Expert: JM Starkman, MD - 9/29/2009

Question
I have a question RE: nausea and vomiting after surgery.  I had a appendectomy in 2000 and after surgery I never thought I would stop vomiting.  Then in 2008 they did a somewhat better job when I told them this I took Emend the morning of surgery but still had nausea for two days following.  Last week had a lapchole and took Emend and had a patch behind my ear and meds in OR...but still for two days had nausea and vomiting.  Now I have a peritonsillar abscess and have to have a tonsillectomy soon.  I am so worried about nausea and vomiting is there anything else they can do for me.  And apparently last time in recovery I was awful pulling off my 02 and was given fentanyl and versed which then required me to have the jaw thrust which I can say is very painful the next day.  I am almost considering saying I would rather have continued peritonsillar abscess's then go through surgery again.  Pain from surgery not bad at all its the nausea.

Answer
Ask them not to paralyze you and do your anesthesia "TIVA" (total intravenous anesthesia).  When you tell them that that's the advice you got from a doctor on the internet whom never met you, never took a proper medical history and never examined you, expect them to look at you as if you had two heads---and need a psychiatrist for both!!

Good luck!