Hi all,
I got diagnosed three days ago so am still reeling a little from it all. I have a huge fear of general anaesthesia as have woken up twice before and therefore would like to request a local /regional anaesthetic for lumpectomy and lymph node removal. Has anyone successfully requested LA?
Many thanks in advance and sending you all best wishes for your journeys.
Welcome to the forum . I know these ops can be done under local if there are no complicating factors but I don’t think I’ve seen anyone posting about it . Hopefully someone will see your post with experience of this. Your previous experience of generals sounds awful not surprising your are worried , did you get any explanation as to why that happened ?
Hi Jill
Thanks so much for replying. I didn’t get any explanation as was younger and was only awake for a brief period. I do know that I am to have a lumpectomy and lymph nodes out but so hoping I can be awake!
It’s giving me sleepless nights. However I also know that they have caught it relatively early so am hopeful the MRI won’t show up any more tumours
X
Hi Newbie
So very sorry about your diagnosis and about the experiences you have had with general anaesthetic . I also was scared of the general anaesthetic though for very different reasons. I’ve never heard of this procedure being done under local but it’s always worth asking - the number of lymph nodes could be a complicating factor . If the answer is no you need to spell out to your BCN / surgical team what has happened to you previously and the fact that you didn’t get an explanation - which should be the very minimum that you were due or any other support afterwards . If you had then perhaps you would not be so frightened now. They should then pass this on to the Anaesthetist.
You should get referred to see an Anaesthetist as part of your pre - operative assessment .They try now to do this over the phone but in your case if possible I think they should try to see you face to face with your notes . I’m not sure what procedures you had the experience with or how long ago but general anaesthetics have changed a lot in the last few years. Make sure you give them a full and completely honest medical history write down what you remember so that you don’t forget to tell them anything.
As a cautionary tale - I’m on a clinical trial , my cancer was very low grade and small and I was randomised for removal with local only under XRay guidance but no SLNB/ lymph node removal . I waited an extra week to get it done this way and apparently it’s worked for a lot of people but I’m not one of them. Without going into too many details - it wasn’t painful, but I had to lie perfectly still for 2 and half hours which was an hour longer than planned , while they removed much more tissue than planned - it did not go well .
Because I was fully awake and I’m a Healthcare Professional I was aware of everything - I knew it would be some time before I would get my results yet I already knew that it was unsuccessful and my Radiologist could see that I knew and admitted as much.
My Breast Consultant phoned the next week cautiously optimistic because some of the tissue samples were positive and he hoped that they had got it all - but I knew otherwise . I had to wait 3 weeks for the bruising to go down enough that they could do a check mammogram then another two weeks for the results by which time I was losing my mind . Then another two weeks for lumpectomy and SLNB under general - a whole 8 weeks after I could have had it done if I had not opted for the trial . That went well (6 mm of residual tumour removed with clear margins SLNB negative ) it only took 45 minutes and honestly I wish I’d just done that in the first place .
If you are successful in getting them to agree to doing it under local make sure you’re making the decision for the right reasons .
Take care and sending love
Joanne. X
Hi,
I have recently had wide local excision, and then a few weeks later a re-excision as they didn’t get good margins first time. My previous experience of surgery under anaesthetic was 10 and 4 y ago. This time, unlike 10 and 4 y ago, they applied sensors to my forehead. I asked what they were for and they said to check my level of consciousness. Maybe this is a change since you had your surgeries where you woke up? Worth asking about.
Hope you get some reassurance x
Thank you so much for your reply. It is such a bewildering time and I am incredibly grateful for any help. Sorry to hear about your rotten local, sounds grim and I am really hoping that it is all clear for you going forward. Zx
You are quite right about the number of lymph nodes. I think that will be the complication.Zx
I will definitely be asking a million questions as I am such a control freak. I fear waking up again but this time being paralysed or not waking up at all. Although if the latter then I wont know! I do really appreciate very much your reply. Zx
Thank you for your kind thoughts - I’m fine but in retrospect I know made decisions for the wrong reasons .
Don’t worry about being seen as a control freak ask as many questions as you need to . A lot of people have the same fears as you and that’s without the experience you have had .
I wish you all the best with everything
Joanne x