I actually stopped elective surgery, a couple of years ago while I was sitting on the gurney with the IV running. I was uncertain about the metal in an implant, and I did not go through with the surgery, which was a double knee replacement. The surgeon and the anesthesiologist were entirely understanding. I clearly messed up the schedule that day when I asked them to unhook me, and I literally walked out of the OR area and said, “I’m not doing it.” I came back two months later with a new plan regarding the metal implant and the surgeon’s words to me were, “You can’t go into this uncertain and unhappy. I’d rather you think about what we’re doing and come back 100% certain. You’ll heal better and you’ll feel better.” …so professional of the whole team. Slightly embarrassing but in the long run, it was the right decision.
Having done one TKR about 4yrs ago, I couldn't imagine doing both at the same time. I've had a lot of orthopedic surgeries over the past 30 yrs. Am very sensitive to pain. That TKR was insanely painful. I've talked to several people who have done one or both, and they didn't experience much pain at all. Some of them had pain with PT and didn't want to take the pain meds and didn't do PT. They have had very poor outcomes. Any good surgeon, PA, and anesthesiologist will tell you to take the pain meds and 'stay ahead' of the pain so you can do the PT that is required. Sorry, kinda rambling here. I definitely recommend finding a surgeon who takes the time to explain things and answer all of your questions. I know in some/many parts of the country there's not a lot of choices, so finding someone with whom you are comfortable and can go in with confidence will have a huge impact on outcome. It's a very intimate relationship in which to enter. Same thing with physical therapists. I always feel for people who have never been thru it, and are completely in the dark, are intimidated or afraid to ask questions much less, know what to look for. I hope you are able to find someone who can get you fixed up.
The thing you said about physical touch and small gestures is amazingly true. I'm a nervous patient who had to have a lot of surgeries for one thing or another, and calming words, somebody stroking your wrist, a nurse, surgeon or anesthesist calmly explaining what was happening or what I needed to do is SO important. If you are nervous, you can feel impatience or annoyance radiating off the people that work on you and it sets you off (not to blame anyone, but it makes a difference). One anesthesist smiled at me and said 'oh, they gave you the fluffiest blanket in the place' and I nodded and felt IMMEDIATELY comforted (clearly very suggestible lol). This stuff works!
When I had my daughter, I suffered a placental abruption and ended up delivering thru a whirlwind ER C-section from the on-call doc. Through herculean efforts, we both made it through and my daughter is a gorgeous 20 yr old college student today. Her only lasting impression is an extremely mild case of Autism which she hides well. I however was unable to carry another pregnancy to term after that. My uterus fills up with scar tissue too fast. Initially, we tried removing it thru D&C's, the first of which ... for whatever reason, I was terrified. As I was being wheeled to the operating room from prep on a hospital bed (or gurnee, if you prefer), one of the nurses noticed my fear and asked if I was nervous. I told her I was scared out of my wits but unsure why. She immediately started relating an anecdote about the only male in the group; the other women immediately joined in, adding tidbits from their POV. They were all laughing, even the guy.😅 They seemed to know each other well & really get along. Before I knew it, I was laughing too. 🤣 When we entered the operating room, the sedative I was given hadn't kicked in and my OB/GYN wasn't there yet, so the Anesthesiologist asked me a few question while checking his notes; he also asked what the deal was with all the jokes, so the nurse told him I had been very nervous at pre-op. He decided to give me a bit more of the sedative. It finally kicked in ... first time ever. Everyone was laughing and it turned into this warm echoing fuzz.☺️ At which point I heard my OB/GYN entering ... The Anesthesiologist asked me to do some kind of counting ... I just started laughing. That was absurd. I thought he was nuts. My brain felt like warm jelly ... jelly can't count. Then he took my hand and made a fist and then pulled my thumb up(👍). Can you hold this thumbs up? I said that of course I can. But I immediately forgot & had to be reminded. 😜 Anyway, the reason I was sharing the story is 'cause this group did an amazing job of putting me at ease & they didn't just leave it all to the Anesthesiologist to worry about or deal with. They knew that I couldn't go into surgery in that frame of mind, so they helped me without even really thinking about it. It seemed so natural for them. I will never forget their kindness to me that day. ❤
I totally relate. My surgery was supposed to start at 8am. I had to wait for 10 hours until my surgery. My anaesthesiologist was short and sharp with me. I was about to lose my breast. Instead of offering me sedation he asked me if I thought I needed it. My blood pressure was very high but still no medication to normalise it. I was angry about the way I was treated. I didn’t say anything about how upset I was. I just stuffed it down inside. I don’t like upset the doctors or nurses. If I upset them I may not get the help I need.
Dr. K, Thank you so very much for the article you attach below your video! Having visited in hospitals a few times now I can attest to the benefit of the "warm blanket". There seem to be bare bones resources provided but this one is an essential and really helps patients feel more comfortable during the trying time of a hospital stay.
My husband gets quite narsty on narcotics - it makes him bossy and mean. Then he'll decide not to use any pain management at all and gets meaner. We all pray he never needs surgery again. 🙏
Narcotics make me mean too. I try not to have anyone around if I'm in so much pain that I need them. Nice to hear I am not the only only one that make short tempered. Some weird chemistry.
Dear Sir, I'm 65 Covid early 2020, vocal cords paralyzed windpipe trama have a trake since 2020 , on ventilator for 20 days , have had 4 trake surgerys,I love your blog it really educated me on your positive attitude, the details are vital to me , where you live your patients should be blessed
You said so many truth I can relate to, as a former nurse of 30 years in the ER and in-home infusion. And now a patient myself. I had a four level cervical fusion with anterior and posterior instrumentation six years ago. It saved my spine... But it was a 16 hour surgery! I woke up hyper alert asking many questions and they promptly put me back to sleep. L O LL O L. I remember him pulling by A-line out. I think anesthesia and the whole team of doctors at USC did a great job! And going in with a great attitude was key for me and having confidence in the team. I’ve had five more minor surgery since then and tolerated them all really well, I think in part to my experience with that big one. All the best to you Dr thank you
I swear you’re the only anaesthesiologist that really gives a shit about patients like well-being and mental well-being. I’ve had many surgeries and they’ve never like asked if I’m okay like mentally and stuff like that a lot and I have my elective surgery they were good you know always trying to keep you calm and things like that. I’m about to have elective breast X plant and then re-implant surgery and I’m on something called Depot bupanophriene and I’m really worried about it because I’m scared that I’m gonna wake up or I’m not gonna get the right pain mads because it’s in my system and it blocks opioids. If anybody reads this in there on the panel friend have you ever had surgery?
That's fantastic, that he calls the patient's the night before their surgery! That must make all the difference in the world. THANK YOU SIR, for caring for people the way you do! My hat is off to you, much respect!....and I've not said that of an allopathic doctor in decades. I have seen only chiropractors and naturalpathic doctors for 20 years now, and have learned to treat myself, naturally. Funny thing, I worked in an animal hospital and there were 3-4 typical ways that dogs awaken from anesthesia, depending on the individual dog. Very interesting, how the meanest-acting dogs came out of anesthesia very paranoid and snarling, lol. They did not like feeling vulnerable in a strange place. Most Dogs come out of it very very sad, it takes some getting used to, because they just cry and cry, they don't understand what's happened to them and it's the saddest thing you've ever heard. If their owners could hear it, they would "die." I tried to give those dogs some individual attention and comfort, but there wasn't always time to do that, there was just time to keep an eye on them, in passing, or while working in a nearby room.... unless the vet told us to stay with them, but that wasn't often. The dogs with the goofy personality types, would lay in a Sphinx position, and "watch the races," as though they're sitting at a car race, dizzily watching the cars zip past them. 😅 The 4th type howl like wolves, which was always hilarious.
