FAO: Anybody who has been knocked out at hospital

basmic said:
Bit of a weird question this, but I am NOT asking for medical advice - just information/knowledge.

Last week I had two wisdom teeth out. In the room before the theatre, I was given the usual thing in the hand where they put the needle. Had the monitor probes attached to my chest, and waited to be knocked out.

Anyway, the guys come through from the theatre. Told me to relax, and I was showing as a little anxious. I remember a guy getting a needle (don't remember what was in it, but I seem to remember it's content was clear) and tapping it to get any air out. I was then passed a mask - I was told it was an oxygen mask.

I did as was told, and put the mask on and breathed deeply. The mask smelt rubbery, and a little how poppers smell - but I just accepted that it was the smell of rubber. I remember hazing, and it was then I was wondered if there was something more to that 'oxygen'. Anyway, I just followed through with it, and I assume they just gave me the needle (aka: magic milk).

But now I think about it, and after what I've been told, I'm wondering if I was sedated and gassed to sleep (don't know the proper word, sorry)?

Anybody knowledgable in surgery/medicine know?
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i had the exact same thing when i had a rhynoplasty. I remember my last thought as i took a huge gulp of air was .... this is gas !!


although i couldnt possibly tell you what poppers smells like >whistles< :o
 
davestar_delux said:
I was given this patch on the back of my hand when I went in for an op and it just made me giggle and laugh before I became unconscious. I always thought it was valium, would this be right? Or is it this propofol?
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They gave you some pentapeptides :D
 
basmic said:
I'd have been a lot happier them being 100% honest with me, and saying "look we're giving you gas and a sedative, because...." than lying to me.

I'd sooner be told the truth, than lied to.
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If someone is so stressed and anxious they're resisting the first attempt of anaesthesia, therefore requiring a gaseous sedative to help them on their way, do you think it would help to tell them that they're being gassed?

Get over it. You weren't lied to. You were treated for an illness.
 
Benjarghmin said:
If someone is so stressed and anxious they're resisting the first attempt of anaesthesia, therefore requiring a gaseous sedative to help them on their way, do you think it would help to tell them that they're being gassed?

Get over it. You weren't lied to. You were treated for an illness.
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I'm a person of truth and bluntness, regardless of how crude it seems.

I'd sooner go to the doctors, and if she said to me "you're going to die before the day is out" I'd be happy she warned me, so I can prepare myself mentally.

At the end of the day I feel I was mislead about the air. Maybe it was just a strong rubbery smell, but I think I will be more pushy about details of the procedure beforehand - regardless of how gorey they are..

And I wasn't treated for an illness. It was preventitive treatment, to stop a tooth causing infections. At the time of operation I didn't have an infection, but the gum did flare up enough times for the dentist to refer me to the hospital.

Are we all mirroring Tracey in BB8, by suggesting to one another "get over it"? What exactly does "getting over it" solve?
 
[TW]Fox said:
It's the weirdest thing ever. There is literally zero time between going to sleep and waking up. The doctor said 'I'm just going to.....' and then I asked him how long it would take for them to do the operation. He said 'We've done it'.

Bizarre.
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Aye its a totally bizarre feeling, but also pretty cool if you wake up properly.
 
QABoy said:
Earlier this year dmpoole's sister told me and the wife a really bad horror story about anaesthetic. They had taken their young son for an operation and while on the table the staff nearly lost him because he started to have violent convulsions. They pulled him round and had a lot of hard explaining to do. One week later the lady anaesthetist rang dmpoole's sister up and said after an investigation she had found out that the NHS had switched suppliers and the anaesthetic now contained nuts :eek: Obviously his nut allergy had already been discussed before the operation but the anaesthetist knew her drugs contained no nuts. They are now going through a compensation battle (unless its been settled) and I know up to that point it upset the anaesthetist so much that she hadn't gone back to work. Confirm DMP.
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Thats pretty much accurate and they are still going through compensation and the anaesthetist hasn't yet gone back to work because it upset her so much that she nearly killed a 5 year old.
They knew my nephew had a nut allergy but resulting tests have found he has the worst type :(
 
Its great :D I broke my foot a couple of sundays ago and had to have an operation. The clear stuff makes you go woozy then after 5 mins they inject the white stuff. ;)

Next thing i knew i was SLOWLY waking up. I slept through recovery also, and when i did wake up it was a struggle to focus and move. Didnt know anything about the op, completely out of it.
 
Zefan said:
You weren't, it would've been just oxygen and that could have made you feel funny.
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Too right.
When my first baby was being born the wife was shouting for the oxygen and claimed it wasn't working.
I tried it and gave it her back but she still said it wasn't working.
I tried it again but took a much bigger intake, stood up and fell straight over :D
The midwife came in and asked if I'd been trying the oxygen.
 
Docaroo said:
Just beware that while you are under the surgeouns etc DO talk about your penis and it's size.... and take the mick where appropriate lol...

My girlfriend is a radiographer and was shocked to hear them talking the first time she was in theatre!!
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Thank you GOD! :D :D
 
Zefan said:
Blimey my Dad basically just told me everything that happens from the minute you go in to until operation begins.

You will have had a venflon inserted in a vein on the back of your hand or your arm, whether they used some sort of numbing cream before this I don't know. If you didn't notice it then you almost certainly did.

Then you will have been given oxygen and *nothing else* through a mask to oxygenate you for intubation. You may have felt a bit dizzy/euphoric depending how potent the mix of oxygen was.

Then an induction agent (it was most likely propofol. AKA Magic Milk!) will have been injected into you via the venflon, this will have knocked you out pretty quickly. They then tilt your head back and begin pumping a bag so oxygen continues to reach your lungs while you're not breathing yourself.

