OT: Anesthesia for OSA Patients During Joint Replacement

[Todzo]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 114714.htm

[johnthomasmacdonald]

I need a new hip, at least one - but the thought of being awake while they saw off the top of my femur and the hip joint is rather horrifying - i'd want LOTS of drugs

[abbey101]

Hi there
I am having a hip replacement as well. Many of them are done with spinal anesthesia but they give you sedation so you have no idea what is going on. I was terrified at the thought of surgery until I went to a site called Bonesmart, earlier this month. They are a group of amazing people. who will provide you with accurate current information and calm your fears. I imagine I will be nervous but I am truly looking forward to getting my life back now that I have talked with people and understand more about it. At least give Bonesmart a visit and talk with some people in the forum. Everyone always says they are so glad they did. It is run by a woman who worked in joint replacement for something like 50 years and this is her gift to the world. She has a fabulous site

[squid13]

I had general anesthesia when I had a total knee implant in my right knee last February and had no problems with it on account of my sleep apnea. My surgery was at 1 o'clock and at six o'clock I was on the phone talking to my sister. I'm having my right knee done on September 9th and it will be under general anesthesia. I don't want to be awake during it, cause I went to you tube and watched a knee replacement surgery and it is a very brutal operation.

[Bons]

One of my parishoners had her knee replaced a few weeks ago. Her surgeon and many others around her use spinals for all their replacements because the recovery time is so much faster and they can be out of bed the same day as the surgery. She had enough "happy juice" that she remembers nothing of the procedure itself.

About 15 years ago one very feisty old lady from my church had a total knee replacement with NOTHING BUT A LOCAL!! She cannot tolerate general anesthetics and the doc did not want to use a spinal for some reason I can't remember, so he wasn't going to do the surgery at all until she insisted. One tough old bird!

[Sheriff Buford]

I had a knee replacement and I wanna' be totally out. I had Carpal Tunnel surgery done years back and at the beginning of the surgery, I was talking to the surgeon about baseball. We had a good conversation going and I felt extreme pressure on my wrist, and I knew he was cutting. I waited until he was finished insulting the Astros when I asked him if I suppose to be feeling this. He said,"feeling this? You're supposed to be knocked out!" He said something to the anesthesiologist and he said I would be in la-la land in a few seconds. That's all I remember...

Sheriff

[49er]

My mother had undiagnosed apnea and did fine with hip replacement surgery under full anesthesia. Everyone is different.

I know I would freak out big time having that type of surgery under local anesthesia. Put me out.

49er

[johnthomasmacdonald]

abbey101 - it is amazingly painful isn't it? I played football and rugby but the pain of this hip arthritis is beyond any breaks or bruises i ever suffered - broken ribs might have been as bad. The space in my case is so filled that they can't get a needle in to inject steroids. Prior to this i certainly wasn't sympathetic enough to people with arthritis. Now when the dentist or GP is about to do a procedure and they warn me about the pain, i tell them not to worry, that after a year with this hip i have a totally different relationship to pain. Most of what i previously found painful is nothing by comparison.

[jazzer4]

That's how I feel about the 13 kidney stones I've had.
If I can get through that I can get through anything.

[Catnapper]

I had both my knees replaced at the same time with a spinal block. The nurse sat by my head and told me what the doctors were doing. I never went to sleep. I had 2 doctors, one for each knee. Surgery took about an hour.

Catnapper - Joanie