To ask you what general anaesthetic is actually like?

[RainSoakedNights]

I’m having functional endoscopic sinus surgery soon. As far as I can tell the recovery is going to be fine - a bit like a head cold (if anyone has experience of this operation though please let me know!). But I’ve never had so much as a blood test (I’m 26). I’m on Mounjaro so used to injecting myself but I still hate needles (I know, I know!)

Any experiences would be appreciated!

I've had two - one at18 to have my tonsils removed and one in my 30s to have my sinuses cauterised. Both times were fine - on the second occasion, I woke up starving!

You won't need anything for your nerves because a GA works very quickly, and then you feel nothing at all. It's just a very quick closing of consciousness and then you are immediately waking up again, because there's no sense of time in between, no dreams etc.

I've had GA for my gallbladder surgery and for my wisdom tooth surgery. Both times I was in one room and then woke up in another.

For my wisdom tooth surgery I was on a cot in a little recovery room at the back of the endodontist office with a nurse sitting there with me when I woke up. When I asked her how I got in that room she told me I walked! I could not believe it.

I mean before the actual anaesthetic- I’m just a bag of nerves. I know to some people it’ll seem really silly but I’ve never really had any sort of injury or procedure before. The worst I’ve had is having a tooth taken out. I’m just terrified of the entire thing - going into hospital, being put to sleep, the recovery

Ask for anaesthetic gas.
All operations I’ve had I’ve been put out with gas. I’ve had quite a few over the years.
I hate needles and one anaesthesiologist said I would be fine with a needle, as soon as he tried my blood pressure went through the roof so he had to stop and gas me.
When I come round there’s always a cannula in my hand so they put other drugs in that once I’m out with the gas.

I was violently sick after the first operation so for the others I got a couple of anti- sickness drugs before I was brought round.

I’ve had it four times and it’s always felt the same. You are layed down on your back so you don’t see the needle go in, they count down from 10 and you’ll be under before they get to 1. You normally come round with a nurse next to you, who will make sure you feel okay and to give you the magical hospital jam on toast and tea. It feels like you’ve had the best sleep of your entire life.

If you are booked in as a day case surgery, your phone, glasses, clothing, shoes and any other personal items you have will likely be sealed in a polybag and locked in a locker until you are out of the recovery area and back on the ward, when they will be returned to you.

I'd take a book with me rather than an iPad. The hospital will likely have free wi-fi and you can use your phone while you are waiting to be discharged.

I would think you'll be given a gown to wear for the operation plus non-slip socks. If you ask, they will give you some modesty knickers that are a sort of stretchy material.

Anaesthetists are great for putting patients at ease. When you come round, your vision might be a little squiffy for a minute of two. You'll be offered a drink with a straw. You may be given ibuprofen melts and as one poster has said you may have an oxygen clip under your nose for a few minutes. With a short procedure, you will probably recover very quickly but have someone collect you to take you home.

I've had a uterine polyp removed under GA and would have been out for around as long as you are expected to be out and once I was back on the ward, I felt well enough to go to the loo on my own and was ready to be discharged an hour or two later.

I'd wear a soft sports type bra as it may be more comfortable in bed.

It's great!

I was worried about losing control and it being a sudden 'switch off', but it was more like just drifting off (albeit quite quickly).

Best thing is to just tell them that you are nervous. I did that, as I felt just like you do, and felt very well looked after.

Good luck!

May depend on the hospital. She might be allowed to sit in the Day Surgery reception area with you but once you are taken to be booked in then she'll probably have to leave. I had an op under local anaesthetic recently and there was a few hours, sitting in a cubicle in a hospital gown. Everyone for surgery that afternoon had to arrive at 12.00 to be 'processed', although obviously operations happened in turn. Afterwards, you will wake up in a recovery area and, again, I think you wouldn't have a visitor with you. They will want to get you out asap though.

I’m getting really conflicting advice about pants etc from ChatGPT - my paperwork says nothing about them. I know I need things that don’t go over my head due to the fact that surgery is on (in?) my face - so i thought a normal bra was fine but it then said that I would be really swollen and generally uncomfortable through my whole body!

No, nothing for nerves. As a child I remember being given a sedative prior to going down for surgery and it had the opposite effect, they didn’t know what to do with me!

you can share your nerves and any mental health difficulties and they may make reasonable adjustments. Lists are based on medical need, things like diabetics, people with medication needs and other clinical reasons will mean they go first. They then might have more flexibility.

Please don’t starve for longer than necessary. It won’t do any good and you’ll just end up hungrier and thirstier. midnight is absolutely fine.
But also tell the anaesthetist you’re on mounjaro. It has some implications for they type of airway (breathing tube) they use and the drugs they use to make you go off to sleep.

A gas induction is not always a safe option and is not likely to be sensible for someone on mounjaro.

I usually have dinner by about 6:30 anyway so it’ll just be skipping my snack/sweet treat after. I’d rather err on the side of caution and be hungry after than something go wrong!

I had one almost 2 years ago for an ORIF.

I was given a healthy dose of ketamine before the anesthetic. I don't remember counting backwards. Just waking up in a private room on the ward. I worked at the hospital I was having surgery so asked them to let my colleagues I was ok (I was otherwise alone). Then they gave me a sandwich as hadn't eaten in 36 hours due to surgery delays. I don't remember making a tit of myself like you see online, though I probably did.

Main issue was moving my bowels post surgery, so have some laxatives ready at home!

Oh and plain pants are usually fine for surgery. Some hospitals give you some paper ones but for sinus surgery I’d be happy with you in your own. Bra comes off - even simple ones.

Awful but I have to say I agree, I'm a bad sleeper in general but gosh that's a great sleep you get for a while after!

I was told that because the procedure is so “easy” I might be used to “warm them up” - I’m sure the lady on the phone thought she was putting me at ease but it did the opposite 😅

Somethings will depend on how long the surgery lasts, if they need to catheterise you or not. I know for one surgery I wore my pants but woke up with them in a bag with a pair of disposable knickers on. They’ve seen it all and managed it all.

wear soft clothing, ditch a bra if you can.

Can I ask why? I’m just generally curious - and can I wear a normal bra to and from the hospital? ChatGPT seems to think I’m asking if I can keep it on during my surgery, which I’m not!

I do not react well to GA at all always takes me hours to properly come round and lots of vomiting even though they give me anti sickness. Really hope to avoid it again

I had these fears.

It's not instant, however, which makes it a lot less scary. 🙂

I thought it was utterly fabulous. The best sleep of my life, and such a simple, straightforward process.

Your doctor might be able to prescribe you something like a Xanax to take before you come in. I had that before I had an outpatient procedure that I had to be awake for. It was one of the medications that the doctor just automatically prescribed and I had to take it I think 30 minutes before I got to the office.

When I had my wisdom teeth out I was very nervous, really terrified. My husband took me and I went back and they sat me in the chair and there was a little table of instruments next to me covered in a drape, but the corner of the drape was flipped up. There was a hammer laying there and I asked the nurse "is that a hammer" and she said "here breathe this" and that's the last thing I remember. I think you'll probably be out so fast that you won't have time to be that nervous.

When I was a kid it was a black mask coming towards your face which was admittedly a little scary.

Now it's a canula in the hand. Injection and a nice sleep, you'll have no idea about a mask (which are clear/see through now anyway).