Along with nitrous oxide , suxemethonium chloride and will have been mixed into the air pumped into your lungs, this is a depolarising muscle relaxant which will paralyse all your voluntary muscles. This will stop suffering from bronchial spasms during intubation.

Then they intubate you, which involves taking off the mask (you'll stop breathing at this point for about a minute, hence the oxygenation earlier) and stick a laryngoscope into your throat and insert a endotracheal nasal tube. They'll use the laryngoscope to track the movements of the tube as they push it down into your bronchus, where it is cuffed to seal off your lungs.

Then the machine begins breathing for you, which mixes an anesthetic agent into the air to keep you unconscious during the operation. It will have been isoflourane or sevoflourane.

Then as you are being wheeled into surgery you will have been given an opiate of some kind, most likely fentaml.
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Holy Jesus! He was just getting a tooth out! Tell me they dont do all this for every operation? I have to go for a cytoscopy thing later in the year :(
And will be under local? general anaesthetic (i will be unconscious anyway)

Your telling me they stop ME breathing so that can shove a tube down my throat for a machine to breathe for me??? wtf

Ive had the hand jag thing when i was at the dentists. Its fine, cold feeling running up arm then K.O. within a couple of seconds. I was hoping it would be the same thing for my op......

I'm not liking the oxygen mask idea... because ive had this gas thing done before and i had a bad reaction..... (worst nightmare ive ever had and i was only bloody 5 yrs old and i still remember it jesus)
It was the smell of the gas mainly..... cripes... but basically i had either an OBE or an NDE......yes it was very painful. :(

not liking this at all :(
 
Surfer said:
Holy Jesus! He was just getting a tooth out! Tell me they dont do all this for every operation? I have to go for a cytoscopy thing later in the year :(
And will be under local? general anaesthetic (i will be unconscious anyway)

Your telling me they stop ME breathing so that can shove a tube down my throat for a machine to breathe for me??? wtf

Ive had the hand jag thing when i was at the dentists. Its fine, cold feeling running up arm then K.O. within a couple of seconds. I was hoping it would be the same thing for my op......

I'm not liking the oxygen mask idea... because ive had this gas thing done before and i had a bad reaction..... (worst nightmare ive ever had and i was only bloody 5 yrs old and i still remember it jesus)
It was the smell of the gas mainly..... cripes... but basically i had either an OBE or an NDE......yes it was very painful. :(

not liking this at all :(
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I've seen cystoscopy with either local, epidural or general. So it could be any really depending on your preference or availability.
 
Surfer said:
Your telling me they stop ME breathing so that can shove a tube down my throat for a machine to breathe for me??? wtf
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For a cytoscopy they don't use a muscle relaxant so you will still be breathing yourself, with the aid of a (can't remember the name) that goes in the back of your throat to stop you keep your airway clear.
Surfer said:
Ive had the hand jag thing when i was at the dentists. Its fine, cold feeling running up arm then K.O. within a couple of seconds. I was hoping it would be the same thing for my op......
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It will be... they would've used some sort of narcotic to keep you under after you're unconcious.

Surfer said:
I'm not liking the oxygen mask idea... because ive had this gas thing done before and i had a bad reaction..... (worst nightmare ive ever had and i was only bloody 5 yrs old and i still remember it jesus)
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They only really like using an oxygen mask when they need to intubate you or if the little clip you have attached to your finger when you go in tells them you have low oxygen. They still might want to just in case there are any complications once you are under but if you say to them that you really don't want the mask they won't. They can always oxygenate you after you're unconscious :)
 
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Zefan said:
For a cytoscopy they don't use a muscle relaxant so you will still be breathing yourself, with the aid of a (can't remember the name) that goes in the back of your throat to stop you keep your airway clear.

It will be... they would've used some sort of narcotic to keep you under after you're unconcious.



They only really like using an oxygen mask when they need to intubate you or if the little clip you have attached to your finger when you go in tells them you have low oxygen. They still might want to just in case there are any complications once you are under but if you say to them that you really don't want the mask they won't. They can always oxygenate you after you're unconscious :)
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thanks...not looking forward to it but at least ive been given the option of being put under though.

Another question springs to mind:

whats the difference between:

a) being given a drug that means you were awake and aware during the operation but makes you remember none of it.

b) a drug that makes you unconscious. So you dont remember it anyway because you werent aware.


Is a) even possible?
 
Surfer said:
whats the difference between:

a) being given a drug that means you were awake and aware during the operation but makes you remember none of it.

b) a drug that makes you unconscious. So you dont remember it anyway because you werent aware.


Is a) even possible?
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Yes it is possible. They use A when doing ops where they need you to be able to follow instructions and move for example having a mole removed. All you remember is being very very spaced out for a bit just after you're given it, then nothing. My Dad told me a story once about a patient who asked him "How did my op go?" when he'd been having a conversation with the guy while it was in progress :D
 
Surfer said:
a) being given a drug that means you were awake and aware during the operation but makes you remember none of it.

Is a) even possible?
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Absolutely.
I had one of these at the dentists as I posted above somewhere.
I came around (but I was not asleep) after 40 mins but couldn't be bothered what he was doing in my mouth.
 
Kell_ee001 said:
I'm just surprised you went to hospital and got knocked out just for 2 wisdom teeth :confused:
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Youtube "wisdom teeth" and maybe you'll understand why.

It was bad enough getting my first one under general, knowing full well it wasn't going to be pleasant. After seeing a few Youtube videos, I definitely didn't want to be awake. :eek:
 
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