Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 6/13/2007

Question
I will be having my gall bladder out in a few weeks. I do not want to be given Versed or any benzodiazepines before my general anesthesia.  I have had some pretty bad and long-lasting reactions to these meds more than once.  What other choices do I have in this area? Can I choose to have Demerol? Also would like to know what the general anesthesia is.  Is this sodium pentothal?  I've had that before and didn't have a problem.  I'm just curious as to what my choices are.  I don't want to insult my anesthesiologist, but I do know what doesn't work for me and want to be proactive and make good choices.  Any and all information would be appreciated.  Thanks for making yourself available.

Answer
Demerol and Versed are 2 different classes of drugs. Demerol is a pain reliever and generally not given preop because of its long duration of action. If you don't want Versed, then speak to your anesthesiologist and have him review your options. It is not insulting to know your own body and we understand that. As for general anesthesia, there are many drugs we can use for that. Pentothal is the old standard and you may get that, but more likely you will get Propofol which is a newer agent that has less nausea, less sedation and better overall profile that Pentothal. The most important thing is to speak to your anesthesiologist to discuss your concerns and questions. He/she will be happy to explain it to you.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston