What is general anaesthetic like nowadays?

Pawnless Endgame

Pawnless Endgame

Pawnless Endgame

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I'm after some experiences from you OcUK patrons in recent years, while trying to avoid making this a medical thread please (as per forum rules).

I'm having cataract + stent surgery for just the 1 eye as my other eye is blind. It's usually done under a local but they're giving me a general. I think it's because I'll have to take my hearing aids out and thus won't be able to hear the surgeon's instructions. I shouldn't be under for much more than 30 minutes I guess.

My last operation was in 1992. Back then, you had to take pre-med which I hated because it tasted like Red Bull! So I got given it as a tablet instead. The injection that knocks you out was pretty quick but I felt a pounding headache before I was knocked out cold. Then a gas mixture is administered during the operation. After I came round (woke up), I felt sick for about a day then it wore off.

So was wondering if the procedure is the same now (pre-med / injection / sleeping gas) or if there are any changes since 1992.
 
Pawnless Endgame said:
I'm after some experiences from you OcUK patrons in recent years, while trying to avoid making this a medical thread please (as per forum rules).

I'm having cataract + stent surgery for just the 1 eye as my other eye is blind. It's usually done under a local but they're giving me a general. I think it's because I'll have to take my hearing aids out and thus won't be able to hear the surgeon's instructions. I shouldn't be under for much more than 30 minutes I guess.

My last operation was in 1992. Back then, you had to take pre-med which I hated because it tasted like Red Bull! So I got given it as a tablet instead. The injection that knocks you out was pretty quick but I felt a pounding headache before I was knocked out cold. Then a gas mixture is administered during the operation. After I came round (woke up), I felt sick for about a day then it wore off.

So was wondering if the procedure is the same now (pre-med / injection / sleeping gas) or if there are any changes since 1992.
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When I went under general back in the early 2000's there was no "pre-med" tablet / drink and other than a slight burning sensation travelling up my arm as they injected the anesthetic, I didn't feel a thing.. Woke up a bit groggy for a few minutes in recovery and was fine after about 30mins :)
 
My last general op was 10 years ago. All I remember is being told to count backwards from 10 with a mask on my face. Made it to 6.
 
I had a GA back in 2013.

No pre med for me. Wheeled into theatre, cold sensation that travelled up my arm as they injected the anaesthetic, and then woke up after the procedure. All in all, it was a rather enjoyable experience.
 
Cheers fellas. Seems like they've done away with the pre-med then. Injection then... out.

For those with minor procedures (like 30 minutes), was the injection needle gone when you woke up? I'm hoping that my hands will be free so that I can pop my hearing aids back. This is so that I can hear what's going on around me as I will be blindfolded with an eye shield.

I'm actually assigned to a ward but hoping it will still only be day surgery. At the same time, I'm very grateful that I'm having the op on the NHS as I know there is a backlog in many NHS areas due to the pandemic.
 
I had general anaesthetic in 2016 which was an injection before surgery. I remember the injection in the anaesthetic room and being asked if I felt it - answered no and it kicked in a second after :D

Woke up in the recovery bay with an oxygen mask on and completely out of it. Thought I was having a conversation with the nurse but must have been nonsense. Was then put back to the normal ward and had a high temperature and a bit ill until I was discharged the next day.

No food 24 hours before and only water on the day of the op. Was given high strength cocodamol for the pain afterwards but had to stop as this made me feel awful. I really appreciated how good paracetamol was after that.
 
After my procedure, I woke in recovery with a cannula in my hand. This was removed a few hours later and then I was free to go home. The following few days I felt tired, and quite spaced out, but I think that was a combination of the GA and the procedure.
 
Pawnless Endgame said:
Cheers fellas. Seems like they've done away with the pre-med then. Injection then... out.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing it was ~10 years ago when I had general anaesthetic. Maybe longer. But definitely a lot more recently than 1992 when you had it last. No pre-med for me. I was wheeled into a room (next to the operating theatre, I think) on a bed and had an injection into the back of one hand. Nicely done by the anaesthetist. I genuinely didn't even feel the needle go in. I asked about the counting backwards from 10 and they said I could if I wanted to but it wasn't necessary nowadays. They told me that I might or might or might not feel a sensation of cold moving up my arm and either was fine. I didn't. As for counting backwards from 10, I doubt if I would have got to 7 even if I was doing it quickly. From my perspective, what happened was that the anaesthetist said they were going to inject the anaesthetic, I said OK and then I woke up in a different time and place. Everything in between is as blankety blank as a chequebook and pen.

Pawnless Endgame said:
For those with minor procedures (like 30 minutes), was the injection needle gone when you woke up? I'm hoping that my hands will be free so that I can pop my hearing aids back. This is so that I can hear what's going on around me as I will be blindfolded with an eye shield.

I'm actually assigned to a ward but hoping it will still only be day surgery. At the same time, I'm very grateful that I'm having the op on the NHS as I know there is a backlog in many NHS areas due to the pandemic.
Click to expand...

I don't know how long my op took. The nature of the op meant that there would be "significant post-operative pain", so they doped me up. I responded very well to the painkiller they used, which was probably diamorphine aka heroin. I wasn't paying any attention to time for a bit. But I suspect it didn't take long. They were having a look-see inside my scrotum and pulling some plumbing about a bit to see if they could find a cause for my chronic pain in one testicle and fix it. So probably not very long. I woke up with a needle and tube stuck into the back of my hand (canula, I think it's called), but that didn't prevent me using my hands. Cautiously, but it seemed fine and nobody told me not to move my hands. I could put my glasses on, no problem.
 
I had a GA two weeks ago for a two hour op.

I had previously had nausea afterwards, but this time woke up and felt great and recovered very quickly. Some of this will be the skill of the anaesthetist, using the right amount etc.

Only weird thing I remember was this really odd feeling expanding across my chest just before i went out, like it was numb and moving around. Hard to describe and not unpleasant.
 
My last surgery with GA - gallbladder removal. I had the GA injected via hand cannula. I complained that my arm has something crawling on it. Next thing I know I was in the recovery room.

I remember I was tired the first day, fine for next 2-4 days. I kept dropping off asleep for 10 days after the GA. This was the case for my eye surgery.

I’m a slow recoverer with GA.
 
No pre med here when I had surgery in 2020. They just placed a cannula and kept me talking whilst they injected the anaesthetic. Next thing I know, I was in the recovery room.

The strangest thing was the guy with the clippers who was preparing to shave my thigh and stomach. Although I'd be worried if they did that for eye surgery!
 
Like most people here, last time I went under a general was just the injection, I felt the sensation running up my arm, just about felt it over the chest then I was waking up after the procedure (circumcision, ouch!). That was 2006.

I get pretty vomit-ey after general though, I feel nauseous for a day or two.
 
Had my appendix removed two weeks ago.

In the pre-op room was put on oxygen for a couple of minutes before the pain killer was injected via a canular (think is was Fentanyl as far as I recall, slight stinging sensation as it went in).

Anesthetist then said we are now going to put you to sleep, and within about 5 seconds was under, next memory was then waking up in recovery about 90 minutes later.

Was reasonably pleasant, didn't feel a thing through the operation, and the painkiller did a great job.

No nausea at all, most discomfort was from the gas they inject into your abdomen for the surgery I had, was like a balloon for a few days.
 
Had gall bladder out a few years ago. Was injected in my arm, felt a cold shooting sensation run up it. Next thing I know I’m in my recovery room. I think they actually gave me some sort of pill before hand. Think it was for nerves or anxiety ? Not actually sure what it was.
 
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