I just had a colonoscopy Two weeks ago and the nurse setting me up in position was very rude and I was trying to tell her that the blood pressure cuff really digs into my skin a lot and is very painful. She got pissed off at me because I was telling her it way to tight and she acted like I was being a baby so I started to take it off and sure enough the cuff had a tear on the edge and I was bleeding Around my arm. She then told me in a very harsh voice that she would put it on when I go to sleep. Plus the Anesthesiologist only words to me was I’m the dr that puts you to sleep and saying it with his back turned. Never said his name. I went in happy and ready to go but the workers were the ones in a bad mood
I receive care at a large teaching hospital in San Francisco. Usually a resident or fellow talks to me while I am waiting for my procedure. I’m always worried about them intubating me and being their guinea pig. I have had bad experiences that have made me worry about having a resident intubate me. One thing that happened was I woke up from anesthesia in the recovery room and I had a fat lip and tongue that was numb. It took a while for that to go away. In addition, I had acute kidney damage, because my blood pressure was too low during surgery for too much time. I don’t t know if the resident was made aware of my situation. I make sure that I tell the anesthesiologist about this incident so they can be aware that my blood pressure drops low with propofol. I think it’s great that you call your patients before surgery and I hope you leave them a message that you will be calling back. If I receive a call from an unknown caller I do not answer. I hope that they leave a message and a call back number so that I can either call them back or wait for their return call. Thank you so much for your educational sessions.
I also practice in the San Francisco Bay area! I'm so sorry about your kidney injury and fat lip. If you ever need surgery again, I hope you feel empowered advocate for yourself and try to prevent that from happening again. Often explaining what happened before can help a lot
Over the years, my mother would warn doctors and surgeons that her heart would stop, with certain anesthesia, but it didn't do any good with some of them, since they gave it to her anyway!! 😡...and nearly killed her on 3 different occasions, as her heart stopped. Thank God, each time, someone saved her life. And us kids still had her for many more years! One of those times, fortunately, there was a hospital across the street, as once, a huge orderly?....ER tech?...type man hauled butt from the hospital over to the clinic my mom was in, picked up my mom, and hauled a** to the ER with her, which saved her life. Now that's a HERO!
Hi Dr.Kaveh! I just found your channel today. You're a breath of fresh air, you're so kind! I had a multi-level Cervical Neurosurgery including 2 fusions in Nov.2022. I'm recovering. I've had 7 other spinal fusions and countless other surgeries, but I have to say, this was the very FIRST time I awoke from anesthesia without a sore throat and the pain was minimal! The one thing different that happened as they wheeled me in for surgery, they gave me something to relax me (like every time in the past), but they just wheeled me through the door and THIS time, I was knocked out just after I was in the OR threshold, the very FIRST time I didn't have the smelly mask over my face first before the propofol IV push!!! I'm used to counting backwards or the OR staff telling me goodnight!!! But it's the FIRST time I had no sore throat and traumatic awakening!!! It's there a difference? I'd love your take on this. My whole stay was flawless.❤
Also, I had a Hysterectomy in 2019 and I awoke in agony, so I asked for my Gyn Doc and the nurse kept saying he's not available- I clearly needed more pain med, then the doc came in yelling at me, telling mev he won't let me 'speak to his nurse that way'??? I was crying and in so much pain and his behavior was Abusive- not the 'nice guy' I met with prior to surgery! I was appalled- they sent me home the same day, to which I begged to stay because of the pain and the fact that I had stairs in my home that I'D HAVE TO CLIMB in order to get to my bed! It was the worst experience of my life and I truly saw the 'evil' that exists among some of the medical community. 😢
@justchantell1 oh honey, am I so sorry that happened to you! It makes me wonder if we had the same doctor, and I'm serious. Except mine was foul and abusive before surgery as well as afterwards. I woke up in agony too, and the PACU nurse had even put in her notes that I arrived from the OR crying out in pain. I feel like non-obsteric cases are treated by doctors and nurses as wastes of their time. It took a male patient on the other side of the curtain asking HIS nurse to help me before anyone made a move to give me anything for pain and nausea. Again, I'm so very sorry.
Dr. K, Thank you for sharing very pertinent info..You’re On point, with calm & peaceful presence. I’m a nurse that doesn’t handle being vulnerable, or not being physically well. My surgery has just been rescheduled from 08/07/23 to 07/07/23. My general anesthesia history’s fair, @ best. I don’t go under, or recover well. Putting one’s life into another’s hands is difficult. Wish me safe traveling this major journey. Thank you. I’ll will keep your kind, calm voice in my mind;…Sure do wish you could hold my hand traveling this major ABD surgery!
Same here back in the 60s. They used nitrous oxide, I'm pretty sure, because I reacted to the smell of it when I worked in the dental field during my 20s. It was used for light sedation at that time, but a wiff always brought back the old panic.
I have had multiple surgeries. A seemingly common practice is to have a “Nurse Anesthetist” administer the drugs, while a single Anesthesiologist rotates through several surgical suites. I now ask for a statement in writing that an Anesthesiologist will be present, and IN THE OR during MY surgery. Mistakes can happen because of “Cost Saving” policies like this!
Just want to shout out patient advocates. I have anxiety about being a bother to people (to the extent that I have accepted my apparent impending death before to avoid making things weird) and having someone to fight the medical beauracracy for me has vastly improved the quality of my medical care
I caught the very end of your LIVE stream. Been with my Orthopedic Surgeon for almost 20 years now, but I still have extreme anxiety about all surgeries. BUT Just wanted to say How much I appreciate your hard work. I have surgery next week... and I'm terrified, as always. So I am going through your videos daily to get some much needed guidance and courage! Cindy Ings, NL, Canada
Sending prayers for your peace of mind and a successful surgery! You may want to try some guided meditation or positive visualization videos to help you stay calm. UA-cam has lots of good options, some specifically to prepare for surgery. They have helped me. I wish you all the best.
For elective surgeries, talking to the anesthesiologist, someone we’ve never met and who plays a critical part in the surgical process, only the night before can be unnerving. For me, I know my surgeon and their PA because I’ve seen them in their office, but I never meet the anesthesiologist until the night before on the phone or shortly before the start of the surgery. I’ve had enough surgeries now that it doesn’t bother me, but it did a little when I was a kid. I don’t know if it would be possible, but for people who tend to be anxious even in the calmest situations, it might be beneficial for those patients to physically meet the anesthesiologist a day or two prior to surgery. Thank you Dr. Kaveh for all that you do.
I agree. I don't like speaking on the phone (to a complete stranger) about my personal medical history. I've never met the anesthesiologist. And I'm nervous the night before surgery. Getting a call like this would not be calming for me.
By axadent i found out that if you drink 2 Premier protein drinks before 12:00 Midnight, i was not Hungry when it was time 😋 for Surgery!!! Yay...So now anytime i need to stop ✋️ eating by Midnight 🎉😊!!!
I have put off put a stapendectomy for 20 years after the first one left me with balance issues and I did not wake up from surgery very well. A ambulatory surgery turned into a hospital stay because I had vertigo so bad could not even sit up without puking and the room spinning mach 9. I used to train horses for living and the aftermath of the surgery restored my hearing in that ear but left me with vertigo issues that have since resolved but took years. Now i need the other ear done and I am terrified of a repeat. I had a maxilloplasty 10 years prior to the stapendectomy and that was easy even though that was a major surgery. 😳 I am faced with becoming completely deaf if i dont do the surgery. Pray for me.
I have had 6 failed & redo ankle fusions & one spinal from the limping. I use the same ortho for my foot , neuro & anaesthetist each surgery. We have the post op meds down to a fine art. My anaesthetist knows me & my requirements. Especially post op pain. I think if you can, continuity of care is very helpful. Ask for the doctor you want. They can only say no. Love what your doing here.
So informative and refreshing. I have had 4 surgeries and only once did a surgeon call me the night post surgery around midnight to make sure we were doing ok and my support person gave me my meds. Recalling my surgery for a broken shoulder, I had great rapport with the surgeon, I had no contact other than the "I will be your anesthesiologist" introduction in pre-op room. This was during Covid so I likely chalked it up to that impacting how things progressed. Thank you for the education! As I age and (hopefully will have fewer surgical interactions, but who knows?) I hope I will become more able to advocate on my behalf and ask more questions. So often I have had no inkling what my concerns are or could be and have just accepted what little information I'm given. It is great to read the comments here on YT to learn other's perspectives and orientations are so I may modify my own going forward.
My anesthesiologist was kind of irritated with me, because they had to cancel my surgery because of my high blood pressure. I wish some of them were understanding and compassionate like you. Keep up the good job, God bless.
WOW! A Dr. with true compassion and empathy! Fully thinks things out 1st. Love your dog Doc, I have a 4 year old female Australian Kelpie that has similar colors to your dog, but she's a bit smaller that I love very much!
