Gagging on breathing tube post-op?

[hopeful07 0]

I was coming out of the anestesia in post-op and started gagging on the tube in my throat. It felt like I was choking and not breathing at all and I could not move my body b/c of all the drugs. I remember hearing the nurse saying to someone that I was gagging, then someone else came over and I heard them tell me to breathe thru the tube as I went back under. When I woke back up the tube was out- thank goodness.

Perhaps I did not read enough posts pre-op but I was not expecting to wake up with a tube down my throat- I could have told them ahead of time that I have a very sensitive gag reflex (can't even hold a hangar in my teeth while hanging up a shirt without gagging).

Does everybody wake up with the tube in or did I wake up too early? I was so out of it that I did not think to ask the post-op staff what happened before they brought me back to my room.

[Ms. Vicki 0]

I have had several surgeries and have woken up with a tube in my throat twice. That is twice too many times. It is a horrible feeling and such a relief when the tube is removed. It is one of the only things I fear when going "under". Sorry you experienced it.

[marys 2]

I chose my doc mainly cuz they didn't use the tube - some different type of anethesia because i hate it so much. sorry so scary!

[Kat817 19]

I don't remember the tube---although my throat was scratchy, so I know it was used.

My DH had heart surgery several months back, and was on a respirator following it, and then again a couple months later for a massive GI bleed he had due to the blood thinners. With all of the surgery--cutting his chest, being in ICU for days on end with the bleed---the one thing he says he hated the worst---the tube down the throat!!!

So based on his attitude, as well as both of yours, I am thankful I slept through the experience! Sorry you didn't!!!

Kat

[carriedba 0]

That's sounds pretty scary. I'm having my surgery on Wednesday w/ Dr. Spivak and that's one thing that kind of freaks me out. I'm getting more and more anxious (in good and bad ways) now that I'm getting closer to the date. The surgery part is what worries me the most. I'll just be glad when it's over. Hopefully I won't wake up with a tube down my throat. Where did you have your surgery done?

[Legs 0]

I have had more surgeries on various body parts than I care to count and have never woken up with the tube still in. It's been my experience that it's bad enough to fight my way out of anesthesia as I'm waking up. This last time for the LapBand surgery, though, I was able to remind myself to be calm and to relax, relax, relax! I don't think I could handle waking up with the tube still in and I'm sorry that you had to go through that.

[hopeful07 0]

Luckily I was able to open my eyes enough to see that my nurse was right by my bedside, I think I would have panicked if I had not seen him there. I knew they were taking care of me so other than the initial fear when I felt like I couldn't breathe it went by rather quickley.

Thanks for all the feedback!:)

Glad to know I just woke up a bit too soon and that your not supposed to wake up with it in; I'm planning on a breast reduction later this year and really would not want to feel that again.:omg:

carriedba :gluck:- other than those few minutes in post-op my surgery went just fine. Dr.Spivak was great and so was the staff at Park Plaza Hospital. One of his former paitents came to see me afterwards and gave me her phone number to call with any questions, I'm going to give her a ring in a few days to thank her. It was nice to have someone who's been thru the process come and talk to you right afterwards.

Try not to be nervous, there will be quite a bit of waiting throughout the day. We arrived at 7:12am, they checked me in by 8:30am then put me in a room where I met the floor nurse. I was brought down to pre-op at 9:30, talked to the nurses, anestesiologists, & Dr Spivak. They brought me to surgery at 11:am, was in post-op by 12pm (Dr.Spivak will talk to whomever brings you to the hospital after surgery but they won't be allowed in post-op) and there for 2 hours. Next they brought me back to my room where my hubby was waiting. They gave me some pain meds first thing b/c I wanted them. Then brought in a tray of liquid foods and Water. You need to pee, walk, and not be nausious before you can go home. I was on my way home at 5pm, picked up my perscription for the liquid pain killers and went to bed for the night. Hopefully this helps- knowing the routiene.

Good luck on your big day tomorrow, just relax as best you can and ask as many questions while you are at the hospital as you want.

