“Do they put you to sleep for leg surgery?”
I'm 45 years old and my doctor told me that I need to have surgery on my leg. Do they put you to sleep for leg surgery? If not, can I request it?
4 Answers
You own your body, and no one can give you an anesthetic you don't want. Procedure in legs could be done under spinal or general anesthesia. If the lesion is small, it could be local.
You have to talk to your surgeon about the type of surgery and what he usually chooses. If you want, you can request anesthesia services and decide what type is best for you.
This depends on the kind of leg surgery you are going to have. You may have a regional anesthetic (spinal, epidural, or combined spinal-epidural anesthesia), or if in a specific area of your leg, your anesthesiologist may be able to give your a peripheral nerve block with intravenous sedation. Ask your anesthesiologist.
It depends on the kind of surgery you are having done. If you would like to be completely asleep for your surgery let your surgeon know. Many people want to be completely asleep under anesthesia for their operations because of fear or anxiety. An anesthetic approach can meet all your needs. Please share with your surgeon and anesthesiologist what you wish to have while you are getting your operation. There is no reason for you to be fearful while awake during your procedure.