In 2 weeks I have an all day craniotomy for a brain tumor. I keep thinking about going through the pre-op stage then into the OR...I can't shake the thought of running off the table out of shear fear before they knock me out. I've had surgery before but never this long, scary, and serious- I have NO idea how to totally calm my mind, praying helps🙏
Thankyou for sharing your knowledge. We are blessed to have such a gentleman to inform us. I've had so many surgeries. I try to have a good since of humor when I go into the O.R.
I do have an issue in terms of bad-behavior as my 76 years-old uncle was acting up while hospitalized, and now he’s acting way up better after shown to him your educational video; well civility costs nothing!
I had one surgery at CMPC in the City SF , he did not call the night before but was so conversational and explained everything before surgery. He was great and can by after surgery when I was in the hospital. He came by two days a great young man n.. much like you. I have great sleep.
People are lucky to have you call the night before?! A lot of Anesthesiologists do not do that. Scared or not, that’s bad to come in with an attitude towards you. 😶
In my country an appointment is scheduled one month before, and even it do not stops prescriptions I cannot use. I hope one day it changes in my country. We have some cases, when the residents and professors make a video call.
@Anon you can ask to the doctors to add something to calm you a bit diazepam or Clonazepam or even Zolpidem, to help you with anxiety. I have a rare tumor, and had 13 surgeries in my body, every single time I enter the operation room or the nurse stations to get the EV access the adrenaline runs out of control, it makes the blood thinner and increases heart rates, and makes it difficult to find an access, my skin is thick and my veins are too sensitive, usually I leave the hospital with lots of bruises, because of broken veins... Wish your results come clean🌷
@Anon I am so sorry that happened. That sounds awful. When I had my endoscopy a few years ago, they covered my eyes and kept the noise low. That really helped.
So, I don't know if you remember, but previously I talked about a surgery I had back in 2021 for a colon resection. I woke up in recovery with my lip and front left of my tongue numb as if I'd been punched in the mouth or something and later I found might right back molar cracked. I didn't know that that could've happened while coming out of anesthesia and I could have been agitated enough for that to have happened. So, on my pretest8ng/preop visit I told anesthesia about it and she confirmed that yes that was definitely a possibility and made sure to note it for my surgery on Thursday ( in 3 days from now.) She was also surprised that noone had said anything to me about it and when I told them about it at the time there really wasn't much of a response. So thank you for teaching me that. I have a much better understanding and know I need to take steps to try to make myself kinda zen before going under. 😅
🙏Sending prayers for your peace of mind and a successful surgery. I know from experience that having that Zen mindset before an operation really helps with your recovery. You may want to try some guided meditations or positive visualization work;: UA-cam has many good videos.
Doc, TY so much. I love your videos. You impart so much great information. Hint regarding your phone calls: Spam is a computer generated phone call. If someone doesn't answer the first time, call back again right away. Computers don't do that (yet) so it generally means a real person is on the other end. I get pain management shots while under propofol. I am blessed that I love my Dr. (Dr. Neil Kirschen, Rockville Center, NY). He was the only person who viewed my case like a puzzle to be solved. Before I go in, the Dr., the anesthesiologist and the nurse all check in on me separately to introduce themselves and talk while room is being prepped btwn patients. When I go in, I talk to everyone present and ask how they are doing. I make silly jokes and Boom! I'm in recovery with no idea how I got there, lol. Your profession has given me back some quality of life. TY. TY. TY.
I did have the anger before hernia surgery. Constant delays. Like you said, hungry thirsty no caffeine! My anesthesiologist put something in my IV before they took me to the OR, she said it would help me relax. It did but I felt so bad for my behavior. Everyone was nice but the Constant delays were frustrating. 3 delays) it was unusual but they were having issues with the robot.
Thank you for your videos. I have a left hip replacement in 15 days. The right is getting worse. The surgery may end up bi-lateral. I am getting very nervous
So cool that you call your patients the night before surgery. I've never had an anesthesiologist call me before a procedure. Heh, my last anesthesiologist came into give me a nerve block, and he was in a bad mood. They were running behind and man o man that nerve blocker injection(s) was painful and I've had a few of them. Thankfully, the versed was good and my attitude going in was good, so I was able to maintain my sense of humor. I'm going back in for round 2 in a couple of weeks. Hopefully last time was just a bad day.
I’m new to your channel. Very smart Dr. I took a fall and landed on my left upper thigh. Had surgery and 5 units of blood. Fast forward 5 months I was not healing. Wound vac, and wound clinic 2 times a week. Finally CT showed a foreign body. From my first surgery. A sponge not removed. Is this common?
It would be nice to be called at all. My Surgeon's Office moved my consultation appointment up 2 hours and did not call me. Yes, they sent a message through MyChart ( a tool to communicate with the healthcare team) but who regularly looks at MyChart or e-mail when I have not sent a message...found out 10 days later when I got a confirmation text about the appt. . Had to change my appt to another Surgeon...could have kept the appt had they called so I could have arranged transportation. My appt had to be 2 weeks later when I have already waited a very long time. Ridiculous. Getting a call is rare. Bless you for it.
I have never had an anesthesiologist call me in advance of the surgery, except when there are concerns about my drugs or spine and I am already in the hospital as an inpatient at the hospital. I know that my gallbladder surgery was cancelled until they had copies of imaging of my cervical spine was available for them to see because I have degenerative disc disease in most of my spine, particularly in my cervical spine.
I've NEVER walked into surgery, doc. And it'd have been reassuring if the anesthesiologist had called - but they're always too busy and never ready on time, usually by hours.
My husband died because of a mistake in the OR. Anesthesiologist on the Internet…not at the head of the bed. It was years before I even thought of how this might have affected him. I didn’t care at the time. Listening to you has given me a point of view that I needed to forgive. So thank you for that.
I have complex PTSD and have extreme anxiety in certain situations. Most of these situations are predictable, and with planning, CBT, my service dog, and my meds, I can at least get whatever overwith. I also have a trashed lumbar spine from athletics. I am being treated with medial nerve blocks in preparation for a radio frequency ablation. Day of the first treatment I arrived had my iv cath inserted and then was sent to the waiting room upstairs. Which was packed. No social distancing, no masks except on me, and a whole lot of grumbling people. I kept hearing over and over "treated like cattle" and other negative things about the quality of patient treatment. My favorite was I'm a customer, I'm paying for this. It was really difficult to keep my anxiety under control. And I'd left my purse with my ride person, so no way to turn off the sound. At least I'd been allowed to take my meds a short time before this experience. I'll be having another soon. I'm doing a self guided meditation so that I am prepared and can stay calmer on the day, and even run through it while waiting. It really is a surgery factory, and not great patient/customer care. But I need it and I expect a decent outcome.
Having surgery on Wednesday. Not even afraid of the procedure, I just get anxious days before. I do have ptsd and panic disorder so not sure how that affects anesthesia. Your videos made me curious, so I went back and looked at the anesthesiologist notes from previous two surgeries. Very interesting.
Doc, thanks for helping to tamp down that "Welcome to the Machine" vibe that surgery carries. Saying that, IVs, especially around the hand really torques me out. Call me a wussy, but there you have it. Any ideas that you have to ameliorate this phobia would greatly be appreciated. What about a strong oral sedative? What most people never seem to mind freaks me out. Seriously.
That's a good question, I have a few videos on it! Have you seen them? I like to employ the power of the cough and a small skin wheel with buffered lidocaine
I was panicked when they tried to put mask over my face. The anesthesiologist talked to me held my hand and put the mask real close to my face. Next thing I knew I was waking up. Very kind!
Dr K, has it always been your routine to call scheduled patients the night before? Where I worked, we scheduled these patients to come in around a week before to get labs, xrays, if any, medical history, speak to a MDA, etc. I was just wondering if Covid had changed any of this?
Your Anesthesiologist Is There To Help YOU Help YOURSELF Have The BEST Possible Outcoming Or They Wouldn't Be There! Work WITH Them! I Recently Had To Cancel & Then Reschedule An EGD Late The Day Before My Scheduled Procedure - Not Because I Had Not Already Arranged The Personal Ride Home - But Because It Fell Through On Me @ The Last Minute...Fortunately That Didn't Happen When I Was Already IN The Room! EVERYONE Has Already Shown Up & Gotten There Early For ME! Luckily It Went Well & I Had The Best News I Could Recieve - NO Cancer Cells!🎉🥳 I Can't Really Ever Imagine Going Off On My Doctor Right As I'm Going In To The Procedure That THEY Are Going To Keep Me Alive Through Because I Didn't Follow MY PreOp Instructions! Not Fair & NOT Responsible In An ELECTIVE, Planned Surgery!
