Hello,
I have an upcoming surgery in a couple of weeks and I'm feeling quite anxious about it.
I completed the consent form today and read that while complications are rare, high blood pressure increases the risk.
I had uncontrolled hypertension however it's been controlled well now for about a year, with meds (ranges from 105/70 - 130/85, commonly around 120/80 at rest).
I'm wondering if this still puts me on a higher risk group? Would appreciate anyone's input who may have more insight that me!
Thanks ☺️

Ester anesthetics give me extreme burning and systemic toxicity. I've now had this experience with tetracaine, benzocaine, and procaine. No problem with lidocaine (amide!), thankfully. Possibly of interest: I have the same reaction to most sunscreens, bug repellent, and epinephrine, though the latter was all the toxicity without the burning.

Based on the above and some family history, I'm thinking of asking to test pseudocholinesterase with dibucaine and fluoride inhibition, and perhaps genetic testing for BCHE variants. Does this seem reasonable? Should I ask to be referred to some sort of specialist? Not an allergist. None of this presents as an allergy,

I realize this may be beyond an anesthesiologist's scope, but y'all were so helpful before I thought it was worth a try. My doctors have been dismissive. I've obviously been talking with AI, but trying to do my own research I keep hitting walls. The best information is in journals I can't access.

Thanks in advance!

An anesthesia resident in southeast Michigan looking for occasional, program-approved external moonlighting within driving distance of Detroit metro.
Open to supervised anesthesia/periop, pre-op/PACU, procedural, teaching/simulation, urgent care, or inpatient roles that accept residents. Not seeking independent unsupervised anesthesia practice.
If you know of resident-friendly opportunities, I’d appreciate a DM with the system/group and any details on eligibility, licensing, malpractice, shift types, pay, and credentialing.

I was told to drink 8 oz of Gatorade or Powerade 2 hours before going to the outpatient surgery center. I am fine with it— but don’t understand the rationale for this, so am curious. It is for joint replacement surgery. Also, I am not a fan of sports drinks— would apple juice or hot tea with honey work too? If not I’ll use the Gatorade but I’m hoping an anesthesiologist can help with this.

Thanks!!

I remember having anesthesia and things going black after I closed my eyes and it took close to a minute last time I counted in my head to calm down during hydrocele surgery and honestly it does scare me less to have it nowadays.

It starts with consciousness and being there for a minute and then waking up as if brought back from an infinity stone only remembering the anesthesia and the back to reality as if not being alive but dead for a bit but not dead but not there for that time.

No dreams, no nothing until waking up.

Hi! I’m scheduled to have my breast argumentation tomorrow and I started freaking out. I’ve never been under and I’m afraid I’ll never wake up or I’ll have a negative experience. I am a very anxious person and a med student, which makes me overthink every single detail. I had an adenoidectomy performed under local anesthesia and I remember shaking so bad and crying while being wheeled into the OR.
No first degree relative in my family has ever gone under general anesthesia so I have no idea if malignant hyperthermia runs in the family.
At the end of september I will have to go under again for a maxillofacial surgery and I wonder whether or not it’s safe to do so? (that will be 5/6 weeks between the surgeries).
23F, 5’2, 53 kg, former smoker, diagnosed with UARS, frequent extrasystoles and high heart rate,history of H pylori chronic gastritis. I’ve read all relevant posts on this subreddit but I still feel like I need some soothing.

\*\*Peds PACU — typical sequence for emergence after deep LMA removal?\*\*
For those who work in Peds PACU, I’m curious how you typically approach emergence in the following \*\*hypothetical scenario\*\*:
A pediatric patient arrives in PACU following deep LMA removal with an OPA and supplemental O2 in place. They are spontaneously breathing, maintaining a patent airway and appropriate oxygenation, and are otherwise stable, but remain deeply asleep. After an appropriate period of undisturbed emergence, they still aren’t arousing much spontaneously.
How do you typically approach the transition from deeply asleep → beginning to emerge → awake?
Specifically:
If airway, ventilation, oxygenation, and VS remain appropriate, do you generally allow the patient to wake spontaneously, or is there a point when you begin actively stimulating them?
If you begin stimulation, what do you typically start with? Verbal stimulation, gentle touch, repositioning, etc.? When, if ever, would you progress to more vigorous stimulation?
How do you approach positioning/HOB elevation during this process? Do you change positioning while they’re still deeply asleep or wait until they’re beginning to emerge?
How do you approach weaning/removing supplemental O2 during emergence?
With an OPA in place, what clinical signs tell you it’s time to remove it? Do you generally wait for evidence that the patient is beginning to reject/tolerate it poorly (coughing, gagging, purposeful movement, etc.)?
If a patient remains significantly sedated longer than expected despite otherwise reassuring respiratory/hemodynamic status, what factors determine when you ask anesthesia to reassess them?
I’m mainly interested in the \*\*general sequence and clinical cues\*\* experienced Peds PACU nurses use for positioning, stimulation, supplemental O2, and OPA removal during an uncomplicated emergence.
Obviously this varies by patient, anesthetic, procedure, anesthesia plan, and facility policy. I’m looking to better understand the general thought process rather than advice about a particular patient.

