When is a General Aneasthetic not a General Aneasthetic

The missus is having a “procedure” and has been told that she is having Local, but that she will be asleep for the procedure, which should take around 20 minutes. Surely then it’s a general? She wasn’t allowed to eat/drink after midnight. Any aneasthesiologists in the house?

When is a General Aneasthetic not a General Aneasthetic

when you can feel the incision?

Sounds like a combination of sedation to put her ‘asleep’ and then local anaesthetic to numb the area for the ‘procedure’.

Maybe a local aneasthetic, but sedated?

(Edit: What bruk said.)

local anaesthetic and ketamine (or equivalent).

I was flying when I had a tooth taken out….

Whats the difference between a local aneasthetic with sedation and general?

Makes sense. Ta.

general is riskier so avoided if at all possible

> Whats the difference between a local aneasthetic with sedation and general?

Perhaps the difference is that general normally involves muscle relaxant so you can’t move. Which means that if they get the pain relief wrong and you wake up during the procedure, you’re pretty much mentally scarred for life.

Perhaps the difference is that general normally involves muscle relaxant so you can’t move. Which means that if they get the pain relief wrong and you wake up during the procedure, you’re pretty much mentally scarred for life.

Fair point!

It may also be a GA with some sort of local block applied regionally so as to provide some degree of pain relief after waking form the surgery. These make quite a difference in the initial post op period to comfort, make sure she also gets plenty of regular analagaesia, and dont underestimate the power of and usefullness of regular paracetamol as it means needing less top-up pain killers if pain increases, and quicker getting under control.
(ITU nurse married to one of them there anaethetist people)

Anaesthetic is the spelling fwiw.

Muscle relaxant isn’t the difference, you can have a GA with or without it.

Re the OP

sounds like Local anaesthetic with a bit of sedation, difference from GA is you’re still rousable(sp?)

Now Ketamine….theres a funny drug, analgesic, sedation or general anaesthetic depending on dose given. I use it pre hospital(on patients that is not recreationally) in mountain rescue etc, and jolly useful it is too….

Now Ketamine….theres a funny drug

Post-op patient convinced he was “relaxing on a beach” – nice 8)

as above, sedation rather than general anaesthetic. from personal experience i can assure you it’s quite disorienting to wake in the middle of a procedure when sedated. i seem to recall thinking i’d been kidnapped by aliens for some reason.

Now Ketamine….theres a funny drug

The funniet thing about K is watching hippies floundering about in mud after snorting it.

I have fond memories of ‘going under’ and ‘coming round’ after various ops. its a shame you have to have something wrong to warrant them though.

aneasthesiologists (Americanism I think) = Anaethetist in “proper english” according to my wife who is one. I’ll ask her for the answer as I have no clue.

Pretty sure PolarisAndy has just answered it.

1. We are called anaesthetists here, not anaesthesiologists.
2. Sounds like local with sedation.
3. The difference between sedation and a GA is the ability to maintain verbal communication with the patient.
4. Sometimes locals / regionals don’t work as intended so conversion to a GA may be needed, hence always prudent to omit food for 6 hrs preop and omit clear fluid for 2 hrs preop.
5. Having said all that the info in some hospital admission letters I’ve come across is clearly written by someone who doesn’t know their arse from their elbow and is contardictory / imprecise / misleading / attempting to cover all eventualities.
6. Wednesday is my day for private practice. You’re up to 100 guineas, do you want me to carry on?

Kind regards,

Gasman Jim