After checking in for a procedure I became angry with the person who was my ride that day. Not in the right frame of mind to do this. I got up, told the person at the desk that I needed to leave and left.
Hi. I'm loving following your videos and learning new things. I am a Registered Nurse in Australia and I'm interested in and looking into becoming an anaesthetic technician. Could you do a video of what an anaesthetic techs role involves? Thank you so much.
Why would a doctor stop the plan for an ablation and decide to do a pacemaker after the patient already has the IV and partially prepped for the procedure? I’m assuming it’s because the doctor didn’t read the chart before I arrived.
Im 52. I have always had a massive fear of hospitals and particularly surgery. Luckily I have never had surgery but i am scared should the need arise. I am not only like this with myself but also my loved ones. Recently my fiance needed surgery and was in hospital for a week. I was a total nightmare and i am so suprised i didnt get banned. I do not know why I am like this. I am totally irrational and self harm rude and insulting. Everytime he slept i cut his wristband off. I am defensive and very very combative. I suffer from anxiety so that just intensifies the feelings. My panic attacks are off the scale. I am now left with recurring nightmare of him being wheeled into the lift for surgery. All ended up very well for him but my fear is so severe i cannot support him. This was knee block surgery. Later in the year he will require ga and i have never been in that position before. I am also scared that as i am getting older i am not only getting worse but I am more than like going to have to face surgery at some point in my life. I am so scared i will hurt someone. What can i do. Breathing techniques and tapping do not work. Nothing works. I turn into a horrible person. Yes its selfish. But please understand i cannot control this
In the UK if you live alone, and you have surgery, they won't let you go home after the surgery until you've slept one night in the hospital. However, it seems that doctors are prioritising those who do have someone at home and giving their operations ahead of those who don't have someone at home. While there may be a logic to this, it still punishes the person who lives alone. I had three operations within maybe four months. The first operation happened during the late morning and that was okay. Thereafter, this prioritisation/discrimination process meant I was last operation of the day for the second and third operation - I was the last person in recovery - all meals were gone for the day and it was a real problem for them to even find a bed in a ward. I complained after the second operation because I am a morning person - to make me wait all day for surgery and then not even feed me while making me wait for a bed into the night is not the way for me to heal. But the third operation was done the same way - last of the day, last in recovery, meals gone, no bed. The nurses were so upset for me but they told me that they couldn't tell the doctors anything. It makes me wonder if I have to ever have any other operation perhaps I should just lie and say that there is someone at home.
I, fortunately, wasn’t angry before surgery. I was scared, and tried to keep it to myself. I was angry afterwards, and that was at home, but I think that had to do with the meds and all of the stress my body went through.
@@MedicalSecrets After surgery I was able to move on with my life with no pain. Lesson to learn when you let anxiety rule. I have let my RSD/CRPS facebook friends know about your talks to help them understand nerve issues. Thank you
I was having abdominal scar tissue removal from a previous surgery. My sister went to the hospital with me and she doesn’t have a drivers license so we took an Uber to the hospital. I was going to get my pain meds filled at the hospital pharmacy after surgery. I went to give my sister my debit card to pay for my meds and for her to get food. I did not have my debit card it was either at home or I lost it on the way to the hospital. So I had to stay calm and just not worry about my missing debit card told the surgeon that I would have to fill my meds after surgery and I hoped that I had enough cash because of my missing debit card. I told my surgical team that there is nothing I can do about my card now I will deal with it when I get home. Surgery went well and my debit card was on my kitchen table.
I'm so happy I've found this site. I've learned alot. Thanks for all you do. You're wonderful! I have a question. I was wondering if being stressed before surgery leads to post operative depression. I had a really hard time after my neck surgery and ended up with terrible insomnia. I think it all started because I was afraid of the anesthesia. (Not the surgery itself or recovery.) But, because of my PTSD, I didn't like the idea of being unconscious and having things done to me while I was unaware. Not having any control or even being aware what's happening to me is more frightening than pain. Also, afraid of how I might react coming out of anesthesia. Afraid of what I might say or do if I'm confused about where I am and what's going on. Anyway, I have another surgery coming up in a couple weeks for a cranial decompression. Hope I don't wake up swinging. 😆 So anyway, do think my post operative depression was d/t my fear?
I still wanted to know if they are still angry when they come in to the OR and you can't get them to relax because of their anger do you have to cancel the the surgery?
I think the more you get older and have more surgeries you become more traumatised and have flashbacks that make you doubtful if you’ll ever wake up .. my fear is am I going to wake up again or is this it 😬
I think you're my favorite anesthesiologist - right up there with the fella with an accent (Greek?) who ordered me, "Dun't muff. You can scrrem, but dun't muff!"
I am having shoulder replacement surgery in a week. How do you determine which nerve block to use? I would like to have the one that last 72 hours. May I let my anesthesiologist my prefence?
You can always feel empowered to advocate for yourself and ask your anesthesiologist about which one you will receive. in the absence of contraindications, we typically perform an interscalene nerve block for shoulder surgery
Give them a lot of Versed, very gradually, while listening to them explain their anger. Anger is usually based on fear; if you are able have them trust you enough, they may express their fear to you. I'm sure you know this ! 😊
Have you thought of sending a SMS message, or in the lists of patients get someone to say ro rhe patients doctor Kaveh will call you, prior the surgery?
Are you putting forward the idea that you can measure baseline for idk Angry man baseline vs Scared to death man baseline ? If that’s what you are stating I’d love to hear more about that. This could be interesting subject to better understand what we could do as patients.
I am not being put to sleep. Just Ativan. I do not believe that it will work remotely to calm me down!Not to mention that I will not be able to stop crying though it! Should make a TN jaw Trigeminal Ablation go well!
Not sure why one would do scoliosis surgery rate of adverse events is extremely high (50%). I have a bit of scoliosis but wouldn’t have associated any symptoms with it, seems to me the spine can curve plenty.
I actually stopped elective surgery, a couple of years ago while I was sitting on the gurney with the IV running. I was uncertain about the metal in an implant, and I did not go through with the surgery, which was a double knee replacement. The surgeon and the anesthesiologist were entirely understanding. I clearly messed up the schedule that day when I asked them to unhook me, and I literally walked out of the OR area and said, “I’m not doing it.” I came back two months later with a new plan regarding the metal implant and the surgeon’s words to me were, “You can’t go into this uncertain and unhappy. I’d rather you think about what we’re doing and come back 100% certain. You’ll heal better and you’ll feel better.” …so professional of the whole team. Slightly embarrassing but in the long run, it was the right decision.
That's exactly the type of empowerment that I love to hear in patients! Yes, it does ruin the surgery schedule, but it's the right thing to do
Having done one TKR about 4yrs ago, I couldn't imagine doing both at the same time. I've had a lot of orthopedic surgeries over the past 30 yrs. Am very sensitive to pain. That TKR was insanely painful. I've talked to several people who have done one or both, and they didn't experience much pain at all. Some of them had pain with PT and didn't want to take the pain meds and didn't do PT. They have had very poor outcomes. Any good surgeon, PA, and anesthesiologist will tell you to take the pain meds and 'stay ahead' of the pain so you can do the PT that is required. Sorry, kinda rambling here. I definitely recommend finding a surgeon who takes the time to explain things and answer all of your questions. I know in some/many parts of the country there's not a lot of choices, so finding someone with whom you are comfortable and can go in with confidence will have a huge impact on outcome. It's a very intimate relationship in which to enter. Same thing with physical therapists. I always feel for people who have never been thru it, and are completely in the dark, are intimidated or afraid to ask questions much less, know what to look for.
I hope you are able to find someone who can get you fixed up.
Good 👍 for you 😊
Question: why do docs tell you importsnt info right after surgery when you are not clear headed?
@@stringlarson1247 ⁰ ok I'm aware
I love your videos. You are a genuinely good person. Do no harm!
