I had my pre op today and j was a little surprised to hear that they suggested i have an epidural and sedation instead of a general. i didnt even realise this could be an
option. I dont have any health issues so not sure about this at all?
Any thoughts?
I had a THR 4 weeks ago today with what you’ve been proposed. It was fine. No side effects. Woke up very alert. My surgery was around 3 PM, and I was in the hospital 2 nights and went straight home.
I had a spinal block and sedation so I would sleep trough it. It’s sure easier to come out of it in the recovery room. You don’t have to be tubed either. I had no medical issues either.
I too had this when I had my surgery in Feb 2018 in Florida. O was told there are fewer risks for patients than with general anesthesia. When I was in the prep area before going into the operating room they gave me something in the IV because i told them how nervous i was and thats all I remember. My surgery was at 7:30am and at 11:am I was back in my room, feeling ok and got up to wall the hall with the Physical therapist and a walker. A little woozy and stiff but not much pain at all and I went home in 2 days. There is some longer lasting injection in the hip that they gave me that kept me pretty comfortable until the oral pain meds. kicked in.
So forward and just let them know you are nervous. I’m sure they have stuff for that. The doctor does not want the patient squirming around the table and they like the patient to be comfortable and calm. Better attitude and healing. Good luck and let us know your experience.
hi I had my OP in Oct 2017 I chose spinal and sedation as I dont like being sick and spinal doesn’t have that effect.
bit very comfortable having the spinal but I woke up feeling like I’d just had a nap 
and no tube down my throat. I’ll opt for this again when I have the other side done later this year.
good luck x
That’s the way to go! I thought I was having an epidural the first time around, but they ended up giving me a general. I could not wake up from it and slept the rest of the day. And they told me I had heart fibrillation during surgery and they called in a heart doctor. I found out later that the surgeon preferred general anesthesia so that the patient would be totally relaxed for the anterior method of surgery. When I had my second hip replacement I made sure that the surgeon agreed to an epidural and my recovery was much smoother.
**I had a spinal but decided I did not want the sedation so I could know what was going on! I had to have another op three weeks later for something totally different and they had written general anaesthetic on the form. I asked if I could have a spinal and they said fine. I would not have known about it if I had not had it for my hip. It is so much better than a general. For the second op I was wheeled down the corridor on the gurney with a cup of tea in one hand and a sandwich in the other, while everyone else on trolleys was looking washed out. **
hi heather. think you’ll find its standard for most hip replacements plus other orthopaedic surgery. main thing with it you can be up and mobile within a few hrs whereas with a GA itd be the next day. being up as early as possible helps your recovery. I came out of theatre at 3pm and took my first 4 side steps at 5pm - was fine.
the spinal and sedation was gt. I’d asked the anaethetist to make sure I slept which besides a couple of waking periods I had the best sleep I’d had for a few yrs lol. didn’t feel a thing even when awake - just told myself to go back to sleep plus the anaethetist checking I was ok and back to sleep I went. for me one of the bonuses was being awake at the end while still in theatre and being able to thk the theatre staff - which I know they rarely get.
good luck with your surgery 
Another satisfied customer of epidural. Sedative in IV made me groggy. Then I remember being sat up for the epidural and I was out. I was so alert in post-op that I was able to completely enjoy the gorgeous sunset through the small window near my bed. What a way to awaken.
hello
i had RTH R 4 weeks ago. I was also surprised and not too keen with same anaesthetics . In fact it was brilliant. i was sedated and then given epidural. woke up without any pain . the only thing was i couldnt move or feel my feet for 4 hours. So dont worry it it fine.
good luck
barbara
I was sort of given the option but was told epidural was better.
I can remember talking to the assistant anaesthetist about cycling then i was asked if I’d like to listen to some music and finally would i like to have a ‘rest?’
When i came round on the way back to the ward i knew the op had been a success, my foot had flopped down to the outside. It hadn’t done that for years.
I had a side effect from the epidural where a couple of my fingers felt numb on the outside but it went after a couple of months.
HI heather , i had the epidural, no problem, with sedation, you recover so much quicker, i had a double hip replacement, 7 weeks ago, good luck
Hi, i had lthr 6 weeks ago and rthr 4 yrs ago. On both occasions i had epidural and sedation. Both successful and i remember nothing about procedures. When possible, i believe this is advantageous in terms of recovery. Hopefully you trust your surgeon and comfortable with his advice. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Hi Heather!
I had my THR back in 2015 with an epidural and sedation.
I was scared to death!
They must’ve given me the epidural while I was sedated because all I remember is saying good bye to my family and then waking up in recovery!
They kept me in the recovery room until I had all of the feeling back in my legs.
yea I shall also ask to make sure im
asleep!
Hi
I had my right hip replaced last July under spinal block and sedation and was apprehensive when they told me I wouldn’t be having a general anaesthetic, I needn’t have worried. When I had my other hip replaced 7 weeks ago, I had no worries at all about the spinal block. I was so well and discharged home after 2 days, I am recovering really well.
They just took me back to the ward and sprayed my leg every so often to see if I could feel it.
I found it quite interesting not having any sedation and was able to talk to the surgeon during the op. It is quite noisy which I think puts some people off not having sedation.
Hi
I to was concerned, but after advice from this forum, I had the same. And was so glad that I did. I never heard anything from the op and after a couple of hours I could get out of bed.
Ann