder pain is truly awful (I've had mine removed too), in fact it was definitely much worse than appendicitis (also removed!) and on-par with labour.

My longest operation was 7 hours, to repair me following an accident. Can't remember much about it at all. My most recent surgery was 3 weeks ago. Without fail, all the GA's have worked exactly as they should. You'll be monitored very closely (heart rate & blood pressure). The anaesthetist will see if you're showing any signs of distress and make sure you 'stay under' the entire time. If you're very nervous, ask your nurse if you could have a pre-med, which will relax you.

After my first GA I was very sick when I came round....I always tell the anaesthetist and I get a dose of anti-sickness injected before I come round. Works a treat.

The GA itself looks like a syringe of milk. Obviously I can't speak for others, but I find I don't 'drift off'. It's BAM like a light going out. One minute I'm chatting to the lovely anaesthetist (they've all been great), next minute a nurse is talking to me in recovery. It seems like no time at all has passed, then it feels very bizarre when you look at the clock!

My gallbladder removal was also done 'keyhole' and I went home the same day. Don't try to do too much afterwards and rest. You'll need someone with you (the GA may affect your memory for a little while).

When I've got a million things whirring in my brain & can't sleep, I've often thought a GA sleeping tablet would be an amazing thing!

Good luck

I'm still waiting. They've taken my trolley and gone through all the questions again, but still sitting here for now. Not sure how much longer I will be sitting here! Just want them to get on with it now tbh!

I was terrified before my first GA but the anaesthetist was lovely, very patient & reassuring. I went to sleep & woke up. That was it. No recollection of anything in between. Good luck.

You'll be fine.
You'll just have a lovely sleep and they'll look after you all the time.
It'll be worth it. But understandable you're worried.
I had mine out in 2016, all went well and was home that evening.

The waiting is the worst part
Actually - no food is the worst part , but its worth it , its a lovely feeling
Legal drugs , a good sleep and your health sorted , all good 👍

Pretty much, yes!

I've had over 10 GAs over my 40-odd years of life so far - and the going to sleep bit is amazing! The best bit! Waking up can be a bit discombobulating - they need to make sure you're coming close to being awake before they take the tube out of your throat, so you may be aware of them doing this, but you will still be at the stage of being well-sedated (just not fully 'under') and sometimes you don't feel them do it at all.

My dad used to work for the company who make some of the GA drugs and equipment used by UK hospitals - the company used to produce a CD with the entire process narrated from the anaesthetist's point of view, and they gave all the employees a copy - what he was doing, what the 3 different drugs they give you did, why they are given in the order they are to get you into the deep sleep, and then how they use/withdraw them again at the end to wake you up.

Although I was definitely not their 'target audience', as I've never minded GAs (even as a child!) I did wonder why they don't let all GA patients have a copy to listen to if they want to - it all makes perfect sense when you can hear what they're doing and why. Takes almost all the mystery out of it, which is usually the bit people are most scared of - the unknown - if it's their first time.

You'll be fine, OP, and the other lady have her gall bladder out today. They will look after you, and you'll be waking up before you know it being offered tea and toast!

They ask you to count backwards from 10 and I remember saying 10 and then waking up after surgery. Mine was a C section under emergency but in your shoes I'd ask the anaesthetist to double check he had the right drug and dose before inserting. This is because NHS doctors are overworked and operating on minimal sleep and many mistakes are made in NHS hospitals.

Stop scaremongering @mavismorpoth

Hope it goes well OP!

Totally normal to feel nervous - I know I did.

I remember chatting to the anesthetist and him saying "you'll get a horrible taste in the back of your throat", then me saying "Ugh, yeah, that's dis..." - didn't even finish "disgusting"!

Next thing I knew I was coming round on the trolley as I was being wheeled back down to recovery. That made me feel a little queasy I must admit. Once I'd come round, they fed me the epicness that is NHS toast and butter and sent me on my way a few hours later.

They'd been very strict on pointing out that I needed someone with me for 24 hours and my now-exP was not happy about having to take the day off work (note the "ex"!). I felt a bit of a fraud at home as I felt totally fine, watching TV, but then suddenly the next thing I knew it was dark. I'd fallen asleep without even realising I was closing my eyes and was out of it for a couple of hours. So when they say don't be left unattended, I can understand why.

Best sleeps ever though!

I had a partial knee replacement under sedation and spinal anaesthetic three weeks ago. Was terrified I’d know what was going on but even with sedation I didn’t know a thing. Last thing I remember was anaesthetist saying he was starting to put sedation into vein and next thing I woke up in recovery

You’ll be absolutely fine, just try and think of something nice when they are giving you the injection

Hope you recover asap

I had my gallbladder out last December. The anaesthetist was very chatty while he was getting all set up, they injected something into the cannula which made my arm feel cold and then I started counting back from 10, got to about 7 before next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery! I just remember feeling really thirsty afterwards but they didn't want to give me too much water in case I was sick, as you can be quite nauseous after waking up from GA (I wasn't). I had the op at around 3pm and was home by 9pm the same day. Felt basically back to normal by day 3 and was over the moon to be able to eat normally again!

It's not scaremongering it's a way to check if you want. I said I had one without issue. What I said about mistakes and being tired is not untrue.

I had my gallbladder removed in May, I was worried about the GA but there really isn't anything to worry about. One minute I was laying on the bed in theatre chatting to the doctors and the next thing I knew I had a nurse calling my name as I woke up in recovery. The waiting is always the worst part. Its so worth it in the end. If I had to have another operation now I wouldn't be in the least bit worried and I am a very anxious person. You'll be fine.

I had my first GA at the grand age of 40. My surgery was unplanned emergency in middle of night, without chance to scan me first so surgeons were just going in not knowing what they'd find, with small suspicion it was undiagnosed overian cancer. Going under was very calming, and I went out within about 3 seconds.

Coming round was very peaceful, you won't "wake up" like you wake up in a morning.....for me it was much more sleepy, and I was drifting in and out in waves coming more rapidly than I do in a morning.

I vaguely remember asking how the op had gone, and a nice nurse being with me, then I remember asking could I see my exploded appendix they'd taken out, because I worked in a hospital and I was curious. 🤣

Then however long it was later I remember the surgeon coming to talk to me about my uterus and ovaries, and I was still out of it and kept reassuring him that i was sure he'd done his best, much to his amusement.

Next thing I remember was waking up on the ward a while later laughing hysterically sitting bolt upright in bed. I can't remember what I was laughing about, I think I found the air blanket really funny. (My temp was really low after theatre and wasn't increasing enough so they put me in a special air blanket thing blowing warm air over me).

The whole thing was very reassuring, peaceful and generally a 'happy' experience. I would have any worries about having one again, I'd actually be looking forward to it. Xx

I’ve had two GA’s in my life, first one I came round and asked when I was going to surgery which made the nurse laugh! Honestly I felt great, like I’d had a spa treatment. Second time round was following a missed miscarriage and I did wake up and cry, but the GA itself was fine I think I was just overwhelmed with the emotion of the whole situation. The nurses have been lovely both times and I’d have no hesitation if i needed a GA again, you do feel quite well rested after. Good luck & hope it all goes well xxx

The surgeon has just been round and said its looking like it won't be today, possibly tomorrow, and if not tomorrow I'll go home and they'll make an appointment for in 6 weeks time 😩

@IndiaRose22 Oh NO.. I must admit, this hadn't occurred to me, I don't know why, as I know it happens.. you poor thing.. BIG hugs..

You won’t be awake and you won’t feel anything and you won’t remember anything. Your anaesthetist will be a highly qualified practitioner after many many years of training, it’s not Bob the bin man crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.