The thing you said about physical touch and small gestures is amazingly true. I'm a nervous patient who had to have a lot of surgeries for one thing or another, and calming words, somebody stroking your wrist, a nurse, surgeon or anesthesist calmly explaining what was happening or what I needed to do is SO important. If you are nervous, you can feel impatience or annoyance radiating off the people that work on you and it sets you off (not to blame anyone, but it makes a difference). One anesthesist smiled at me and said 'oh, they gave you the fluffiest blanket in the place' and I nodded and felt IMMEDIATELY comforted (clearly very suggestible lol). This stuff works!
When I had my daughter, I suffered a placental abruption and ended up delivering thru a whirlwind ER C-section from the on-call doc. Through herculean efforts, we both made it through and my daughter is a gorgeous 20 yr old college student today. Her only lasting impression is an extremely mild case of Autism which she hides well.
I however was unable to carry another pregnancy to term after that. My uterus fills up with scar tissue too fast. Initially, we tried removing it thru D&C's, the first of which ... for whatever reason, I was terrified.
As I was being wheeled to the operating room from prep on a hospital bed (or gurnee, if you prefer), one of the nurses noticed my fear and asked if I was nervous. I told her I was scared out of my wits but unsure why.
She immediately started relating an anecdote about the only male in the group; the other women immediately joined in, adding tidbits from their POV. They were all laughing, even the guy.😅 They seemed to know each other well & really get along.
Before I knew it, I was laughing too. 🤣 When we entered the operating room, the sedative I was given hadn't kicked in and my OB/GYN wasn't there yet, so the Anesthesiologist asked me a few question while checking his notes; he also asked what the deal was with all the jokes, so the nurse told him I had been very nervous at pre-op. He decided to give me a bit more of the sedative. It finally kicked in ... first time ever. Everyone was laughing and it turned into this warm echoing fuzz.☺️ At which point I heard my OB/GYN entering ...
The Anesthesiologist asked me to do some kind of counting ... I just started laughing. That was absurd. I thought he was nuts. My brain felt like warm jelly ... jelly can't count. Then he took my hand and made a fist and then pulled my thumb up(👍). Can you hold this thumbs up? I said that of course I can. But I immediately forgot & had to be reminded. 😜
Anyway, the reason I was sharing the story is 'cause this group did an amazing job of putting me at ease & they didn't just leave it all to the Anesthesiologist to worry about or deal with. They knew that I couldn't go into surgery in that frame of mind, so they helped me without even really thinking about it. It seemed so natural for them.
I will never forget their kindness to me that day. ❤
I totally relate. My surgery was supposed to start at 8am. I had to wait for 10 hours until my surgery. My anaesthesiologist was short and sharp with me. I was about to lose my breast. Instead of offering me sedation he asked me if I thought I needed it. My blood pressure was very high but still no medication to normalise it. I was angry about the way I was treated. I didn’t say anything about how upset I was. I just stuffed it down inside. I don’t like upset the doctors or nurses. If I upset them I may not get the help I need.
Dr. K, Thank you so very much for the article you attach below your video! Having visited in hospitals a few times now I can attest to the benefit of the "warm blanket". There seem to be bare bones resources provided but this one is an essential and really helps patients feel more comfortable during the trying time of a hospital stay.
My husband gets quite narsty on narcotics - it makes him bossy and mean. Then he'll decide not to use any pain management at all and gets meaner. We all pray he never needs surgery again. 🙏
Narcotics make me mean too. I try not to have anyone around if I'm in so much pain that I need them. Nice to hear I am not the only only one that make short tempered. Some weird chemistry.
Your channel is growing very fast, Doc. Congratulations 🎊
Dear Sir, I'm 65 Covid early 2020, vocal cords paralyzed windpipe trama have a trake since 2020 , on ventilator for 20 days , have had 4 trake surgerys,I love your blog it really educated me on your positive attitude, the details are vital to me , where you live your patients should be blessed
You said so many truth I can relate to, as a former nurse of 30 years in the ER and in-home infusion. And now a patient myself. I had a four level cervical fusion with anterior and posterior instrumentation six years ago. It saved my spine... But it was a 16 hour surgery! I woke up hyper alert asking many questions and they promptly put me back to sleep. L O LL O L. I remember him pulling by A-line out. I think anesthesia and the whole team of doctors at USC did a great job! And going in with a great attitude was key for me and having confidence in the team. I’ve had five more minor surgery since then and tolerated them all really well, I think in part to my experience with that big one. All the best to you Dr thank you
I swear you’re the only anaesthesiologist that really gives a shit about patients like well-being and mental well-being. I’ve had many surgeries and they’ve never like asked if I’m okay like mentally and stuff like that a lot and I have my elective surgery they were good you know always trying to keep you calm and things like that. I’m about to have elective breast X plant and then re-implant surgery and I’m on something called Depot bupanophriene and I’m really worried about it because I’m scared that I’m gonna wake up or I’m not gonna get the right pain mads because it’s in my system and it blocks opioids. If anybody reads this in there on the panel friend have you ever had surgery?
That's fantastic, that he calls the patient's the night before their surgery! That must make all the difference in the world. THANK YOU SIR, for caring for people the way you do! My hat is off to you, much respect!....and I've not said that of an allopathic doctor in decades. I have seen only chiropractors and naturalpathic doctors for 20 years now, and have learned to treat myself, naturally.
Funny thing, I worked in an animal hospital and there were 3-4 typical ways that dogs awaken from anesthesia, depending on the individual dog. Very interesting, how the meanest-acting dogs came out of anesthesia very paranoid and snarling, lol. They did not like feeling vulnerable in a strange place. Most Dogs come out of it very very sad, it takes some getting used to, because they just cry and cry, they don't understand what's happened to them and it's the saddest thing you've ever heard. If their owners could hear it, they would "die." I tried to give those dogs some individual attention and comfort, but there wasn't always time to do that, there was just time to keep an eye on them, in passing, or while working in a nearby room.... unless the vet told us to stay with them, but that wasn't often. The dogs with the goofy personality types, would lay in a Sphinx position, and "watch the races," as though they're sitting at a car race, dizzily watching the cars zip past them. 😅 The 4th type howl like wolves, which was always hilarious.
My plastic surgeon always called me the night before and it really did make a world of difference.😊
It is 4:30 where you're at and instead of being at the driving range, you're helping all of us! I want to correct you. You are a Saint!
I just had a colonoscopy Two weeks ago and the nurse setting me up in position was very rude and I was trying to tell her that the blood pressure cuff really digs into my skin a lot and is very painful. She got pissed off at me because I was telling her it way to tight and she acted like I was being a baby so I started to take it off and sure enough the cuff had a tear on the edge and I was bleeding Around my arm. She then told me in a very harsh voice that she would put it on when I go to sleep. Plus the Anesthesiologist only words to me was I’m the dr that puts you to sleep and saying it with his back turned. Never said his name. I went in happy and ready to go but the workers were the ones in a bad mood
I would have been scared to death and hopefully stopped it!
I start questioning the heck out of the anesthetist/anesthesiologist before the surgery. I might be annoying, but I go to sleep informed.
I receive care at a large teaching hospital in San Francisco. Usually a resident or fellow talks to me while I am waiting for my procedure. I’m always worried about them intubating me and being their guinea pig. I have had bad experiences that have made me worry about having a resident intubate me. One thing that happened was I woke up from anesthesia in the recovery room and I had a fat lip and tongue that was numb. It took a while for that to go away. In addition, I had acute kidney damage, because my blood pressure was too low during surgery for too much time. I don’t t know if the resident was made aware of my situation. I make sure that I tell the anesthesiologist about this incident so they can be aware that my blood pressure drops low with propofol. I think it’s great that you call your patients before surgery and I hope you leave them a message that you will be calling back. If I receive a call from an unknown caller I do not answer. I hope that they leave a message and a call back number so that I can either call them back or wait for their return call. Thank you so much for your educational sessions.
I also practice in the San Francisco Bay area! I'm so sorry about your kidney injury and fat lip. If you ever need surgery again, I hope you feel empowered advocate for yourself and try to prevent that from happening again. Often explaining what happened before can help a lot
Over the years, my mother would warn doctors and surgeons that her heart would stop, with certain anesthesia, but it didn't do any good with some of them, since they gave it to her anyway!! 😡...and nearly killed her on 3 different occasions, as her heart stopped. Thank God, each time, someone saved her life. And us kids still had her for many more years!
One of those times, fortunately, there was a hospital across the street, as once, a huge orderly?....ER tech?...type man hauled butt from the hospital over to the clinic my mom was in, picked up my mom, and hauled a** to the ER with her, which saved her life. Now that's a HERO!
Hi Dr.Kaveh! I just found your channel today. You're a breath of fresh air, you're so kind! I had a multi-level Cervical Neurosurgery including 2 fusions in Nov.2022. I'm recovering. I've had 7 other spinal fusions and countless other surgeries, but I have to say, this was the very FIRST time I awoke from anesthesia without a sore throat and the pain was minimal! The one thing different that happened as they wheeled me in for surgery, they gave me something to relax me (like every time in the past), but they just wheeled me through the door and THIS time, I was knocked out just after I was in the OR threshold, the very FIRST time I didn't have the smelly mask over my face first before the propofol IV push!!! I'm used to counting backwards or the OR staff telling me goodnight!!! But it's the FIRST time I had no sore throat and traumatic awakening!!! It's there a difference? I'd love your take on this. My whole stay was flawless.❤
Also, I had a Hysterectomy in 2019 and I awoke in agony, so I asked for my Gyn Doc and the nurse kept saying he's not available- I clearly needed more pain med, then the doc came in yelling at me, telling mev he won't let me 'speak to his nurse that way'??? I was crying and in so much pain and his behavior was Abusive- not the 'nice guy' I met with prior to surgery! I was appalled- they sent me home the same day, to which I begged to stay because of the pain and the fact that I had stairs in my home that I'D HAVE TO CLIMB in order to get to my bed! It was the worst experience of my life and I truly saw the 'evil' that exists among some of the medical community. 😢
@justchantell1 oh honey, am I so sorry that happened to you! It makes me wonder if we had the same doctor, and I'm serious. Except mine was foul and abusive before surgery as well as afterwards. I woke up in agony too, and the PACU nurse had even put in her notes that I arrived from the OR crying out in pain. I feel like non-obsteric cases are treated by doctors and nurses as wastes of their time. It took a male patient on the other side of the curtain asking HIS nurse to help me before anyone made a move to give me anything for pain and nausea. Again, I'm so very sorry.
Dr. K, Thank you for sharing very pertinent info..You’re On point, with calm & peaceful presence. I’m a nurse that doesn’t handle being vulnerable, or not being physically well. My surgery has just been rescheduled from 08/07/23 to 07/07/23. My general anesthesia history’s fair, @ best. I don’t go under, or recover well. Putting one’s life into another’s hands is difficult. Wish me safe traveling this major journey. Thank you. I’ll will keep your kind, calm voice in my mind;…Sure do wish you could hold my hand traveling this major ABD surgery!
Thanks!
Thank you! 🙏
You are articulate and explain situations well.
I remember when I had my tonsils out in the 60s. I remember a black rubber gas mask, and I will never forget the smell of the gas ..
Me too, I vomited afterwards. To this day I hate that smell and it makes me anxious.
Same here back in the 60s. They used nitrous oxide, I'm pretty sure, because I reacted to the smell of it when I worked in the dental field during my 20s. It was used for light sedation at that time, but a wiff always brought back the old panic.
I have no problem concentrating on what he is saying. Love all the helpful information.
I have had multiple surgeries. A seemingly common practice is to have a “Nurse Anesthetist” administer the drugs, while a single Anesthesiologist rotates through several surgical suites. I now ask for a statement in writing that an Anesthesiologist will be present, and IN THE OR during MY surgery. Mistakes can happen because of “Cost Saving” policies like this!
Ty so much for taking your time to do these vids.
Just want to shout out patient advocates. I have anxiety about being a bother to people (to the extent that I have accepted my apparent impending death before to avoid making things weird) and having someone to fight the medical beauracracy for me has vastly improved the quality of my medical care
Really , Everytime I’ve tried patient advocacy they are not available……
@claire5399 It took me a year to get mine but it's worth the effort
I caught the very end of your LIVE stream. Been with my Orthopedic Surgeon for almost 20 years now, but I still have extreme anxiety about all surgeries.
BUT Just wanted to say How much I appreciate your hard work. I have surgery next week... and I'm terrified, as always. So I am going through your videos daily to get some much needed guidance and courage! Cindy Ings, NL, Canada
Sending prayers for your peace of mind and a successful surgery! You may want to try some guided meditation or positive visualization videos to help you stay calm. UA-cam has lots of good options, some specifically to prepare for surgery. They have helped me. I wish you all the best.
For elective surgeries, talking to the anesthesiologist, someone we’ve never met and who plays a critical part in the surgical process, only the night before can be unnerving. For me, I know my surgeon and their PA because I’ve seen them in their office, but I never meet the anesthesiologist until the night before on the phone or shortly before the start of the surgery. I’ve had enough surgeries now that it doesn’t bother me, but it did a little when I was a kid. I don’t know if it would be possible, but for people who tend to be anxious even in the calmest situations, it might be beneficial for those patients to physically meet the anesthesiologist a day or two prior to surgery. Thank you Dr. Kaveh for all that you do.
I agree. I don't like speaking on the phone (to a complete stranger) about my personal medical history. I've never met the anesthesiologist. And I'm nervous the night before surgery. Getting a call like this would not be calming for me.
By axadent i found out that if you drink 2
Premier protein drinks
before 12:00
Midnight, i was not Hungry when it was time 😋 for
Surgery!!! Yay...So now anytime i need to stop ✋️ eating by Midnight 🎉😊!!!
Good tip!
Excellent! Thank you for the tip!
I have put off put a stapendectomy for 20 years after the first one left me with balance issues and I did not wake up from surgery very well. A ambulatory surgery turned into a hospital stay because I had vertigo so bad could not even sit up without puking and the room spinning mach 9. I used to train horses for living and the aftermath of the surgery restored my hearing in that ear but left me with vertigo issues that have since resolved but took years. Now i need the other ear done and I am terrified of a repeat. I had a maxilloplasty 10 years prior to the stapendectomy and that was easy even though that was a major surgery. 😳
I am faced with becoming completely deaf if i dont do the surgery. Pray for me.
I really enjoy listening to you. I appreciate all the anesthesiologists. 😊
I have had 6 failed & redo ankle fusions & one spinal from the limping. I use the same ortho for my foot , neuro & anaesthetist each surgery. We have the post op meds down to a fine art. My anaesthetist knows me & my requirements. Especially post op pain. I think if you can, continuity of care is very helpful. Ask for the doctor you want. They can only say no. Love what your doing here.
I'm sorry you've had so many surgeries. I'm hoping that you don't need anymore for the same ankle issues 🙏
So informative and refreshing. I have had 4 surgeries and only once did a surgeon call me the night post surgery around midnight to make sure we were doing ok and my support person gave me my meds. Recalling my surgery for a broken shoulder, I had great rapport with the surgeon, I had no contact other than the "I will be your anesthesiologist" introduction in pre-op room. This was during Covid so I likely chalked it up to that impacting how things progressed.
Thank you for the education! As I age and (hopefully will have fewer surgical interactions, but who knows?) I hope I will become more able to advocate on my behalf and ask more questions. So often I have had no inkling what my concerns are or could be and have just accepted what little information I'm given. It is great to read the comments here on YT to learn other's perspectives and orientations are so I may modify my own going forward.
My anesthesiologist was kind of irritated with me, because they had to cancel my surgery because of my high blood pressure. I wish some of them were understanding and compassionate like you. Keep up the good job, God bless.
Poor Doctor Kaveh. You sound like you had a less a good day that day😰 good energy is send to you❤
That is what makes you such a great person and DR.
WOW! A Dr. with true compassion and empathy! Fully thinks things out 1st. Love your dog Doc, I have a 4 year old female Australian Kelpie that has similar colors to your dog, but she's a bit smaller that I love very much!
In 2 weeks I have an all day craniotomy for a brain tumor. I keep thinking about going through the pre-op stage then into the OR...I can't shake the thought of running off the table out of shear fear before they knock me out. I've had surgery before but never this long, scary, and serious- I have NO idea how to totally calm my mind, praying helps🙏
This was very helpful. Thank you
Why do I always miss you live 🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️
Thankyou for sharing your knowledge. We are blessed to have such a gentleman to inform us. I've had so many surgeries. I try to have a good since of humor when I go into the O.R.
