Local anaesthetic?

[El Cid]

I have just had a operation on my left are under local anesthetic, it was very uncomfortable, but maybe the right thing to do.

Watching channel 5(GPs behind closed doors), if I had told them that I had a phobia, I would have got it done under a general anesthetic.

I was sort of given the option, but I choose local because I thought that was the safest. Maybe they would have not gone ahead under a general.

Is local the best, safest and cheapest?

[truman]

I'd assume less possibility of complications..people have been known not to wake up after a general...

[geared]

Yea more risk with general anaesthetic so it's best done under local if possible.

 

General requires more support as well, so if it's a not urgent it's more likely to be cancelled if they fall behind on the schedule.

[Grietje]

If I had an operation I would want it under local anaesthetic if at all possible.

 

The idea of being unconscious and under the control of somebody else for my breathing and life support totally freaks me out.

[medusa]

Having the least sedation or anaesthetic possible reduces all sorts of risks and allows for faster recovery in a whole selection of ways, from the residual depressive effect of general anaesthetic drugs coming back into the circulation gradually over the course of days after being stored in fat tissue to cardiovascular fitness and resumption of physical activity after the operation.

 

The major reason to choose general anaesthesia over local is because it can freak patients out to expect them to lie still whilst being operated upon. When a surgeon is operating their full attention needs to be on what they are doing, not thinking about what the patient may be seeing, feeling or experiencing, so to have patients who are awake you then need other staff who will have the wellbeing of the patient as their responsibility.

 

I choose local over general whenever possible because general makes me puke for days afterwards (even with every anti-emetic known to man) and makes me burst into tears for weeks afterwards too. I have a play list of music which is good for having surgery to and I ask the theatre staff to cover my eyes and let me go through some of my visualisation routines to keep calm while I lie still.

 

It can be very daunting going for an operation without being sedated though, so I have no problems at all with people choosing to not be conscious while the scary stuff happens.

[Ms Macbeth]

Ive had two eye ops under G.A. I didn't feel confident that I would be able to go through with them otherwise. The surgeon was very supportive, and I understood the risks, as I'd previously had major surgery under a G.A. Fortunately I had only minor nausea afterwards.

 

I've had a lot of problems with my teeth. For instance, the last time I went for an extraction the local anaesthetic wouldn't work. I went to my dentist twice, had several injections to no effect. So I went to a specialist (I'd been before) and paid for deep sedation. Injection in the hand and Job done with no lasting after effects. I'm not sure how it works, but for anyone with a dental phobia, it must be the answer.

[Jacktari]

Ive had two eye ops under G.A. I didn't feel confident that I would be able to go through with them otherwise. The surgeon was very supportive, and I understood the risks, as I'd previously had major surgery under a G.A. Fortunately I had only minor nausea afterwards.

 

I've had a lot of problems with my teeth. For instance, the last time I went for an extraction the local anaesthetic wouldn't work. I went to my dentist twice, had several injections to no effect. So I went to a specialist (I'd been before) and paid for deep sedation. Injection in the hand and Job done with no lasting after effects. I'm not sure how it works, but for anyone with a dental phobia, it must be the answer.

 

I was referred to the hospital to have quite a few teeth removed, and found it so quick and painless I was embarrassed that I had been so scared of the Dentist.

Even the injections were relatively pain free.

I had to have eight teeth removed, and the actual operation was done in about two minutes flat. Even waiting for the anaesthetic to work was only a bout five minutes.

They explained everything in advance, and how dental treatment had evolved since the dark days of the 50's and 60's and everything went great.

In fact, I almost enjoyed it.

[sgtkate]

Most minor and non-invasive operations are safer, quicker and have faster recovery times under a local anaesthetic. They aren't pleasant, but when you consider most caesarean sections (major abdominal surgery!) is done using a spinal local anaesthetic you can see just how far they can and do go under local for surgery. However, if you are very nervous or scared of the procedure then your fear could cause you do react v negatively during the surgery. If you had a panic attack for example that could lead to real problems so for people who are afraid or nervous then a general might be appropriate, or a sedative depending.

 

It would totally depend on what the surgery was, but I've got a terrible dentist phobia and I was just about able to stand root canal but if I needed more than that I think I'd be asking for either a GA or sedatives as I'd likely have a panic attack during the procedure.

 

All depends on the patient really.

[monkey104]

Last week I had a knee operation and was given the option of local or general anaesthetic.

Apparently recovery rates are quicker with the general and I really did not want to be aware of what was going on.

Not sure of the death rates with general anaesthetic but it was explained that because I was fit with no allergies, illnesses or previous medical conditions that I was suited to this method and would recover quickly.

I went to sleep and woke up what seemed seconds later with no nausea or ill effects and feeling quite chipper, apart from the pain in my knee.

[Daven]

There is always the option of having a local anaesthetic with sedation which makes you less aware but you are awake and not subject to the risk of a general anesthetic.