Mr. Alex Preston, MD

Yes, it is, if it well controlled and optimized.

General anesthesia per se could not affect healthy lungs. However inhalational anesthetic is usually avoided in Patients with pneumonia or severe COPD because it potentially can exasperate hypoxia, which is a low oxygen concentration in blood. In that case, it’s preferably to use total
intravenous general anesthesia instead of inhalational. Also in emergent surgeries, there’s a risk of pulmonary aspiration in Patients with full stomachs during induction of anesthesia. That could cause chemical pneumonitis and subsequent pneumonia and ARDS aspiration respiratory
distress syndrome. It’s avoidable with rapid sequence induction and patient positioning. In general, it’s very uncommon to have lung problems from anesthesia.

You are totally right. It’s extremely rare to get urinary retention from infiltration with a local anesthetic. It’s more common with Epidural or Spinal Anesthesia when local anesthetic blocks the nerves which send signals to the bladder. In my opinion, you experienced the reaction to
methylparaben. It’s a preservative in dental Xylocaine. That means that you can safely receive this local anesthetic without that preservative if you will have another surgical procedure. Just mention to the Surgeon that you had the complication from methylparaben in the Xylocaine vial.

If you will have a procedure on your knee, for example, diagnostic knee aspiration, or knee arthroscopy with an intraarticular joint injection of local anesthetic. For chronic arthritis, however, it’s not effective. Depending on the degree of arthritis, it’s either anti-inflammatory
medications, or total knee replacement for severe arthritis.

Usually a mild sedative such as Midazolam in combination with pain
medication, short acting opioid Fentanyl if there is no contraindications.

It could be done either with local anesthesia or local + IV sedation

The short answer is no. Hepatitis could be caused by viruses or toxins. Balanced general anesthesia is not toxic to the liver. On the contrary, by supporting optimal blood supply to the liver and other vital organs it protects them. Historically there were inhalational anesthetics that were hepatotoxic after prolonged exposures during long surgical procedures, such as Halothane, but it’s off the market. Theoretically, another inhalational anesthetic Sevoflurane, which is currently used, has a metabolite called compound A, which could be hepatotoxic, but its metabolism is insignificant even after prolonged exposure and no cases of liver damage have been reported.

The standard of care for thyroidectomy is a GETA, general endotracheal anesthesia.

Absolutely. That’s the purpose of the labor epidural. To deliver the baby with minimal pain.