Spinal block or general???

Hi! I had a ligament reconstruction done 3 weeks ago, and I was given the choice of spinal vs. general. I talked to my anesthesiologist about the pros/cons of each choice, and I ended up going with general, which was also what I chose the first time I had surgery on my ankle.

What scares you about general?

If they do spinal, they will sedate you, so I wouldn't worry too much about being anxious. They can put you in "twilight" sleep which is basically a mild form of general, but you can still do things like move if your doctor tells you to move, if that makes sense.

 

Hi

Speak  with your doctor - maybe they can give you something mild to relax so you won't get that anxious.  

Hi Sabrina,

?I can't speak to the procedure you're having, but I did want to comment on your anxiety.  IT'S OK TO HAVE IT.  I have it.  And recently, I had my 2nd surgery (to remove two screws and the rest of the hardware stayed in).  I was so anxious and the worst part?  They postponed it TWICE, within a 2 day period!  (Bad weather the first time and the next day, their HVAC system malfunctioned).  I told the nurse, I HAD to have something for my anxiety, because if I did not get something, I would drink and I don't even drink!  LOL!!!!!  Anyway, they called something in for me, that day.  And the next day, I had my surgery.  But for TWO DAYS, it was postponed.  Please know, you're not alone.  It's ok to be scared.  It's ok to NOT be scared.  It's ok to be terrified.  It's ok to NOT be terried.  And you know what, it's even ok to be "hysterically terrified."  Everyone is different and it's imporant to acknowledge and accept that.  Thinking of you!  :-)

?Beth

I had a spinal for a bladder surgery which was about an hour. It was scary being awake, but I survived. If you have anxiety I would not recommend it. They did have music playing, but you hear all the monitors and the doc and nurses talking. I had ankle surgery and chose to go under, but it was a 3 hour surgery and had power tools involved, so I couldn't stand to hear that! Good luck on whatever you decide!

I was told by a nurse that it's actually easier for the body to recover from a general anesthesia than an epidural, which was the other option when I had my knee replaced. If I were you and I was worried about being awake, I'd talk to the doctor about using general anesthesia. If your doctor knows the truth about your anxiety level he/she may decide the general anesthesia would be best.

Hi Sabrina,

I had general anesthesia for a tendon repair. But ankle fusion was also done and a toe plate. I would do general anesthesia in your case. You don't need extra anxiety while having any kind of surgery done. Good luck.

I had general Dec 13 for tendon tranfer and heel surgery. They also gave me a nerve block from my knee down. It was wonderful to not have any pain whatsoever for the first 3 days. Personally, I would never allow someone to give me a spinal block.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply x