When you have laparoscopic surgery to remove your gall bladder... ?

Question

Do they paralyze you at all?

My girlfriend is really freaked out...she asks if you use a breathing tube? catheter?

Thank you.

Answer 1

No, she will not be paralyzed and no catheter will be used. Also, no breathing tube. Just 3 small (little) incisions. Will be ready to go to school or work in a week or less. She should tell the doctor that she is scared and they will help her calm down.

Answer 2

no catheter but yes a breathing tube.  but they slide that in when you are asleep and it is removed before you wake up.  you never know you had it.

Answer 3

laparoscopic cholecystectomy is done under general anesthesia.  your anesthesiologist will give you drugs to knock you out and then insert a breathing tube AFTER you're asleep.  the breathing tube will oxygenate and ventilate your lungs.  the breathing tube will be removed BEFORE you wake up.  typically patients don't remember ever having the breathing tube but you may wake up feeling something was in there, like a sore throat.  yes, you will be paralyzed during the surgery so the surgeons can work, but you'll be completely asleep during the entire surgery.  the paralysis will be completely reversed before you wake up.  stop watching the movie Awake.  intraoperative recall while paralyzed is extremely rare and occurs usually in emergency surgery or patients that are extremely sick and cannot tolerate anesthesia.  if you're young and healthy, there's nothing to worry about.

Answer 4

If by "paralyze" you mean anesthetize, then yes.  I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago using the scope, and I did undergo general anesthesia.  They DID use a catheter, but it was inserted after I was put out, as was the breathing tube.  I am not sure if they do this for all surgeries, you would have to ask the surgeon, I'm sure they will cover this in the pre-op.

I was in and out of the hospital in under 12 hours, however, and that included a couple of hours in the waiting room before.  Tell her that there is really nothing to worry about it, it is a fairly simple and routine procedure.  The pain afterwards is minimal, and easily controlled with the medicine they prescribe.  Good luck, and hopes for a speedy recovery!