Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with anesthesia

Does clipping for a tongue-tie really require general anesthesia?

NortonDC — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:05:27 -0800

Our 21 day old daughter is tongue-tied (ankyloglossia). The doctor wants to do the clip (lingual frenectomy) under general anesthesia by default, and we're uncomfortable with that. Is general anesthesia appropriate by default for this? Should we be concerned?

Hey pup, go brush your teeth!

dearest — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:44:34 -0800

My dog needs his teeth cleaned, we're nervous over the anesthesia. Can anyone calm my fears or even, talk me out of having this procedure done? After a recent visit to the veterinarian, it was concluded our beloved 2 1/2 year old Pit Bull mix will need his teeth cleaned. A couple of his back teeth have redness around the gum area, he's got some fierce plaque build up and his major breath/drooling issues are symptoms of some sort of tooth problem. Our vet said that they would know more after cleaning his teeth.

Thing is, Pup will have to be put under anesthesia while the procedure is done. That's my biggest worry. Of course, pup was under when he was fixed. He reacted like most other dogs, groggy but never sick. He's a healthy, happy dog most of the time. I initially took him to the vet for an ear infection, and he's on antibiotics for that now.

Me and my SO are fairly fanatical about our dog. He's our pride and joy and probably the best dog I've ever had, I'm so protective of him that I'm having a hard time putting him in this position.

I know you aren't my vet, but I do want to hear anecdotes, horror stories and any other information about dental cleaning for dogs. Basically, I'd like to calm my fears about this by hearing similar situations, or I'd like to hear about the nonsense of dental care for dogs.

Post-anesthesia for Toddlers?

Dizzy — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:35:02 -0800

My baby boy will undergo general anesthesia Thursday. What should I expect when I get him home? My 20-month-old son will undergo an outpatient procedure to repair 2 inguinal hernias on Thursday.

I'm stressing of course, but the doctors assure me that Henry will be fine. (They've done thousands of these operations; the hospital is excellent and the procedure involved but relatively uncomplicated.)

Parents or Caregivers:
Are there any side-effects, or latent effects of anesthesia I should know about?
What will the 24-48 hours after the surgery be like?
Any secret tips to make him extra-comfortable?
Yikes.

Pump-Head Syndrome?

TryTheTilapia — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 10:54:18 -0800

Experience with Pump-Head Syndrome? My uncle had triple bypass surgery about 2 years ago. He was on the pump for over six hours. In the year following his surgery, he lost both his mother and father-in-law. Also, he and my aunt retired and moved to a new home in a different state.

He has never been an emotional person - dry sense of humor, voluble and upbeat for the most part, but very guarded emotionally. Now, he cries alot and, to both mine and my aunt's dismay, he's become very morbid. He talks often about his own imminent death as if it's a foregone conclusion. Just this past week during our Christmas visit, he pulled me aside on two occasions and asked me, in grave tones, if I would accept the responsibility of being the "keeper of the family history after [he's] gone", and made me promise to be like a daughter to my aunt "during the twenty or so years she'll be around after [his] death."

His cardiologist has attributed this change in his temperament to "Pump-Head Syndrome". My uncle rejects this diagnosis out of hand; of course, this is part of the syndrome, according to the docs. Do any MeFites have experience with this? Did yours or someone you love's personality change this notably post bypass surgery? Has the change been permanent?

I would expect that many of the huge upheavals they've experienced over the past couple of years would stress anyone, particularly a heart patient. I'm curious what coping strategies you may have used - my aunt and uncle eschew talk therapy, plus my aunt believes the stress of that would be even worse for his health. Any advice or shared experiences are welcome. Thanks.

How long should a femoral nerve block last?

sherlockt — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:47:47 -0800

How long should it take a femoral nerve block to wear off? Yesterday at 2PM I received a femoral nerve block (along with a sedative and general anesthesia) before knee surgery. I was told at the time that the nerve block took around 16 hours to wear off. It is now almost 9 PM the next day (around 30 hours post-block) and I still have tingling and some numbness in my lower leg and toes. Should I be worried? I have been keeping my leg elevated and I have a lot of stuff wrapped around my knee, so that may contribute to the problem. Does anyone here have experience with femoral nerve blocks? What was your experience like?

How do you get over almost dying?

SuzySmith — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 21:08:52 -0800

How do I get past almost dying? Much much more inside I had surgery on the 22nd, minor gynecological surgery. The surgery itself was quick, easy with no problems, other than an IV line issue. During the surgery they were pushing the drugs through my one IV and it clogged. They gave me one in the other arm and continued my anesthesia that way.

After the surgery while in recovery, I told the nurse I was about to be sick. She grabbed some Phenergan, attached it and opened the line and just barely started pushing it. Then, my arms started to shake, then I was unable to control them. I started to have trouble breathing, told them I was, and they told me "Calm down, you're just nervous"

Within 30 seconds, I could no longer breath or hold myself upright, my last thoughts were that I would never see my husband again, I pitched forward and passed out.

The next thing I remember is waking up with an ambubag on my face and trying to move but, being unable to do so. Eventually I came back around completely and was able to move my body again.

I was told that the line were the Phenergan was given was never flushed of the paralytic drug and that when she opened the line I was reparalyzed. Luckily, it happened in recovery where they could reverse it.

I was bagged for over thirty minutes, given the reversal drugs and was on oxygen for several hours.

Now, I'm a wreck. I'm recovering from the surgery, so should be resting more but, I can't stay asleep long. I keep waking up, in a cold sweat, scared to death. I close my eyes and all I can think about is what almost happened.

The nurse, doctors, residents were all very forthcoming with everything that happened from how low my O2 sat rate dropped to what all they did. I have the anesthesologist's phone number in case I have any other questions.

How do I get over this though? How do I make myself able to sleep and not feel the horror of not being able to breathe hit me again?

And how do I help my husband deal with this? He's having a very difficult time as well but, isn't likely to ask for help.

Vet Clinic or Jiffy Lube?

The Gooch — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 10:58:41 -0800

Is having "blood work" done to insure a dog is healthy enough to go under anesthesia a traditional and necessary part of having him neutered or did I just fall victim to the veterinary equivalent of "your air filter is dirty, do you want us to go ahead and replace it"? I took my 7 mo. old pup (chihuahua) to the vet today to free him of his balls. My wife had received a quote over the phone of $138 for the cost of the procedure and $20-25 for pain medication following. So I was taken aback when I received my estimate this morning at the vet's office and saw an additional charge of $76, which the vet tech explained was for blood work preceding the procedure to check his organs to make sure he would be ok under anesthesia. I was a bit shocked that this aspect of the procedure was not mentioned when my wife received the estimate over the phone. I mean, if this is a requirement of the surgery, why not mention the cost up front?I couldn't help but feel a little bit like I had been to the doggie version of Jiffy Lube - bringing in my dog for a $138 procedure yet ending up with a $261 bill. Is this normal operating procedure of have I been had ?