I'm so glad I've done this for myself, it's only been 3 days and I've lost a few pounds already.:clap2:

[carriedba 0]

Thanks for the rundown of your day. I think what scares me the most is the unexpected. I've had 2 surgeries before but they were when i was little, so i have no memory of them. So, essentially this is my first surgery and it helps to know exactly what's going to happen. I guess I'm kind of controlling in that sense and w/ surgery you loose that. I know all is going to go well, i just have to keep telling myself that.

[amwlady 0]

I chose my doc mainly cuz they didn't use the tube - some different type of anethesia because i hate it so much. sorry so scary!

I never heard of this. Please tell me more.

[Mrs Husker 3]

I have had several surgeries where I have woken up. The first was when I was 19 and was having my wisdom teeth pulled. The next one was about 13 years ago and I was having my index finger reattached (long story). When I was going under it felt like I had a ton of weight on my chest and I couldn’t breath. I thought that I was going to die. I woke up in the middle of that operation and I had a conversation with the anesthesiologist about what was going on and after a few minutes he said good night and that was the last thing I remember. Both of those times I didn’t feel any pain because they had used a local also. Now, my c-section was another story. I wasn’t under when it started. But after I heard my daughter first cry, I must have just let myself go. I woke up again while they were putting in the final staples. I started to gag on the tube in my throat and the anesthesiologist asked the doctor if my gagging was a problem for him, the doctors said no because he was almost done. They both went white when I “replayed” their conversations to them. At my last colonoscopy (Nov 06) I woke up part way through. I was told that they couldn’t give me anything else to put me back under because my blood pressure was too low. Trust me, being awake with a scope up your bottom half way to your throat is painful.

Am I worried about this surgery? HECK YES!!! But after all that I have been through, I am willing to take the chance of waking up during surgery just so I don’t fall into a “permanent” sleep (aka death) because of my weight.

[StephC 0]

I've had several surgeries - 7 including my band and I never woke up with the tube until the band surgery - I was FURIOUS! The first thing I said was why in the hell did you let me wake up with that still in! I felt it was OR incompetency - if I ever have surgery again I plan on telling them ahead of time that I will be pissed if they let me wake up like that again. They can take it out in just a matter of seconds so theres no reason other then they aren't paying attention.

[beachgirl 2]

Wow,

I've had 6 surgeries including my bandsugery and never woken up with a tube. I'm so proud I've never experienced that. So sorry you had to.

[jillrn 0]

Actually Steph they cant just take it out -- It depends on the situation and from what it sounds like here the paralytic was still on board (we usually give a reversal agent) and the anethesia was wore off. (pain med/ sleeper) If the tube is taken out when you are awake but still paralysed than you cant breath and that of course is bad! =)

Sorry you woke up hopeful I guess they should have reversed you sooner!

[faithmd 14]

Jillrn, thank you for writing that, I was going to write something like that earlier, but DH was urging me to shake a tail feather and get going to dinner.

I'm right behind Jillrn 100%, Steph, they cannot take it out "in a matter of seconds" all the time, and you have to be awake enough (reversed enough, that is) to breathe on your own-not to say you have to be "awake."

It does happen, but it is not often. And it is NOT necessarily incompetence. I'm sure that very rarely it is someone not paying attention when a patient is completely awake and is still tubed, but in order to pull that ETT (endotrachael tube) out, you MUST be at least somewhat awake and have your paralytic (the stuff they give you so that you don't move) reversed, because you have to be able to breathe on your own! Everyone wakes up differently, and everyone "processes" anesthesia in different ways. Believe me, no anesthesiologist or CRNA wants you to wake up intubated. But it occasionally does happen. It is NOT the worst thing in the world (at least not to me, I've been WIDE awake with an ETT in). But again, everyone is different.

I hope that those who have not yet been banded do not think that this is a frequent occurence, because believe me, it is not.

[Wheetsin 714]

I was so afraid of this when I had my surgery. The nurse had told me they leave it in until you pull it out, to make sure you're awake enough. When I woke up, the FIRST thing I had was see if I could feel the tube. I didn't, but I didn't trust myself to know what I was feeling, so I snuck my hand up and felt my mouth. It was out and I was RELIEVED!