How does the prep for surgery work?

Question

I have a Question next summer I maybe be going for surgery that i was suppose to get 11 yrs ago but We didn't want to because It wasn't to important to me.

But next year I might go for the surgery depending on the doctor.

I was just wondering About the Surgery preparation.

How does it go about I know they will put u in a room ... But do they put you asleep before they take you into the surgery room or do they do it after you go into the surgery room.

Is it 100% safe when they do it that you wont wake up during your surgery unable to talk but see everything they are doing? (Because that is one of my main fears of even going for the surgery and how long will I be out I remember going for stitches and I was put out... to sleep but i don't remember how long it was.)

Also what other preparations will they do to you before you even have the surgery?

Answer 1

If you're going under general anesthetics, you can expect to not eat the night before and morning of the surgery and adjustment to medication (if you're taking any).

They will put you under in the operating room, and you will probably not have any difficulties in terms of staying knocked out - most of the horror stories we hear are just that - horror stories.

Wear clean underwear.

Answer 2

They will take you to the OR and either put you outside your OR room or a holding type area.

The nurse and anesthesia provider will come and visit you and ask you a bunch of the same questions.

The anesthesia provider will put an IV in you.  You will then be given some medication to help you relax, especially if you tell them you are nervous.

You will be then taken to the OR where you will have the surgery.

They will ask you to move over to the surgical table.  At that time, you will have some velcro straps put on your legs to remind you the table is narrow and you dont slide off.

You will have you arms put on arm boards which will go out to the sides.  Velcro straps for those also.

You will be attached to an EKG monitor and a pulse oximeter (measures the amount of oxygen in your blood)

Then your anesthesia provider will put a mask on your face.  He will probably secure it with a head strap as well.

You will be given oxygen during this phase.

The anesthesia provider will begin giving you medication to make you go asleep.  He will give you something to actually put you to sleep, a narcotic for pain, and a muscle relaxant (paralysis smooth muscle).

After you are asleep, he will remove the mask and at that time put a tube into your windpipe which will give you oxygen directly into your lungs.

He will then put you on a ventilator which will make you breathe.

The nurse will then prep your abdomen by cleaning it with betadine.  

While you are being preped, your surgeon will be washing his hands.

The surgeon will come in, and put on his gown, gloves, and a sterile covering on your abdomen.  He will adjust the lights and make his incision.

After the surgery is completed you will be awakened and taken to the reccovery room for approx 45 minutes to 1 hour,  After that time you will be taken to your room.

You asked if it was 100% safe,  Unfortunately no one can give you that guarntee.  There is the possiblity of not going to sleep completely, having a problem on the table, etc.

I will give you this reasurance though.  I worked as an anesthesia technician for 18 years.  During that time I worked on over 25,000 surgeries and that is probably a low ball number.  During that time we had NO patients ever not go completely asleep.

I would guess that patients who had unexpected complications from their surgeries was less than 10.

So you are pretty much safe.

If you have any other questions, please dont hesitate to e-mail me.  There may be some other things that will occur due to your health, co exisitng diseases, type of surgery, etc.