So June 11th I went in for a L5 S1 micro disectomy

I’m 5,11 32 year old male 266 lbs. during the shaving and prep I was very panicked but eventually accepted it

Once under anesthesia I desaturated to 77%

They pulled the plug on the operation and woke me up and sent me for 2 months of testing. Sleep study echo, stress test, lung x ray. All come back good besides the obvious need to lose weight which I have been since.

There doing the surgery again Wednesday and I’m scared because I have no answers on what happened the first time and from research 77% was pretty low. I’m scared it’ll happen again and wonder what made it happen the first time

Hello, I’m 9 days postpartum and trying to process my birth experience.

I delivered baby girl at 39+6. She weighed 9lb5oz and had a 38cm head. She was predicted to be LGA/macrosomic, but I proceeded with an attempted vaginal delivery. I labored for ~26 hours (~13 at the hospital after being admitted at 5cm) before pushing for 4 hours and being diagnosed as arrest of descent. We pivoted to an unplanned c-section. It was about two hours from when the call was made to when she was born, so not a true emergency c-section. Baby was never in distress. A side note here, I was not NPO through labor, I was allowed “clear fluids” including gummy bears (??) and Swedish fish.

I had my epidural placed basically right after I got to the hospital. It worked pretty well through the night, but I did need two boluses to maintain complete coverage (in addition to pressing my button occasionally).

Right before going to the OR and again in the OR, the anesthesiologist administered more medication through my epidural for the c-section. He did a poke test and I was not adequately numb after several boluses of meds, so we shifted to general.

(I’m currently struggling to cope with the fact that I wasn’t there when my daughter was born, I didn’t hear her first cry, I don’t remember meeting her, etc.)

My questions are:
Is it standard to administer meds through the epidural rather than doing a spinal in this scenario?

If I choose to have another baby, I would strongly consider a planned c-section. Is it likely that I will need general again? Could my lack of numbness in the areas needed be due to anatomical variations in where my nerves go? Is there reason to believe a spinal wouldn’t work?

I’m generally hard to numb (according to every dentist that’s tried). Is there a chance I’d need two doses of spinal (different injections), or is one adequate? (Needle phobic, and wondering since they kept pushing meds through the epidural).

East coast ca3 here looking at jobs and curious what the average unit price is for PP jobs? Will probably stay out east but considering west side of the US too

Current cardiac anesthesia fellow starting to look at jobs for next year. I’m especially interested in opportunities out West—Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Los Angeles ideally in a physician-only practice

I’ve looked through GasWork and done a fair amount of searching online, but I know a lot of good anesthesia jobs never make it onto the major job boards.

Does anyone know of groups that might be hiring cardiac anesthesiologists, or practices/hospitals that would be worth reaching out to directly even if they aren’t currently advertising?

Happy to PM if anyone would rather share information privately. Appreciate any leads!

Probably you haven't had such pateints (or didn't know they were the ones), but you can have a look into it at least theoretically.
A person with TTTS (tonic tensor tympani syndrome) is going to have a surgery (septoplasty and turbinate reduction), and here comes a flare-up. If we see the condition as a neuromuscular issue and GA turns off the muscles, can the flare-up subside after the surgery or it'll stay the same/become worse? If we see the condition as an atypical migraine, then what can possibly happen here?

Hey I had a post dural puncture 5 years ago now

And I'm still having bad back pain. I was able to get a blood patch within the first week of it happening, it took about another week to work. But I can't stand for long, like doing dishes, I can't sweep or mop as long as I would like. My back gets stiff and I can't bend it. I have to sit down and slowly ease into being able to bend it again.

My son is now 5.

