Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 4/28/2009

Question
Hello i am schedules to have my very first surgery ever in june and its a laproscopy to determine if i have endometriosis or not. I am VERY scared it being my first surgery ever. The only thing close to an anesthetic is novacane. I did well with it just gave me the shakes bad. My question is do you think with a history of being healthy except for begnign palpitations of my heart i get chronicly should i be ok with the general anesthetic and be put out? Will i feel or know whats going on?

Answer
If you are otherwise healthy, there is no problem and you should fly through the surgery. The risks for an anesthetic on a healthy person are probably far less than getting hit by lightning twice in the same day! As for knowing what's going on, you won't know anything, you won't feel anything and, in fact, you probably won't even remember going into the OR because they give you a medicine to help you forget the whole experience. So don't worry.


Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston