NetWellness Anesthesia

Anesthia/Blindness

Gareth Kantor MD — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:10:00 EST

Question: What are the risks of blindness after being administered anesthesia during a "face down" neck surgery? A friend of mine recently had a "face down" neck surgery, and he said when he entered the O.R., the doctor informed him that seeing as he was going to be face down for 4 hours, . . .

Answer:

What you've described is I would say a textbook example of how not to inform patients of the risks of surgery and anesthesia.

Perioperative visual loss (POVL) is the term now used to describe a rare but devastating complication that can occur with surgery. (Surgery on the eye itself is exclu . . .

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia

Fainting

Gareth Kantor MD — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:10:00 EST

Question: When in areas where anesthesia has been used, I can detect a certain smell. Then, I start to feel faint. If I stay in the area, I lose consciousness. Afterward, or even if I leave the area before fainting, I have a severe headache. What could cause this?

Answer: This is an interesting and surprising problem. Operating rooms are normally very well ventilated areas of a hospital. There are ventilation systems in place that make sure that the air is exchanged many times per hour. This helps rid the environment both of airborne substances that are potentially h . . .

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia

Lasting Side Effects of General Anesthesia

Gareth Kantor MD — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:10:00 EST

Question: I had knee surgery two weeks ago and am suffering from allergic reactions to all medications prescribed for pain as well as over the counter. I have never had allergic reactions to any medications before and am now not able to take Advil or Aleve. I have waited for 3 days without taking any medicati . . .

Answer:

You've mentioned only two medications that you have a problem with - Advil (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naprosyn). Both are drugs known as "NSAIDs" - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. There are many other drugs and types of drugs that you could successfully use to treat your pain. You've also not . . .

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia

Versed For Prostate Biopsy?

Gareth Kantor MD — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:10:00 EST

Question: I`ve had three rectal prostate biopsies and found them to be miserable painful experiences. I asked my urologist why he didn`t give me something such as Versed and he pretty much blew me off saying that it wasn`t necessary. (Easy for him to say!)

Is he following normal procedure or might there . . .

Answer:

There are urologists who do prostate biopsies under general anesthesia. There are also those who perform these without any sedation at all. I am not aware of any data about how many of these increasingly common procedures are done with general anesthesia, with sedation, or with nothing at all. If . . .

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia

Versed Available in Pill Form?

Gareth Kantor MD — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:09:00 EST

Question:

One of the "facts" supposedly printed after Michael Jackson`s death is that an empty prescrition container of Versed "pills" was found in his or the doctor`s room.

I`ve been an ICU nurse for 39 years and have never/ever heard of Versed in pill form, only syr . . .

Answer: Midazolam is available in tablet form. Versed is a brand name, and I am not sure whether or not Versed is available in tablet form.

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia

Colonoscopy in Heart Patient

Gareth Kantor MD — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:09:00 EST

Question:

Hello, Your help will be greatly appreciated. My brother is a long time heart patient with CHF and CAD (70 yo, CABG 15 years ago). He has been somewhat anemic since last year and also complained of a general discomfort in the abdomen area (parallel to the navel). He also has GERD (takes a PPI). A . . .

Answer:

NetWellness does not provide diagnostic services, only information. Your very pertinent questions should therefore be addressed primarily to your brother's doctors. Anemia is one of the most important clues to a diagnosis of colon cancer, which is one of the commonest cancers. The diagnosis is mo . . .

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia

True Local Anesthesia Intolerance

Gareth Kantor MD — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:09:00 EST

Question: I have a condition where my body absorbs any kind of local anasthetic too fast, even in small amounts. This causes multiple problems, not only can they not numb me as a result, I have severe cardiovascular and neurological effects. I have had to leave the dentist office twice now in an ambulance. Th . . .

Answer: What you are describing is definitely unusual.

I cannot say what the problem is in terms of your reactions to any kind of local anesthetic. That would require a proper evaluation by your dentists and/or doctors with access to your medical records, including the autoimmune diseases that you ment . . .

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia

Reaction to Lidocaine & Epinephrine

Gareth Kantor MD — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:09:00 EST

Question: I went to a dentist in Mexico a few weeks ago to have my wisdom tooth pulled. I am not afraid of shots and have a high pain tolerance so I know I didn`t just pass out from fear or anything like that. The dentist gave me a few shots of lidocaine & epinephrine, and after the third shot I felt real . . .

Answer:

You should certainly discuss this experience with your doctor. Netwellness is not a diagnostic service, and your personal doctor is usually better positioned to work out what may have happened to you and why.

One complication from the administration of local anesthesia is the absorption . . .

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia

Expectant Mother with Spine Injury

Gareth Kantor MD — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:08:00 EST

Question: Hi, I am 37 yrs old and pregnant with my first child. I have 4 cervical disc that have been herniated for many years. After consulting doctors we have opted for surgery, after the child is born. I also have L4, L5, and herniations and SI joint pain along with 2 previous coccyx fractur . . .

Answer:

An epidural can be given above the level of the 4th lumbar vertebra ("L4"). In fact an epidural can be administered at any level in the spine, even in the cervical spine (neck). (But don't try this at home. An epidural in the neck requires special skill and is usually done with x-ray imaging). Of . . .

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia

Anesthesia Problem Name

Gareth Kantor MD — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:08:00 EST

Question: The last time I had surgery, about 12 hours later (in the middle of the night) I had a breathing problem. The doctor said my lungs were about to collapse. I had several doctors standing around my bed. They brought in an x-ray machine. I came out of it after a while, but it was pretty scary . . .

Answer: Without more information it's hard to know exactly what happened to you after your last surgery . It is a really good idea though for you to try to find out and to communicate this to your current doctors. The hospital where you are going to have your procedure could make things easier by requesting . . .

Ask an Expert: Gareth Kantor MD, Anesthesia