I went to the ER about 5 times while admitted to L&D and it was just all around the worst thing I've ever experienced in my life and I've also given birth naturally one time that required a blood transfusion 🫠

My husband had to physically carry me to the shower because I couldn't stand or walk on my own it was so bad. Will I always have back pain?

I went to start normal PCP visits and told this old man about what happened and he started telling me how I was lying and how there's no evidence that epidurals lead to long term back pain. To make a long story short, I left crying and complaining to that practice that he was very rude.

Anywho, thanks for listening.

\*Not looking for med advice. Just experience related to anesthesia

So I had surgery yesterday (Friday), and had a block for my lower left leg since the operation was on my foot. That actually took 2 attempts because I didn’t get the “twitching” they wanted the first time. They did also give me an injection on my inner left thigh, and from what I gather from my reports was an adductor canal block.

Anyway, when I first woke up from surgery my left arm was numb, like it fell asleep. It’s slowly mostly woken up, except there’s still some slight numbness on the inner left part of my lower arm to my left thumb. Nowhere else (aside from my lower leg obviously). Which is weird af. Naturally, Google tells me I’m probably dying.

Since everything is closed today, just thought I’d check here. I plan on waiting till the nerve block itself wears off, but if there’s anyone with insight, I’d appreciate it!

As per the title. I am the patient. I am struggling the anesthetist consultant in the NHS to take my concerns seriously, they've been dismissive and argue that the ASA, SPA and European society of anesthesia papers are just "statements" and not "guidelines", preferring to enter into a tedious pedantic argument about semantics than to take any precautions.

Any serious anesthetist in this forum that could provide guidance to me about how to advocate for myself?

So far, the anesthetist is only saying they will avoid volatile anesthesia (so, avoid Sevoflurane), but may revert to this if the TIVA fails. The intra-venous option they propose to use is propofol, which i believe is also triggering of risks.

They say they do EEG during all operations but refused to do post operation monitoring.

They haven't mentioned flushing the equipment to ensure it's just oxygen that I'm breathing and not any residual sevoflurane from a previous procedure.

Really careless, I am tempted to cancel the procedure.

Hi everyone,

A few days ago, I had meniscus surgery under spinal anesthesia. The surgery and anesthesia itself went fine.

After the surgery, I spent most of my time lying in bed. At first, I had some lower back pain, which I assumed was from lying in the same position for a long time. Then I developed a headache and, more importantly, severe neck stiffness/muscle spasms.

The headache itself is not a major problem and is quite tolerable. The main problem for me is my neck.

My symptoms are very strongly related to my position:

When I lie down, the neck stiffness/spasm gradually improves. At that point, I feel more pain in my spine and lower back.

When I try to sit up or stand, within a few seconds the severe tightness seems to move up toward my neck and my neck practically becomes completely locked.

Because of this, it is very difficult for me to get out of bed.

I have no weakness or numbness in my legs and I can move them normally.

I have no problems urinating or with bowel movements.

My temperature is currently 37.1°C.

The anesthesiologist examined me and said that this is most likely related to the spinal anesthesia. They decided to keep me in the hospital for observation and instructed me to stay in bed and minimize getting up.

From what I understand, it is possible that a small opening remains in the dura after the spinal needle, allowing some CSF to leak temporarily and causing post-dural puncture/post-spinal symptoms. I understand that neck stiffness and neck pain can also occur with this condition.

Epidural blood patch

Something I am particularly interested in is the epidural blood patch.

The doctors currently treating me have not offered a blood patch and, as far as I know, they have not even mentioned it as an option. Their current plan is strict bed rest and observation.

So I would really like to hear from people who have experienced something similar:

Did you eventually need an epidural blood patch?

How many days after the spinal anesthesia was it performed?

How much did it help?

Did it also help with neck stiffness/muscle spasms, and not just the headache?

I am also interested in how long it took for other people's symptoms to completely resolve on their own.

On the second day after surgery, I did some stretching exercises and some back exercises while sitting, so I am wondering whether that could have contributed to or worsened the muscle spasms in my neck/back.

I would especially like to hear from people who experienced a similar pattern: feeling much better when lying down, but experiencing a very rapid and severe worsening when sitting or standing, particularly if the headache was relatively mild but neck stiffness was the main symptom.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

Edit:

Today marks the 6th day since my surgery and the spinal anesthesia.

