Expert: JM Starkman, MD - 1/18/2012

Question
I am an otherwise healthy 23 year old female. In the past 6 months, I've had 3 surgeries. The first for a painful egg-sized lipoma. The second was for a supposed lipoma that turned out to be fat necrosis and scar tissue. They removed a 3 inch by 5 inch chunk 3 in. right and 1 in. lower than my belly button. The third surgery was 12 days ago for Chronic Appendicitis. I was under general anesthesia for all three and had no problems with the first two anesthesia's except my scalp was peeling(it looked like dandruff)and my hearing seems to be very heightened. This last surgery I was hoarse for 5 days, had intense nausea and vomiting, and my hair has been falling out along with the hair and scalp problems and some mental fuzziness. Why do these side effects happen and why was this last time so different? Is this third surgery what I should expect should I have to have surgery again?

Answer
Not knowing every detail of the anesthetic, surgery and your medical history will keep me from properly answering the specific questions you've posed.  All anesthetics are not created equally!  Since the first two of yours went quite well, did you ask for the same anesthesiologist for the third as the first two?  If not, why not?  You return to the same primary physician if he or she treats you well with a favorable outcome;  even when the plumber does a good job, you call HIM back...........yet even in the post- Michael-Jackson-meets-Conrad-Murray era most patients do not recognize the choice of anesthesiologist is necessarily not a casual one.  It's dangerous business.   Patients need to insist on a board-certified anesthesiologist that will take of them only during the course of the anesthetic, as I have alluded to in the past in this forum.  Now, you should do this:  Request copies of all three "anesthesia records" from the three surgeries that you've been unfortunate to have lumped upon you seemingly all at once.  Have them available if you should require surgery in the future.  Then, the board-certified anesthesiologist who you've chosen for 'next time' can review the difference in the three records and determine what needs to be done to minimize future problems.   Best wishes/luck!