Your so proactive with your patients.
The more surgeries I have, the more anxious I get.
I wake up in more pain every surgery.
I definitely hope I can curb this cycle
I hope you tell your next anesthesiologist before you go under! They tend to be pretty understanding I find.
I do have an issue in terms of bad-behavior as my 76 years-old uncle was acting up while hospitalized, and now he’s acting way up better after shown to him your educational video; well civility costs nothing!
I had one surgery at CMPC in the City SF , he did not call the night before but was so conversational and explained everything before surgery. He was great and can by after surgery when I was in the hospital. He came by two days a great young man n.. much like you. I have great sleep.
I also forgot to mention I had a great gynecologist / surgeon. She was great. This was in 1991. Spent a day or two in hospital all went well.
People are lucky to have you call the night before?! A lot of Anesthesiologists do not do that. Scared or not, that’s bad to come in with an attitude towards you. 😶
In my country an appointment is scheduled one month before, and even it do not stops prescriptions I cannot use.
I hope one day it changes in my country.
We have some cases, when the residents and professors make a video call.
@Anon you can ask to the doctors to add something to calm you a bit diazepam or Clonazepam or even Zolpidem, to help you with anxiety.
I have a rare tumor, and had 13 surgeries in my body, every single time I enter the operation room or the nurse stations to get the EV access the adrenaline runs out of control, it makes the blood thinner and increases heart rates, and makes it difficult to find an access, my skin is thick and my veins are too sensitive, usually I leave the hospital with lots of bruises, because of broken veins...
Wish your results come clean🌷
I've never had a single one call me.
Sure would help. This Dr is so compassionate.
Edit: Unbelievable how ppl act 🤦♀️
@Anon I am so sorry that happened. That sounds awful. When I had my endoscopy a few years ago, they covered my eyes and kept the noise low. That really helped.
I've never had an anesthesiologist call me before surgery. I only meet them on the way to surgery. What a great doctor.
So, I don't know if you remember, but previously I talked about a surgery I had back in 2021 for a colon resection. I woke up in recovery with my lip and front left of my tongue numb as if I'd been punched in the mouth or something and later I found might right back molar cracked.
I didn't know that that could've happened while coming out of anesthesia and I could have been agitated enough for that to have happened.
So, on my pretest8ng/preop visit I told anesthesia about it and she confirmed that yes that was definitely a possibility and made sure to note it for my surgery on Thursday ( in 3 days from now.)
She was also surprised that noone had said anything to me about it and when I told them about it at the time there really wasn't much of a response. So thank you for teaching me that. I have a much better understanding and know I need to take steps to try to make myself kinda zen before going under. 😅
🙏Sending prayers for your peace of mind and a successful surgery. I know from experience that having that Zen mindset before an operation really helps with your recovery.
You may want to try some guided meditations or positive visualization work;: UA-cam has many good videos.
Doc, TY so much. I love your videos. You impart so much great information. Hint regarding your phone calls: Spam is a computer generated phone call. If someone doesn't answer the first time, call back again right away. Computers don't do that (yet) so it generally means a real person is on the other end. I get pain management shots while under propofol.
I am blessed that I love my Dr. (Dr. Neil Kirschen, Rockville Center, NY). He was the only person who viewed my case like a puzzle to be solved. Before I go in, the Dr., the anesthesiologist and the nurse all check in on me separately to introduce themselves and talk while room is being prepped btwn patients. When I go in, I talk to everyone present and ask how they are doing. I make silly jokes and Boom! I'm in recovery with no idea how I got there, lol. Your profession has given me back some quality of life. TY. TY. TY.
I did have the anger before hernia surgery. Constant delays. Like you said, hungry thirsty no caffeine! My anesthesiologist put something in my IV before they took me to the OR, she said it would help me relax. It did but I felt so bad for my behavior. Everyone was nice but the Constant delays were frustrating. 3 delays) it was unusual but they were having issues with the robot.
Thank you for your videos. I have a left hip replacement in 15 days. The right is getting worse. The surgery may end up bi-lateral. I am getting very nervous
So cool that you call your patients the night before surgery. I've never had an anesthesiologist call me before a procedure.
Heh, my last anesthesiologist came into give me a nerve block, and he was in a bad mood. They were running behind and man o man that nerve blocker injection(s) was painful and I've had a few of them. Thankfully, the versed was good and my attitude going in was good, so I was able to maintain my sense of humor. I'm going back in for round 2 in a couple of weeks. Hopefully last time was just a bad day.
I’m new to your channel. Very smart Dr. I took a fall and landed on my left upper thigh. Had surgery and 5 units of blood. Fast forward 5 months I was not healing. Wound vac, and wound clinic 2 times a week. Finally CT showed a foreign body. From my first surgery. A sponge not removed. Is this common?
Sending good vibes for the bicep surgery 😊
Great message
It would be nice to be called at all. My Surgeon's Office moved my consultation appointment up 2 hours and did not call me. Yes, they sent a message through MyChart ( a tool to communicate with the healthcare team) but who regularly looks at MyChart or e-mail when I have not sent a message...found out 10 days later when I got a confirmation text about the appt. . Had to change my appt to another Surgeon...could have kept the appt had they called so I could have arranged transportation. My appt had to be 2 weeks later when I have already waited a very long time. Ridiculous. Getting a call is rare. Bless you for it.
I have never had an anesthesiologist call me in advance of the surgery, except when there are concerns about my drugs or spine and I am already in the hospital as an inpatient at the hospital. I know that my gallbladder surgery was cancelled until they had copies of imaging of my cervical spine was available for them to see because I have degenerative disc disease in most of my spine, particularly in my cervical spine.
Hello doc. I enjoy watching ur fun surgery video. It's very informative
Thank you
I've NEVER walked into surgery, doc. And it'd have been reassuring if the anesthesiologist had called - but they're always too busy and never ready on time, usually by hours.
My husband died because of a mistake in the OR. Anesthesiologist on the Internet…not at the head of the bed. It was years before I even thought of how this might have affected him. I didn’t care at the time. Listening to you has given me a point of view that I needed to forgive. So thank you for that.
I have complex PTSD and have extreme anxiety in certain situations. Most of these situations are predictable, and with planning, CBT, my service dog, and my meds, I can at least get whatever overwith. I also have a trashed lumbar spine from athletics. I am being treated with medial nerve blocks in preparation for a radio frequency ablation. Day of the first treatment I arrived had my iv cath inserted and then was sent to the waiting room upstairs. Which was packed. No social distancing, no masks except on me, and a whole lot of grumbling people. I kept hearing over and over "treated like cattle" and other negative things about the quality of patient treatment. My favorite was I'm a customer, I'm paying for this. It was really difficult to keep my anxiety under control. And I'd left my purse with my ride person, so no way to turn off the sound. At least I'd been allowed to take my meds a short time before this experience. I'll be having another soon. I'm doing a self guided meditation so that I am prepared and can stay calmer on the day, and even run through it while waiting. It really is a surgery factory, and not great patient/customer care. But I need it and I expect a decent outcome.
Having surgery on Wednesday. Not even afraid of the procedure, I just get anxious days before. I do have ptsd and panic disorder so not sure how that affects anesthesia. Your videos made me curious, so I went back and looked at the anesthesiologist notes from previous two surgeries. Very interesting.
Thank you!
Doc, thanks for helping to tamp down that "Welcome to the Machine" vibe that surgery carries. Saying that, IVs, especially around the hand really torques me out. Call me a wussy, but there you have it. Any ideas that you have to ameliorate this phobia would greatly be appreciated. What about a strong oral sedative? What most people never seem to mind freaks me out. Seriously.
That's a good question, I have a few videos on it! Have you seen them? I like to employ the power of the cough and a small skin wheel with buffered lidocaine
I was panicked when they tried to put mask over my face. The anesthesiologist talked to me held my hand and put the mask real close to my face. Next thing I knew I was waking up. Very kind!
I’d be too nervous to even think of anger 😂 most likely laugh with nerves
Dr K, has it always been your routine to call scheduled patients the night before? Where I worked, we scheduled these patients to come in around a week before to get labs, xrays, if any, medical history, speak to a MDA, etc. I was just wondering if Covid had changed any of this?
