Anyone not have general anesthesia?

I think I am just having a minor freak out today!  The surgeon I originally chose can not do my surgery in the time frame I need to have it done in (Over the summer due to being a full time nursing student) so the program coordinator suggested another surgeon in the program who is very well qualified. I feel like my choice is to wait another year or go with this surgeon who I wasn't planning on. Just trying to wrap my head around it and in the meantime started going down the "what if" road. I had made peace with all the what if complication scenarios and now I am back at it again! I have never been under general anesthesia so I think that is one thing I am worried about which triggered this most bizarre question :) Thank you all for humoring me :)

Kristie

Just remember that you will have a highly qualified Anaesthetist whose ONLY job is to make sure you are doign fine....a medical doctor who is supposed to be watching your vitals at every single moment of the procedure. This doc will be supremely well paid because it's his entire job to make sure you make it through. They ARE great at what they do, and I'm sure you'll be fine.

Wow Lady Lithia....how do you always know exactly the right  thing to say? Thank you! That REALLY  helped!

Kristie

When you have an epidural or a spinal block during a c-section, they try and get the level of numbness to right below your diaphram. There are times when the block goes too high and women feel like they can not breathe because their chest feels numb and they don't feel like they are breathing. Most often when this happens they end up putting the mom under general anesthesia. It's a very scary and disconcerting feeling I've been told and witnessed.

Think about where they are working in your abdomen, right about the level of your diaphram, so in order to numb you with an epidural or spinal block they would definately need to give you a high block and you'd probably freak out and need to be put under anyway.

Furthermore, one of the reasons you are made NPO before surgery is so there is very little in your stomach for you to puke...either in reaction to the anesthesia meds or from them manipulating your stomach. However, there's always gastric juices in there and in order to protect your airway and prevent you from inhaling gastric acid into your lungs it's better to put an endotracheal tube down your windpipe.