Anaesthetic

With reference to Petrolheads recent post and Electricfranks post which I agree with. I would like to make a few observations. Here in the UK you dont seem to get put under but are given a sedation dose plus the essential local needle injected anaesthetic. I found that the sedative dose given via cannular had no effect on me whatsoever. The local anaesthetic was inadequate and I felt the surgeons knife cutting painfully through my flesh. I pointed this out and was given some more local anaethetic after which the continuing surgery was ok. Although the site was very painfull after the anaesthetic dispersed. This is not always the case though but after a week I was more or less free of discomfort. I will next time in 5 years time when my pacemaker needs replacement , ask them not to give me the ineffective sedative. Cheers Peter

4 Comments

Options?

by Smart Redd - 2009-02-22 05:02:10

When I had my ICD implanted (03/13/08) I was given a sedative and a local anesthesia. I remember talking about dogs and gardening to the nurses throughout the prodedure. Once the nurse asked me why I didn't tell the surgeon he was hurting me, but mostly what registered in my mind was that I felt discomfort rather than pain.

I was told the surgeon wanted to be able to ask me questions while they 'tested' the unit and, therefore didn't want me out entirely.

Smart Red

Anaesthetic

by petrolhead - 2009-02-22 11:02:04

When I had my implanted monitor put in, they didn't give me any sedatives at all, just the local. It was quite weird being able to feel them poking around in my chest, but I wasn't too stressed out, mainly because they put it in just under the skin, and didn't actually go anywhere near my heart. I'm a little nervous about the actual PM procedure because it's slightly more invasive. Do you get a choice of sedatives in the UK, or do they give you whatever they think is best?

Propofol

by BillMFl - 2009-02-22 11:02:26

Go to sleep sleep fast, wake up fast and anti nausea quality make this the best for relatively short procedures. Clears the system very fast with none of the lingering side effects of general anaesthesia.

Invasiveness of the implant

by ElectricFrank - 2009-02-23 12:02:42

While the pacemaker implant does run leads into the heart, I never felt that part of it at all. I felt the needles injecting the local around the site and some pressure when they were making the pocket. Otherwise not much.

There seems to be a wide variation in how we individually reach to anesthesia. For me the anti-anxiety meds and also most pain shots don't change my pain threshold much at all. Oddly though with a general anesthesia like I had with back surgery I go out easily and quickly with a low dose. I also come back very quickly. I think part of it is that I have learned how to let go and then take control afterwards. I'm not fighting with it. It's great for me, but is a bit unsettling to the medical folks. I never needed any pain meds after major back surgery back in the 80's when they really opened me up. It wasn't that I put up with a lot of pain..I just didn't have any.

frank

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