What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your Surgery: A Patient’s Guide to a More Informed Surgical Experience by Fei Zheng-Ward

Author:Fei Zheng-Ward [Zheng-Ward, Fei]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: New
ISBN: 9798893180008
Amazon: B0CRQ8Y9W7
Goodreads: 204971677
Published: 2024-01-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

In the Procedure (or Operating) Room

Once you enter your procedure room, you may either stay on your gurney or be transferred to the operating table depending on the type of procedure you’re having done. You will be given oxygen to breathe. Your anesthesia provider and your nurse will put monitors on you, which include a blood pressure cuff, electrocardiogram (to check your heart rhythm), pulse oximeter (used to detect oxygen levels in your blood), and, in longer surgeries, massage boots around your legs to prevent blood clots. Once all your vital signs and monitors look appropriate, you will be given medications in your intravenous catheter to help you drift off to sleep.

At this point, if you’re receiving intravenous sedation alone, you’ll be kept comfortable and breathing adequately with titrations of the medication(s) used to keep you asleep.

If you are receiving general anesthesia with an airway device, after you are completely asleep, your anesthesia provider will place the airway device, which may be either a breathing tube (endotracheal tube) into your mouth and down the windpipe or a mask (laryngeal mask airway) into your mouth and down to the opening of your windpipe to help you breathe. Once your anesthesia provider confirms the placement of the airway device, you’ll be placed on the ventilator to help you breathe. In this type of general anesthesia, you’ll receive medications through the breathing tube or mask to keep you asleep, with additional doses of intravenous medications given on an as-needed basis.

Alternatively, in the case of total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA), another way of providing general anesthesia, you will receive all medications through the intravenous catheter to keep you asleep and only receive oxygen, air, or a combination of the two through the airway device. The decision in choosing which option will be used is dependent on your medical condition, your anesthesia provider, and your surgery.

While you’re asleep and the surgery is underway, your anesthesia provider will be watching you closely and will typically be checking the following:

* Your vital signs

* Whether you are experiencing pain (by looking at your vital signs)

* How relaxed your muscles are (some surgeries need your muscles to be very relaxed)

* The position of your body parts (i.e., arms, legs, torso, head)

* Your fluid intake

* The amount of bleeding (while maintaining close communication with your surgeon(s) and deciding whether you need blood transfusions)

* The amount of urine output (for longer or specific procedures)

* Any additional medications you may need for blood pressure or pain control

At the conclusion of your surgery, your airway device is usually removed before you are fully awake if you’re under general anesthesia. However, if your lungs are not strong enough yet and you still need breathing support, or if your anesthesia provider has concerns about your overall well-being, then the airway device may be left in place until you’re doing better and are ready for its removal.

For patients under sedation, the sedating medicine will be turned off at the end of the procedure and most patients will be awake in a short period of time.

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