Is 8 hrs too long on OR table?

[Clematis]

I'm thinking of getting an LBL and breast lift at the same time. The plastic surgeon says it will take 8 hours in the OR, and he's ok with that. But I recall reading somewhere that it is best whenever possible to restrict sedation to 6 hours. Is this too long to be under?

 

[Spiky Bugger]

It's too long...for me.

I think @kirmy was under for about two weeks with her DS.

 

[Clematis]

My DS was under 4 hrs, maybe even as short as 3. I don;t appear to have suffered brain damage. (Or have I )

I can't recall what I read. Maybe the percentage of risk gets larger based on time under? So maybe just a statistical thing vs likelihood.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

And then there is the hair loss thing. I know anesthesia is a culprit. Is it " in general" or more severe the longer one is under.

I was under more like 5 hours!

Did you meet with the local PS?

Susan

 

[Clematis]

Hair loss was weight loss for me as has happened in the past, not anesthesia. But gee THANKS @Susan in Tennessee cuz now I'll worry about THAT.

I met with one guy; I'll see another next week. The cost is staggering.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

My DS was under 4 hrs, maybe even as short as 3. I don;t appear to have suffered brain damage. (Or have I )

I can't recall what I read. Maybe the percentage of risk gets larger based on time under? So maybe just a statistical thing vs likelihood.

I *DO* have brain damage...I must...I moved back to The People's Republic of California, bought a VERY MODEST, 71-year-old house and pay almost $650/mo in property tax.

But I replied to brag. I had a "real pro" put in my stupid band and a real-er pro take it out and do the DS. The entire enchilada took under two hours.

 

[Munchkin]

Talk to your PS. I know for lots of plastics procedures you aren't as deeply 'under'. See what he'she is using and if it should be a concern.

 

[Clematis]

The thought that I could just be in twilight sleep for 8 hours of the excruciating pain of having large swaths of my skin sliced off with the possibility of re-experiencing it all during a dream one night, like remembering being anally probed by aliens, is quite unsettling. Brain damage sounds somewhat more appealing. I wanna be out... WAY out.

 

[Settledownnow]

I would have concerns about a surgeon standing and operating for 8 hours in addition to being under anesthesia that long.
I'm very interested in learning about the "staggering costs." Do tell!

 

[Clematis]

Just under $22k for LBL (no lipo - I don't need any!!!), breast lift with augmentation but this is "out the door" for everything and includes one night in a real hospital in a major city, not a surgery center. I could go out of town/out of country and have it done for less (which is how I first intended to do it) but I'm leaning towards the convenience of being able to recover in my own house. (I'll have to hire a nursing assistant for a few days to help with the drains.)

At a future date, I'd still need a lower face/neck lift as the drooping makes me look angry. Also would like inner thighs if they can do it at the groin as I don't want scar down leg -- if I still have to wear pants to hide the scar, what's the dif if I have to wear them to hide the draping skin.

I'm skipping the arm lift. I don;t have bat wings, or rather I do but my natural arms are so thin, like a spider monkey, my bat wings are anyone else's normal. I have major wrinkly inner arm skin if I lift my arm chicken-wing-like so gravity takes ahold. Yeah you'd think you'd never have your arm like that but you do every time you push back on the arms of a chair, or bend over to tie shoes, put dishes in dishwasher. I even get all wrinkly if my elbows are even a smidgen back from straight vertical. However he does not feel this arm wrinkling can be addressed in an armpit-only incision. I know women my age who have been thin all their lives and have this identical arm wrinkling. Theirs is due to being lifelong sun lovers; mine from MO.

"But I'll look good in clothes." Yeah. Well I look ok in clothes now so screw that. When I spend all this money and go through all this pain and frankly risk my life, I just want ONE area of my body I can look at bare skinned and see something pretty, y'know? My breasts, lower belly and butt will be as scarred up as Moby Dick's bleached hide. I think I'll have to focus on my midriff and new navel as that may be the only pristine spot.

 

[Settledownnow]

I personally do not think $22k for LBL is priced out of this world. Yes, it is a lot of money, but self-pay DS in the US is also about $25K. I completely understand coming this far and wanting to "complete" the WLS surgery with plastics. The scars will fade in time, and you have time. I just hope to complete Phase I and lose all of my extra weight at this point.

 

[Munchkin]

My DS was a virgin abdominal surgery and I was under for more than 8 hours. I am no more or less nutty than I was before.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

My DS was a virgin abdominal surgery and I was under for more than 8 hours. I am no more or less nutty than I was before.

Will this be open for voting later on?

 

[kirmy]

It's too long...for me.

I think @kirmy was under for about two weeks with her DS.

Cheeky shite! 11.5 hours. Was completely cluster fucked for two months after. Totally worth it though.

 

[bearmom]

I've had some long procedures, my DS was 12ish hours (something broke with the lap equipment, and they spent a long time trying to get a piece of metal out of me). There is a direct correlation with how long I'm under, and how long it takes me to get my marbles back. I can say it was EASILY over a month of scrambled brains when under general for that many hours. Really not keen on that.

Because I don't like the long hangover from general, and also because I wanted multiple plastic procedures at the same time, and DO worry about the danger of it, I've also had several procedures under only sedation /twilight ( but actually asleep) and I prefer that.

Now, I'll tell you something about that too, since not all surgeons will do sedation / twilight, and not everyone wants that. I did wake up partially during two different procedures, and one time it was because they were closing me with metal staples on lbl and thigh lift and it hurt. It's just the vaguest memory, and I just said something to the effect of "wt%^&*f" and I heard him say "Deanne needs more...." and they gave more sleeping stuff. Barely a memory.

The other time I awoke during a breast reduction and was aware they were discussing golf and could feel generally what they were doing , but no pain. They didn't realize I was awake and listening till I commented on the course they were talking about. It was sort of interesting knowing what they were doing, but you may not like that. Again, neither of those times were what I'd consider upsetting, even though it sounds scary, and I still prefer twilight (but asleep) to general anesthesia, assuming it's not deep invasive surgery.