Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 10/20/2009

Question
Hi I have COPD require Oxygen to walk. Recently I was diagnosed with a hernia but my doctor says he can't operate on me with general anaesthesia because my COPD could kill me. Is this true. Is there something else The doctor could use on me. Any advice would be nice

Answer
See another doctor because clearly this one doesn't know much. Assuming your hernia is an inguinal one, the procedure could easily be done under either local or regional anesthesia. Even if we had to do general, (although you are at increased risk for complications) the procedure could be done without "killing" you.

Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston