whooa new concern! Eeeks!

[megz]

anyone put on a ventilator after there operation?! What is the reasoning for this?? I am deathly afraid of being put on one of them. All I have is a horrible picture of my father before he died :( Seriously can I find out before hand if they will need to do this or not.

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

I ended up being intubated for 5 days post op. All I know is that i wasn't breathing well enough on my own. I've heard of others who have had to be intubated, but I would say it's relatively rare. It was scary for me, as I wasn't prepared for it to happen.

Regards,
Linda

[rich1752]

I'm with you Megz,,, I will gag with one!! I don't want one! I wonder if this is normal?
rich

[loves to skate]

Hi Meg,
I haven't heard very many people say they were on a ventilator after their surgery. I don't see how they would be able to know ahead of time if they would have to put you on a ventilator. I would assume if you are and are gagging, you would then be sedated. I hope you won't be put on a ventilator, but ask your Dr. if that might be the case for you or what are your chances.
Try not to worry. If you believe in God, trust in him and ask him to take away your fears. If not, you have to trust your Doctors.
Love coming your way. Sally

[Singer]

I was on a ventilator for about 12 hours after my surgery, and they kept me in a "twilight" state with anesthesia so I wouldn't wake up and be scared. I distinctly remember kind of half-waking up after the surgery and feeling the vent tube with my tongue and thinking, "that must be the tube" and going back to sleep. The next thing I remember is someone telling me to cough as they pulled it out, which didn't hurt although it felt weird. I was still very out of it. By the time I woke up all the way, the tube was out. So it really wasn't bad at all.

[JDM555]

Is being placed on a ventilator more common with Anterior approaches because it goes through the lung area or is it just as common from posterior/anterior?
John

[Karen Ocker]

I was older, had a very complex revision and my surgery ended late afternoon. I was on a ventilator overnight. This is actually a safety precaution. After a large surgery like mine, if the endotracheal tube is taken out too early-that in combination with necessary pain meds, could cause respiratory failure. I do not remember being intubated, on the ventilator or the time of extubation. My regular job involves putting this things in other people.:cool:

[lumbar3491]

Hi Meg

I had both anterior and posterior surgeries with a ventilator, but it was removed before I woke up. Ignorance was bliss. Then, I needed a third surgery the same week to fix a problem. During that surgery, the doctors discovered that I had fluid in my lungs so they transferred me to ICU, and I woke up with the tube still down my throat. They kept it there for about 12 hours after I woke up as a precaution. The experience is unpleasant, but I'm here to say I got through it fine. During the process, I was not a happy camper. In hindsight, however, I decided that they were right to be cautious.

Karen

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

To be clear, everyone who has scoliosis surgery is put on a ventilator during surgery. It usually is placed and removed while the patient is unconscious. When I had to be intubated after surgery, I awoke during the intubation procedure. I am also a gagger, and have a terrible time even having teeth films taken. It was not a pleasant experience, but I got through it.

I would stop thinking about stuff like this. While it can happen, the odds are very much that it won't.

-Linda

[debbei]

Hi...

To be clear, everyone who has scoliosis surgery is put on a ventilator during surgery. It usually is placed and removed while the patient is unconscious. When I had to be intubated after surgery, I awoke during the intubation procedure. I am also a gagger, and have a terrible time even having teeth films taken. It was not a pleasant experience, but I got through it.

I would stop thinking about stuff like this. While it can happen, the odds are very much that it won't.

-Linda

I don't remember having it removed at all. The first I remember waking up, I was on my back looking at my husband and the Dr.

This was one of my fears too, but for me it turned out to be nothing. I hope the same goes for you.

[JenniferG]

It was one of my fears too, but it was long gone by the time I awoke. If you are very fearful about this megz, chat to your doctor and he may ensure it's removed in plenty of time before you wake up, so long as it's safe to do so.

[huskymom]

Coming from a nursing perspective, do not worry about gagging...the nurses and doctor will make sure that you have enough sedation medication going through your IV so you will not know too much nor remember the intubation and extubation process. On our unit @ the hospital I work in, patients rarely remember the ventilator and the process they go through with it. I do know that depending on your lung function and if you are a smoker, have asthma, COPD, etc, will depend if you are on the ventilator for an extended amount of time after the surgery is complete.