Your Anesthesiologist Is There To Help YOU Help YOURSELF Have The BEST Possible Outcoming Or They Wouldn't Be There! Work WITH Them! I Recently Had To Cancel & Then Reschedule An EGD Late The Day Before My Scheduled Procedure - Not Because I Had Not Already Arranged The Personal Ride Home - But Because It Fell Through On Me @ The Last Minute...Fortunately That Didn't Happen When I Was Already IN The Room! EVERYONE Has Already Shown Up & Gotten There Early For ME! Luckily It Went Well & I Had The Best News I Could Recieve - NO Cancer Cells!🎉🥳 I Can't Really Ever Imagine Going Off On My Doctor Right As I'm Going In To The Procedure That THEY Are Going To Keep Me Alive Through Because I Didn't Follow MY PreOp Instructions! Not Fair & NOT Responsible In An ELECTIVE, Planned Surgery!
How can you verify a shoulder block is working when you sedate the pt. to do the block and they're out until after sx?
After checking in for a procedure I became angry with the person who was my ride that day. Not in the right frame of mind to do this. I got up, told the person at the desk that I needed to leave and left.
Hi. I'm loving following your videos and learning new things. I am a Registered Nurse in Australia and I'm interested in and looking into becoming an anaesthetic technician. Could you do a video of what an anaesthetic techs role involves? Thank you so much.
😊 Seems like such a genuinely nice guy
Why would a doctor stop the plan for an ablation and decide to do a pacemaker after the patient already has the IV and partially prepped for the procedure? I’m assuming it’s because the doctor didn’t read the chart before I arrived.
Im 52. I have always had a massive fear of hospitals and particularly surgery. Luckily I have never had surgery but i am scared should the need arise. I am not only like this with myself but also my loved ones. Recently my fiance needed surgery and was in hospital for a week. I was a total nightmare and i am so suprised i didnt get banned. I do not know why I am like this. I am totally irrational and self harm rude and insulting. Everytime he slept i cut his wristband off. I am defensive and very very combative. I suffer from anxiety so that just intensifies the feelings. My panic attacks are off the scale. I am now left with recurring nightmare of him being wheeled into the lift for surgery. All ended up very well for him but my fear is so severe i cannot support him. This was knee block surgery. Later in the year he will require ga and i have never been in that position before. I am also scared that as i am getting older i am not only getting worse but I am more than like going to have to face surgery at some point in my life. I am so scared i will hurt someone. What can i do. Breathing techniques and tapping do not work. Nothing works. I turn into a horrible person. Yes its selfish. But please understand i cannot control this
In the UK if you live alone, and you have surgery, they won't let you go home after the surgery until you've slept one night in the hospital. However, it seems that doctors are prioritising those who do have someone at home and giving their operations ahead of those who don't have someone at home. While there may be a logic to this, it still punishes the person who lives alone. I had three operations within maybe four months. The first operation happened during the late morning and that was okay. Thereafter, this prioritisation/discrimination process meant I was last operation of the day for the second and third operation - I was the last person in recovery - all meals were gone for the day and it was a real problem for them to even find a bed in a ward. I complained after the second operation because I am a morning person - to make me wait all day for surgery and then not even feed me while making me wait for a bed into the night is not the way for me to heal. But the third operation was done the same way - last of the day, last in recovery, meals gone, no bed. The nurses were so upset for me but they told me that they couldn't tell the doctors anything. It makes me wonder if I have to ever have any other operation perhaps I should just lie and say that there is someone at home.
Thanks for the vid. How does having AFIB and Pulmonary hypertension affect having surgery? Elective vs necessary surgery?
I, fortunately, wasn’t angry before surgery. I was scared, and tried to keep it to myself. I was angry afterwards, and that was at home, but I think that had to do with the meds and all of the stress my body went through.
My surgeon was delayed for a whole hour because they couldn't get a line in and I was having emergency surgery at 12pm.
Wow 😳 you put up with a lot
I'm having carpel tunnel release surgery 4-27 it's my first surgery and to be honest I'm scared
I have had surgery canceled because of my severe anxiety. Had to have emergency surgery months later. My pain overrode my anxiety.
I'm so sorry you had that experience, but I greatly admire your vulnerability in sharing that. How did the rest of your recovery go?
@@MedicalSecrets After surgery I was able to move on with my life with no pain. Lesson to learn when
you let anxiety rule.
I have let my RSD/CRPS facebook friends know about your talks to help them understand nerve issues. Thank you
You are the kind of
I was having abdominal scar tissue removal from a previous surgery. My sister went to the hospital with me and she doesn’t have a drivers license so we took an Uber to the hospital. I was going to get my pain meds filled at the hospital pharmacy after surgery. I went to give my sister my debit card to pay for my meds and for her to get food. I did not have my debit card it was either at home or I lost it on the way to the hospital. So I had to stay calm and just not worry about my missing debit card told the surgeon that I would have to fill my meds after surgery and I hoped that I had enough cash because of my missing debit card. I told my surgical team that there is nothing I can do about my card now I will deal with it when I get home. Surgery went well and my debit card was on my kitchen table.
I'm so happy I've found this site. I've learned alot. Thanks for all you do. You're wonderful!
I have a question. I was wondering if being stressed before surgery leads to post operative depression.
I had a really hard time after my neck surgery and ended up with terrible insomnia. I think it all started because I was afraid of the anesthesia. (Not the surgery itself or recovery.) But, because of my PTSD, I didn't like the idea of being unconscious and having things done to me while I was unaware. Not having any control or even being aware what's happening to me is more frightening than pain. Also, afraid of how I might react coming out of anesthesia. Afraid of what I might say or do if I'm confused about where I am and what's going on.
Anyway, I have another surgery coming up in a couple weeks for a cranial decompression.
Hope I don't wake up swinging. 😆
So anyway, do think my post operative depression was d/t my fear?
The waiting is the hardest part.
I still wanted to know if they are still angry when they come in to the OR and you can't get them to relax because of their anger do you have to cancel the the surgery?
I think the more you get older and have more surgeries you become more traumatised and have flashbacks that make you doubtful if you’ll ever wake up .. my fear is am I going to wake up again or is this it 😬
I think you're my favorite anesthesiologist - right up there with the fella with an accent (Greek?) who ordered me, "Dun't muff. You can scrrem, but dun't muff!"
I am having shoulder replacement surgery in a week. How do you determine which nerve block to use? I would like to have the one that last 72 hours. May I let my anesthesiologist my prefence?
You can always feel empowered to advocate for yourself and ask your anesthesiologist about which one you will receive. in the absence of contraindications, we typically perform an interscalene nerve block for shoulder surgery
@@MedicalSecrets Thank you for your reply.
When the hospital manager brings forms into theatre for me to sign before being knocked out. 😮
Wow! The more I watch your videos, the more shocked I am about what you say! I guess I'm just too easygoing! 😅
I had a traumatic injury and I was so angry with the whole thing and I didn't heal very well
I think a lot of doctors missed the lecture on not being reactive or downright rude to patients.
I'm wondering why I wake up saying let's go camping . Hello, I Just subscribed 😊
Give them a lot of Versed, very gradually, while listening to them explain their anger. Anger is usually based on fear; if you are able have them trust you enough, they may express their fear to you.
I'm sure you know this ! 😊
Do they put you out for a nerve block
Have you thought of sending a SMS message, or in the lists of patients get someone to say ro rhe patients doctor Kaveh will call you, prior the surgery?
Are you putting forward the idea that you can measure baseline for idk
Angry man baseline vs
Scared to death man baseline ? If that’s what you are stating I’d love to hear more about that. This could be interesting subject to better understand what we could do as patients.
I want to catch a live so badly! Grrrr! Haven't gotten the opportunity to do so yet. I'm angry! Lmao! 😅
The day will come!
I am not being put to sleep. Just Ativan. I do not believe that it will work remotely to calm me down!Not to mention that I will not be able to stop crying though it! Should make a TN jaw Trigeminal Ablation go well!
Not sure why one would do scoliosis surgery rate of adverse events is extremely high (50%). I have a bit of scoliosis but wouldn’t have associated any symptoms with it, seems to me the spine can curve plenty.
CAPPIN FOR VISION NOT YELLING
I can speculate why some patients might not pick up for you. After being scammed in 2015, I almost neverick up for "unavailable".