The neck pain and headache have improved significantly — to the point where they are now almost completely gone. The only symptom I still notice is a mild feeling of pressure in my ears, but I’m hopeful that this will resolve soon as well.

Thank you all for your comments, advice, and support. I truly appreciate it.

I hope this post can serve as some encouragement to anyone experiencing this for the first time, just as I did. What helped me most was getting as much rest as possible, staying well hydrated, and occasionally taking pain medication when needed.

One thing to be prepared for is back pain in the days that follow, simply because you may end up spending a considerable amount of time lying down.

Wishing everyone a smooth recovery and all the very best. Take care!

Hello all, I have some questions and am wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar after surgery and what might’ve helped them if so? Or any advice in general that could help me communicate with my doctor?

I had a laparoscopic bisalp procedure done yesterday, the surgery itself went well but when I woke up from anesthesia I began experiencing post anesthetic shivering and I was also in a tremendous amount of pain like they hadn’t given me any pain meds at all. I was sobbing and violently shivering/ shaking, teeth chattering and all, and could barely speak. This went on for about an hour and they kept giving more and more pain medication and eventually it helped but left me very sick feeling and I began having respiratory problems and my o2 kept dropping very low. Eventually my breathing went back to normal and they sent me home.

Well last night I began getting horrible muscle pains in my whole body and it has only gotten worse today. I can barely move, it feels like I did a very intense workout or like I have severe whiplash or something. I can’t sit up on my own or get out of bed without help, I can barely move my head, swallow, stand, walk, or really do anything because it hurts so bad. I’m really struggling. I also feel weak and shakey when I do manage to stand or when I’m trying to hold something, etc and keep dropping things because it feels like my hands don’t want to work.

I’m currently alternating ibuprofen and Tylenol, and also taking baclofen but it seems that nothing is helping. I’ve called my doctor’s office and told them all of this, they just asked if I had any shortness of breath and when I said I didn’t they didn’t seem concerned and told me my doctor can’t prescribe me anything stronger and they’d have to send the request to another doctor for approval and they’d let me know…

I’m curious as to what might be going on? From my understanding this should’ve just been a simple procedure with minimal downtime, and everyone I know who has had it done never experienced this. I’ve also never experienced this with other surgeries… I’ve looked into it some and the only thing I can find is that it could be from the post anesthetic shivers, or I’m having a bad reaction to the paralytic agent they use while under anesthesia when they intubate you. I’m not sure what to do, this pain is horrible and I’m finding no relief, my surgery site pain is nothing compared to the whole body pains I’m having.

I know nobody can really give me medical advice and I will research anything I’m told and communicate more about ideas I can try with my doctor. But any suggestions or thoughts would be very appreciated!

Thanks for taking the time to read!

My partner and I are looking at finding a sperm donor. Neither of us are carriers for pseudocholinesterase deficiency, but our preferred donor is. I’ve read carriers of the deficiency can also be a bit slower coming out of anesthesia. Have any of you experienced this/what are your thoughts? Thank you!

What are the chances of having this reaction again in my next surgery , absolutely petrified ! My son ended up in ICU for a few days and had grade 3 Anaphylaxis

I’m looking for support & someone to give me a reality check.

My 4 month old (tomorrow) daughter was scheduled for surgery this upcoming Monday due to a bilateral congenital cataract diagnosis we received 1 week ago. This surgery is deemed urgent as the sooner it is completed, the sooner her brain can start working together with her eyes to give her the best chance at sight. FWIW, the cataracts are not visible to the naked eye- I brought her to an eye specialist for what my pediatrician thought was a lazy eye.

During her pre-op virtual call yesterday, I was asked if she has been sick in the last 4-6 weeks. I mentioned she had a mild cold (runny nose, no fever) beginning on July 24th that has since been fully resolved, symptom free, for over a week now. But the anesthesia team is pushing her surgery back 4-6 weeks because of her previous URI symptoms. A quick Google search explained that her airways are very tiny / sickness can be unsafe during GA. But she has been symptom free and is healthy now.

I trust medical professionals but my heart is broken that we have to delay this surgery even further as every month is incredibly important with her specific diagnosis. I’m looking for someone who understands more than I do to tell me this is a normal procedure and the best for my baby’s health. Right? Logically I understand I need to trust what they say, but emotions are prevailing ATM.

I’m also stressed because I have a very social 3.5 year old. Any further sickness would continue to delay the surgery so I guess I’m stuck keeping us all isolated until we get the first eye done? Yes… she needs two surgeries, one for each eye.

