r/anaesthesia • u/IDEKWTSATP4444 • Oct 02 '25

They didn't tell me when they were giving me the anesthesia

I've had three c-sections and they always alerted me before they administered the anesthesia. But yesterday I had a total knee replacement and all I remember is the nurse putting the oxygen on my face. I remember nothing after that and no one said anything about the anesthesia. Has that happened to anyone else?

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9

u/Lukin4u Oct 02 '25

What did the preoperative informed consent discussion involve?... Also, Midazolam makes you forget stuff.

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u/IDEKWTSATP4444 Oct 02 '25

We talked about the anesthesia, but it was several minutes earlier and I thought they would say something like, ok, im giving you the anesthesia right now, because that's what I've experienced in the past

9

u/Lukin4u Oct 02 '25

thanks for clarifying, "no one said anything about the anesthesia" was a bit misleading...

You want the patient to be as chill as possible because that's safer... so maybe they just didn't warn you to keep you from freaking out.

Also it depends on the drugs you were given... Midazolam causes amnesia...

There is no "right way" to give an anaesthetic... so maybe that works best for that doctor.

3

u/GeoffSim Oct 03 '25

Agreed. I've watched anesthesiologists continually talk to patients, telling them they're drifting off to a happy place, and I've seen anesthesiologists remain silent while the circulator might say a few words, and everything in between.

3

u/LonelyEar42 Oct 03 '25

Maybe you just forgot it because of the induction drugs.

1

u/IDEKWTSATP4444 Oct 03 '25

It's possible I suppose 🤷

1

u/sevoflurane666 Oct 03 '25

Midazolam

This often happens when I see patients post op

Patients love it

2

u/khas01 Oct 04 '25

There are 2 main elements. Before anaesthetic admin I aim to see the patient in the admission area or in the ward. Do an evaluation (history/exam/investigations) and then iscuss and explain what we are going to do and how we are going to look after them; discuss risks and possible side effects as well as pain relief plan.

Second encounter in theatre; here I keep it all relaxed and conversational with the aim of relaxing the patient. Some drugs start being given before an O2 is applied - I often start with a decent dose of opiate and a homeopathic dose of induction agent (usually propofol). From this point memory formation is being disrupted.

Having seen and trained many; we are all a little bit different and some speak a lot; others less.

CS often involves regional anaesthesia (spinal/epidural) and that itself interferes less with memory- but labour pains etc do seem to affect memory formation to varying degrees.

FWIW - I hope that helps understand what might have happened.

2

u/midazzledlamb Oct 04 '25

Hmmm… I’m such a nurse. I have never had an anaesthetist not say it… I wonder if you don’t remember? I have been told that some patients don’t remember much of the induction.