I had the worst experience at pre-op today

I am having my gall bladder out in 2 weeks. Today was my preop. I have been fearing the anestethia. In the past I have never been able to have elective surgeries due to my asthma.

Today I meet with the anesthethiologist. He starts telling me that you will be intibated. He then tells me because since I am allergic to everything and my body already has issues accepting anything that my body is going to fight the tube. He says normal peoples bodies do so yours will be worse. We will wake you up after the surgery and once we feel you are awake enough we will take out the tube. Then we will take you to recovery where you will be in tremendous pain and will vomit. If things seem ok you might be able to go home but you will probably have to stay. OH and since the surgery is on a Friday you will be with us till Monday.

I said "Ok" and walked out. I was barely through the doors when I burst into tears. I couldn't even drive home.

I tried calling my surgeon but it will be at least midweek according to his nurse before he can get back to me. My surgeon said this was a quick in and out procedure and I would be back to work in a few days with no problems.

Is the intibation normal?
Has anyone every been intibated and can tell me about it?

I am so afraid... All I want to do is cancel the surgery.

Please help... I am so sad!

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

I'm sorry, I have no personal experience here, but just wanted to offer you some

My mom was intubated for a procedure years ago and I do remember her saying that it hurt a bit when they removed the tube, but it wasn't awful. She didn't vomit, but she coughed for a bit.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

Wow. He may be OK techically, but to tell that to someone who is already nervous? IMO way too many details unless you asked very detailed questions to get those answers.

I had surgery in 2009, and I was intubated. The only reason I know I was intubated is because I had a very, very sore throat. They put it in when I was already out, and removed it before I woke up. I never woke up with an intubation tube in. They woke me up in the ER for a few seconds, but I went back out immediately and then woke up in recovery. They might wake you right after they take it out so that the body starts going again? It was only after having a sore throat, on day 2 or 3 of throat pain that it came to me the reason that I had sore throat. It wasn't a coincidence.

If you are going to be nervous, ask your surgeon for a script for valium. You can take it the night before/morning of your surgery. It might help take the edge off.

Some surgeons aren't the best communicators with patients. After having my surgery scheduled for 5 months, I found out the day before surgery that was also getting something else done. (Same general area, but he never mentioned anything like that to me before.) Sometimes they don't realize that this is a big event for people since they do it all the time.

Don't worry, I'm sure you will be fine.


ETA: I didnt even meet my anesthesiologist until an hour before surgery, in the staging waiting room. I also have asthma but they never told me any of those things. It was a short conversation getting my history, and him telling me not to worry and everything will be fine. Did you ask to meet the doctor before? I thought they really just had dr's on staff and you got luck of the draw of what anestesiologist was available at the time of your surgery.

Message edited 11/4/2011 8:47:35 PM.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

A few things;

-I promise you will be fine

-he sounded like he had a terrible bedside manner.

-remind yourself that it is a good thing to be intubated. It allows your airways to stay open.

-When they take it out, I doubt you'd be awake. From what I've read, it's standard procedure that they remove it while you're still "out of it."

I've had it done and I swear its nothing. I remember nothing. I had one for a 5.5 hour surgery. And I am the biggest baby ever.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

Thanks... The surgeon called at around 7pm to say he heard I was very upset. I could barely get a word out. He said he was going to get to the bottom of why he said this. He promised me that he has done a 100 of these in the last year and everyone was fine. He said he would do it on his own daughter. It made me feel a little better but I still have the mean mean anethesiologist in my head. Thanks for the suggestion on the valium. I am going to ask about that.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

Wow I just had a pre-op appt this past week and I don't meet the anesthethiologist until the day of my procedure. Granted I'm having a very minor surgery but still I didn't think generally you would meet them until the day of.

They are required to give you the risks and benefits of the procedure so he was probably trying to provide you with those risks but honestly that sounds like an inappropriate way to do so. He could have just said that with your history you need to know that this will I will need to do xy and z and that it might require that you have to stay in the hospital for observation for a night or two and that it might be painful. You do want to know the risks before the procedure but unfortunately it sounds like his bedside manner was atrocious. Unless he is the top anesthethiologist in the hospital I would be tempted to ask for someone else to do it. Does your surgeon know this doctor did he have any comments other than he will look into it - I would think if he performs surgery at the hospital regularly he must know him and his personality?

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

I totally agree with the PP. I had my gallbladder removed, the old fashioned way because silly me waited and waited, until it became an emergency...I am the worst in hospitals and having surgery. I promise you when you wake up in recovery you will remember nothing.....Ask for a valium before surgery so you get the edge off. Please, don't worry about nothing, sounds like you have a great surgeon...Please keep us posted.....

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

he had poor bedside manners - but those drs i found usually are great at what they do! (go figure LOL)

2 reasons i knew i was intubated when i had surgery was bc i woke up with a sore dry throat and bc i was told afterwards bc i asked.

i had mine taken out - i honestly don't remember it - I've been put under anesthesia several times and i can honestly say those times i was put under was the best sleep I've ever had

good luck - i wouldn't cancel - you'll be ok!

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

Most anethesiologists I find have a crappy bedside manner. Maybe that's why they are in that field of medicine..they deal with people who are asleep.

Ok, I generalize but that was a real crappy experience.

Can you request another doctor?