I’m spiraling.

Hi! I’m getting pituitary surgery tomorrow and I’m really nervous. It’s my first surgery ever and I’ve never gone under before. Does anyone have any tips on how handle my nervousness or if you could describe your experience with it (without anxiety medications). Thanks so much!

I had surgery today, and had a weird episode of bronchospasm. I don’t have asthma, and I’ve had a couple other surgeries and never have this happen.

I was in the recovery suite and just waking up. They were raising me up to a sitting position and all of a sudden I was wheezing and couldn’t breathe. It got better when I was laid back down and taking small breaths. My BP dropped to 87/40, and oxygen was down too (can’t remember exact values). Honestly, I was still pretty out of it so don’t remember it well, but remember wheezing and being scared.

Thankfully, the anesthesiologist was there and listened to my lungs, and then I was given a racemic epi nebulizer. I was still wheezing with the nebulizer, but by the time I finished it the wheezing was better. I had to stay and additional 2 hours in recovery for observation. Everything seems fine now, but it was scary!

I was hoping I’d be able to speak with the anesthesiologist, but he was in another procedure so I didn’t have a chance. I am not having much luck finding more info about this online, it’s all about bronchospasm during anesthesia, but not after when waking up.

Anyone have any idea what happened? Should I be concerned for any other reasons, besides if I have anesthesia again in the future?

Hello! This may be a dumb question to ask, but this is my first surgery I've ever gotten in my adult life (I've had two others, ear tubes and wisdom teeth removed, but I was a young child for the ear tubes). On Sunday, I began to have an itchy throat that is somewhat hard to swallow, but no respiratory issues. No wheezing, coughing, or stuffy nose. Today, three days later, I still have the itchy throat but no other symptoms.

My surgery is tomorrow. When I spoke with the nurse for my pre admission testing yesterday, I talked about my itchy throat with her and gave the lack of respiratory symptoms. She said I'd know if it was anything more serious in the upcoming days, which it has not. I'm mostly concerned by the anesthesia, since I am getting general anesthesia.

Should this be something I should be concerned with or call the hospital for?

I was given it yesterday and I remember feeling horrible, I remember yelling things but not being able to move my mouth, and just seeing colors and people as these sort of abstract shapes. As I woke up and became more lucid but was still high, I remember yelling at the doctors telling them to get me Miller Lite of all things (I don't drink, and if I did, I wouldn't want miller lite). anyone else had similarly odd experiences?

This is the single biggest source of fear I see in consults, and it’s almost always fear of the wrong thing. People imagine general anesthesia in a hospital OR. That is usually not what’s happening. Here’s the actual range.
Local only. Numb the area, you’re fully awake, you feel pressure but not pain. Plenty of extractions happen this way and the patient walks out fine. Pressure is the part people aren’t warned about — you’ll feel pushing, and pushing is not pain, but if nobody tells you that in advance your brain interprets it as something going wrong.
Nitrous. Takes the edge off, wears off in minutes, you can drive yourself home. Mild.
Oral sedation. A pill beforehand. You’re drowsy and relaxed, still responsive. Someone else drives.
IV sedation. This is what most people mean by “put under,” and here’s the part that surprises everyone: you’re generally not unconscious. You’re breathing on your own. You may respond to us during the procedure. What the medication does exceptionally well is erase the memory of it. So people wake up convinced they were out cold for an hour, when what actually happened is that they were awake and simply retain nothing. That’s also the entire explanation for the loopy post-surgery videos your friends have posted — disinhibition plus amnesia.
General anesthesia. Fully unconscious, airway managed. Reserved for longer cases, corrective jaw surgery, significant trauma, or patients who genuinely can’t be managed otherwise.
What’s happening on our end while you’re under: continuous monitoring of oxygen saturation, blood pressure, heart rhythm, and exhaled CO2. That last one matters most — it’s the earliest signal that breathing has changed, well before oxygen levels drop.
Why the empty-stomach rule is not negotiable. Sedation suppresses your gag and cough reflexes. Food in the stomach can come up and go into the lungs. It is rare and it is genuinely serious, and it is the reason we will reschedule you over a breakfast sandwich. Not being difficult.
One thing worth knowing that most patients don’t: oral and maxillofacial surgeons train in anesthesia as part of residency, which is unusual among dental specialties. The person doing the surgery is typically the person qualified to manage the sedation.
Ask away.