Surgery questions

Hi 🥰 I would like to know a few things about your surgeries 😊 You can decide how much detail you want to share in public.

How often did you have surgery?

What type of surgery were these?

How old were you?

What type of aneathesia did you receive?

Was there any exciting/embarrassing moment?

What was your position during surgery?

Did you receive a cathetre?

Were you shaved by medical personnel?

I just start answering these questions to make it easier for you 🥰

How often did you have surgery?

3 times

What type of surgery were these?

Appendectomy and 2 gynecologic surgeries

How old were you?

Appendectomy 14, the other surgeries 16 and 17

What type of aneathesia did you receive?

Appendectomy general anesthesia, gynacologic surgeries spinal anesthesia

Was there any exciting/embarrassing moment?

Being awake during preparation and surgery itself was exciting and embarrassing at the same time

What was your position during surgery?

For appendectomy I don't know, because I was put to sleep before positioning. Gynecologic surgery was performed in lithotomy position

Did you receive a cathetre?

Yes

Were you shaved by medical personnel?

For gynecologic surgeries

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How often did you have surgery?

26 surgeries, not counting many dozens of procedures

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What type of surgery were these?

- Umbilical hernia repair

- 11 spine surgeries with a total of 14 fused discs, 9 from my sacrum up to my rib cage (L5 up to T9) and 5 in my neck (T2 up to C5), 6 laminectomies in low back, one laminectomy in neck, spinal stimulator implant placed and removed 10 years later

- Right knee replacement

- Nose -- turbinates resection

- Prostate-reduction surgery, TURP

- Left knee meniscus repair and microfracture

- Right wrist carpel-tunnel release

- Left wrist carpel-tunnel release

- Left elbow ulnar-nerve transposition

- Cholecystectomy, Gallbladder removed

- Hemorrhoidectomy (most painful recovery)

- Rotator-cuff repair right shoulder

- Right elbow ulnar-nerve transposition

- Nose – sinus surgery

- Nose -- deviated septum repair

- Inguinal hernia repair

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How old were you?

22 years old for the inguinal hernia, 67 years old for the umbilical hernia repair

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What type of aneathesia did you receive?

General for spine surgeries and nose surgeries, nerve block and heavy sedation for hernias, hemorrhoidectomy, gallbladder removal, ulnar nerve transpositions, carpal tunnel releases

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Was there any exciting/embarrassing moment?

I woke up during the inguinal-hernia repair. The anesthesiologist let me stay awake and he gave me a handheld mirror so I could look over the drape to sort of see the surgery. He even took a photo with an instamatic camera.

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What was your position during surgery?

As far as I know, face down for all the back and neck surgeries and face up for all the rest.

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Did you receive a cathetre?

Yes, for the prostate-reduction surgery and had to keep it in for a week. After a nurse removed it, I got a bladder infection with 104.2 F fever (40.1 C). The infection went septic. I was hospitalized for three days and nearly died—worst three days of my life. Yes, for most, if not all, of the spine surgeries—removed before I was discharged.

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Were you shaved by medical personnel?

Before my inguinal-hernia repair, a male nurse shaved me from my belly button to my knees with a razor and shaving cream. Before my umbilical-hernia repair, a male nurse shaved my belly using an electric shaver.

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Bonus information:

15 of the surgeries were outpatient (no days in the hospital) and 11 of the surgeries were inpatient (37 total days in the hospital). Inpatient surgeries include nine of the spine surgeries (2 to 5 days in hospital for each surgery), inguinal hernia (4 days in hospital), hemorrhoidectomy (3 days in hospital).

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@Vasbyt I feel for you on that post-prostate surgery infection. I had the same thing happen to me after a prostatectomy. Sepsis, heart arrhythmia, stay in ICU. In some respects, I never completely recovered even though that was 10 years ago.

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@Bobbee wrote:

@Vasbyt I feel for you on that post-prostate surgery infection. I had the same thing happen to me after a prostatectomy. Sepsis, heart arrhythmia, stay in ICU. In some respects, I never completely recovered even though that was 10 years ago.

As I mentioned, following the prostate-reduction surgery and the removal of the catheter that was in me for a week, I was hospitalized for three days with sepsis and those were the worst three days of my life.

My wife's mom and aunt both died of sepsis after about three days and my father-in-law's second wife nearly died of sepsis and they were all in their mid 70s. I was 58 years old. My wife was terrified that I would die and I came very close to death.

I later told when of my specialists that during the sepsis, I felt like every cell in my body was dying. He cocked his head to the side and pondered that statement for a moment. Then he said that that was actually a fairly accurate description of what was happening because every minute my blood was carrying the infection to each and every cell in the body.

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I took all the tags off this topic that were nothing to do with it.

How often did you have surgery?

4 - I'm counting surgery as something requiring them to knock me out and cut me open. I'm not including anything done with a local.

What type of surgery were these?

Tonsillectomy, Appendectomy, Tubal Ligation, Internal reduction and fixation of my ankle

How old were you?

6, 14, 26, 37

What type of aneathesia did you receive?

General anesthesia administered intravenously.

Was there any exciting/embarrassing moment?

I've written about the appendectomy in detail in my blog. Other than that, I woke up during the ankle surgery - that was exciting. Happily I was still out enough for it to not hurt but I told the surgeon, 'stop tugging on my leg, I'm trying to sleep' haha

What was your position during surgery?

Last I recall, on my back but who knows how they positioned me after I was out.

Did you receive a cathetre?

No

Were you shaved by medical personnel?

For the appendectomy but it was after I was anesthetized so I have no memory of it. I just woke up with a bald pubis.

Only one surgery, right ankle replacement in my early 60’s. General anethestic. I was out in the prep area so I had no idea when I was going into the OR. Assume I was on my back for the procedure, but who knows. I was bitching when I woke up, “whats the hold up, when do I go into the OR?” Nurse said look down, it’s over! My leg was all wrapped up from the knee down. They cathed me while I was out. Late afternoon surgery so they kept me overnight. They shaved my ankle while I was out sand a small patch on my shin where they slid inan alignment rod.

I've had a number of endoscopic procedures including esophageal and colonoscopies, starting about age 45. During all of them I was anesthetized with Propofol and was positioned on my side, the latter, of course, with my butt exposed. For my first colonoscopy only, I requested sedation rather than anesthesia. Therefore I could feel his rectal exam and scope insertion. But the procedure became very uncomfortable at one point and I asked for general anesthesia.

I had a minor surgery for an infected, d elbow with cellulitis under general anesthesia about age 60, also under propofol. I was positioned on my back with my elbow sticking out. Before I was wheeled into my to surgery however it was suggested that I might be catheterized, so I requested that I simply get up and pee, which they agreed to.

Many years later I had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy in my early 70's under propofol general anesthesia. I was positioned on my back for the procedure. To my knowledge, I was not shaved. I am not very hairy. The short incisions were made in my lower belly, not in my groin.

About a year after that, just a couple of years ago, I underwent a laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. My lower belly was shaved but not my pubic hair. As usual, I was fully anastasized with Propofol. I was positioned on my back. This time, however, a Foley catheter was inserted while I was unconscious and removed before I woke up. There was a little blood when I peed and it burned a bit for a day or two.

None of these procedures involved any complications although some polyps were removed during the colonoscopies.

Wow, some of you folks have really been through the mill. I feel very lucky.

As a school-aged child: circumcision (phimosis), appendectomy, ectopic testicle

Teen: removal of a tooth for orthodontics

Adult: broken bone, removal of screws after the bone healed, inguinal hernia

All under general anesthesia (I think) except for the tooth

It is really weird to wake up from surgery and find your abdomen body hair gone. In todays world, the shaving is usually not done. it was a total shock

I've had 2 surgeries in my life.

The first was at a young age for a "lazy eye". Of which I know nothing about the details of.

My second was just over 3 years ago to put a plate and 6 screws on my broken radius (from when I fell off a ladder and broke both of my arms). Again I know nothing much about the details. I didn't think to ask. I only worried about coming out the other side safely repaired. I was laying on my back with the blood pressure cuff on my right leg. As my left arm was in a sling and not able to be used.

How often did you have surgery?

Once

What type of surgery were these?

Circumcision (also included frenulectomy)

How old were you?

14

What type of aneathesia did you receive?

Oral sedation (diazepam), followed by intravenous sedation (midazolam) and local (lidocaine).

Was there any exciting/embarrassing moment?

Pre-op examination and the doctor explaining the procedure.

What was your position during surgery?

Supine.

Did you receive a catheter?

No.

Were you shaved by medical personnel?

Yes.

How often did you have surgery? What type of surgery were these? Once in my life, orthopedic, arm

How old were you? I was 26.

What type of aneathesia did you receive? General

Was there any exciting/embarrassing moment? Not really, private clinic, very nice and respectful personell. Perhaps the only thing was being asked to follow the nurse to the operating room in an operating gown opening in the back with my bare butt. Walking through the corridor I would hold it closed as not to flash everyone.

What was your position during surgery? Lying down on my back. They might have changed my positions while I was sleeping but I wouldn't know.

Did you receive a cathetre? Not that I know of. They didn't do it before the surgery, I woke up without one.

Were you shaved by medical personnel? No, was asked to shave myself just before the surgery.

After a nurse removed it, I got a bladder infection with 104.2 F fever (40.1 C). The infection went septic. I was hospitalized for three days and nearly died—worst three days of my life..

That was my late father. Not for prostate but due to cystoscopies for bladder polyps over the years that eventually turned into metastatic bladder cancer. On at least three occasions I recall he had bad septic infections. One requiring an emergency ambulance as it was the middle of the night as he had such a high fever. Another occasion he (United States citizen from here on Long Island) was visiting my youngest sister in Toronto (she is a United States ex-pat married to a Canadian) a few days after one of those cystoscopies. He developed sepsis and had to be driven to an ER in downtown Toronto by my mother for treatment. It was a temporary treatment and by the time they got back here to Long Island (driving), he had to get checked in to our local hospital. The antibiotic he was usually given back then was Cipro though two years ago my now elderly mother had a septic infection from some unknown cause and they put her on IV Vancomycin in the ER that did an amazing job of nuking the infection.

It is memory of his battles with sepsis that I avoid anything that can cause damage to the urethra.