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

I had mine out 6 weeks after my son was born, I had an ERCP first to remove stones in the duct and they went in through my mouth. I woke up and felt a scratchy throat and the only thing that hurt was trying to focus my eyes on the picture that the surgeon was trying to show me.

I had my gallbladder out the next day and do not even remember them take the tube out. I was by myself so I don't remember much but the surgeon called my husband and told him that I was out approx 45 minutes and aside from scratchy throat I was fine.....I had so many stones that I wound up with pancreatitis and was in for 4 days (definitely not the norm)

I was FINE in recovery, felt like I did one too many sit-ups. No stitches, only tape. I was home the next day after the surgery, and able to hug and kiss my babies no problem. I was just tired for a few days. Still have to watch the fat content in things I eat but I'll take that any day over a gallblader attack (which I think is 100% worse than labor pains)

ETA: I agree with the poster above, I tell my husband that was the best vacation I ever had... Sadly it was the most relaxing 4 days I've had in years...

Message edited 11/7/2011 9:24:23 PM.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

I remember it not being that bad. I remember my throat was slightly sore, that was it.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

I've had several surgeries so have had numerous experiences with anesthesia. The worst was the first one, and even that wasn't so bad. I think they always intubate you when have general anesthesia. The first surgery I had, my surgery went longer than expected. It was supposed to last about 6 hours, and ended up being over 8 hours. So, when I woke up, I was still intubated because they needed to make sure I could breathe on my own. I freaked out because I didn't expect it. Before they knocked me out, they said 99.9% chance that they would have it removed before I woke up. So, i was scared as to what when wrong, and not at all prepared. I started panicking and grabbed the nurse's hand and twisted it and she said, she wants the tube out, take it out now. (apparently, if you are resisting it and trying to talk, you can breathe on your own so they can take it out) once it came out, i had a sore throat, but was fine. The other times it was out before i woke up and other than the sore throat, i was fine.

as for the nausea, it doesn't come right away for me. comes a few hours later and even over the next day or two. i learned to ask for anti-nausea med the second i feel a little nauseous. Clears it up within a few minutes. don't hesitate to ask for that. i gave my dad that advice when he had hip replacement surgery and the first time he tried to wait out the nausea, and regretted it. then he started asking for it as soon as he felt little nauseous, and it was much better.

Good luck! You will be fine. Just follow the instructions on when you can last eat and drink. I promise it's not that bad.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

I had the ERCP procedure done and they put the tube down my throat. I don't remember it being bad afterwards at all! It was awkward when they were setting me up on the table, but no pain at all.
It will be well worth it knowing that you won't have to go through a gall bladder attack again

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

Posted by CouponKT

I had the ERCP procedure done and they put the tube down my throat. I don't remember it being bad afterwards at all! It was awkward when they were setting me up on the table, but no pain at all.
It will be well worth it knowing that you won't have to go through a gall bladder attack again

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

I have been intubated a few times for surgeries but the thing is that the tube was out before I woke up. You would wake up with a sore throat from the tube going down but generally you dont feel the discomfort b/c you are out. However, if they want to wake you up first, then I imagine that might be more uncomfortable.

I am sorry he was so harsh and blunt and negative with you. Talk to your surgeon and see if you feel better.

Have you ever been anesthetized? You may not have any reactions at all and it will be ok hopefully. My DH did have his gallbladder out and everything went great. He was also intubated.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

I was intubated for my surgery in September, the only issues I had was a sore throat.
Your anesthesiologist sounds like a jerk with no bedside manner. It is his job to keep you comfortable so he should be saying crap like that.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

Just so you know- anytime you get general anesthesia (not twilight or sedation like you get at the dentist) but real surgery in a hospital, you are intubated.
The anesthesia has a paralytic effect - and you need to be on a ventilator to breath.
It's 100% standard procedure and it's normal.

I had my gallbladder out last year and I am a HUGE baby and have major medical anxiety and I can tell you it was nothing. I had surgery at 11 am was release by 430 pm

You don't feel the tube- you might have a scratchy throat or feel hoarse afterwards- thats it.

I didn't vomit at all in recovery and didn't feel at all naseous. They can give you meds for that before hand too.

I felt a little pain waking up- I told the nurse, she put a pain killer in the IV and in seconds the pain was gone.

Trust me- you will be fine.

This DR seems like a real JERK!

Message edited 11/11/2011 1:18:48 PM.

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today

If you ask ANYONE that knows me, I was PETRIFIED about going under anesthesia!

Last month, I had a breast reduction.

Met with the anesthesiologist. He was really nice and put me at ease. Your's sounds like an azz.

Anyway, he told me that I was going to be intubated and I FREAKED!!

He reassured me that the tube goes in when I am under and comes out after surgery, but I'd still be "out" so I wouldn't feel a thing.

He was right. My throat was a little scratchy for the next few days, but my surgery was over 4 hours long, so the tube was in for quite a while.

Other than that, it wasn't bad at all.

As far as the nausea, the doc also told me that any type of breast surgery yeilds the highest percentage of post-op nausea. To counteract that, he gave me SEVERAL anti-nausea meds, both through the IV and orally (before and after surgery).

I was a bit queezy, but never vomited.

You will be fine, I promise you. I was a MESS...sooooo nervous. I had not done well with any anesthesia ever (local; dental; delivery), plus I have some heart irregularites...but the doc reassured me, and all was fine.

Good luck!!

Re: I had the worst experience at pre-op today