awake during intubation

[Baseball Mom3 0]

I just went to the hospital the other day and met with Anesthesia. The Anesthesiologist looks in my mouth and said that I have a small opening for an air way and wants to intubate while i am awake for my Gastric Sleeve. I have been terrified ever since to the point of cancelling. Has anyone else had this? I am hoping that I am drugged up and wont know it....I was so scared I idnt get details. HELP ME PLEASE!!

[Fusilli66 22]

I would definitely call my surgeon right away and ask him what that means exactly!

[Sassygirl06 962]

just let the doc now your fears...they give you stuff to relax you prior to everything. they will give you more if you have anxiety. i dont even remember them giving me the stuff to knock me out. i just woke up done. i was really terrified of being intubated too! i dont remember it though. good luck to you...you have come this far. dont let this ruin it. just open up to the doc about your fear.

[Foxbins 625]

Don't worry. Your idea of "awake" and the anesthesiologist's idea of "awake" are probably really different. I think he means that you will be very sedated but not unconscious. Ask them! They know it's a scary prospect and will work with you to make it easy.

[TijuanaPlication 87]

I had a gastroscopy without anesthetic or any form of sedation. The procedure took ~15 minutes and I had it all without anything and it was survivable (plus it meant I was OK to drive myself home).

I'm sure you'll be fine and that they can sedate you at the very least.

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

Ask if it is possible for them to give you the drug they give people before having an endoscopy. You are awake, relaxed and ameniable to following commands (like :"swallow") - but when you wake up, you have NO MEMORY of anything. I have had two endoscopies in my life and had that drug both times. I was intubated and swallowed some sort of camera /probe. I don't remember anything.

[emily_0192010 168]

I think you'll be just fine I would call and ask to get more details. You will have to be sedated because otherwise your body wouldn't allow them to intubate you. So yes, you will be awake but you won't care and chances are you won't remember it. I would make it very clear to them that you are very nervous and anxious and scared and they will take care of you. Good luck, don't let this fear stop you from going through with it!

[Charity 0]

You have to have serious sedation before you're able to be intubated. Your gag reflex and muscles will not allow the anesthesiologist to intubate without being sedated or numbed. I'm really shocked by this statement - we intubate people ALL the time with small airways at work. As someone else said - tis' most likely a different view on things, rather than actually being "awake".

[KaitlynnHughes 9]

Don't worry. Your idea of "awake" and the anesthesiologist's idea of "awake" are probably really different. I think he means that you will be very sedated but not unconscious. Ask them! They know it's a scary prospect and will work with you to make it easy.

I agree...they told me i would be awake when they removed the tube to follow commands and I don't remember how it felt...i have a faint memory of someone saying "swallow" but thats it and it could just be my imagination!!! Trust me...you'll go to sleep and wake up sleeved....i did it twice...first with the sleeve then my emergency surgery after!!!! DON"T CANCEL....it is so worth it!!!

[CT Fats 82]

I work in Respiratory and we do Bronchs while the patient is awake. It's called concious sedation. You will be given atomized lidocaine and a sedative and you will be very loopy and not feel a thing. Most of our patients wake up with numb throat and mouth talking about their childhood teddy bears. You will be fine.

[Baseball Mom3 0]

Thank you so much....I can rest easier this weekend

I work in Respiratory and we do Bronchs while the patient is awake. It's called concious sedation. You will be given atomized lidocaine and a sedative and you will be very loopy and not feel a thing. Most of our patients wake up with numb throat and mouth talking about their childhood teddy bears. You will be fine.

[Rootman 1,101]

I work in Respiratory and we do Bronchs while the patient is awake. It's called concious sedation. You will be given atomized lidocaine and a sedative and you will be very loopy and not feel a thing. Most of our patients wake up with numb throat and mouth talking about their childhood teddy bears. You will be fine.

I had this - or something like it for an esophageal dilation and EGD a few times. I have the vaguest notion of a memory of it and it was not at all uncomfortable. They covered my eyes with a wash cloth and it was like time stood still, they pulled it off and told me to swallow, put it back on, pulled it back off and told me to do "something" (I can't remember exactly just what) put the cloth back and they were done. As far as I could tell NO time went by between the cloth being removed and in actuallity maybe 10 minutes passed by between each command, the medication just makes you loopy with no concept of time. I suspect that after the intubation you'll be knocked out all the way, they just push more of the same or an additional cocktail of "the good stuff" in you and you are out like a light.

Don't worry but please DO discuss it with the anesthesiologist or someone from their office if you have doubt.