Hi everyone, I am booked in for my first hip replacement surgery next Wednesday. I was really surprised to hear that my surgeon does this under spinal anaesthetic, Ive been told I will be awake but oblivious to my surroundings. Just wondered if anyone else had surgery this way and can reassure me. I am 45yrs old with osteoarthritis, I require both hips to be replaced but surgeon only does one at a time with at least 6 months in between for recovery. Any advice or reassurance will be gratefully received! Lynn
Hi Lynn,
I had mine done like this, honestly you arent really aware, everyone was saying oh no go under general anaesthetic but i really didnt want to.. i took my ipod into theatre with me and listened to Coldplay 🙄 you can hear things going on but its all very surreal and you dont feel a thing and i even went to sleep for a bit I. hope it goes well for you .xxxx
I am having mine done today Lynn and it is a spinal too!!! Yikes, I can let you know how it goes!!!
Good luck Erika! I'm sure you will be fine!!xxx
Thank you Helen!!
Thanks for that Helen, good to hear from someone who has been through it already. And good idea about the music, coldplay are my favourite band!!
Thanks Erika, all the best for your op today!
Hello Lynn I had TRHR last week, spinal anaesthetIc with sedation - brilliant. I knew nothing from the moment I had the sedating injection to waking up in recovery. Wasn't aware of having the spinal injection. No nasty side effects like with general anaesthetic.
There you go then Lynn, get some music on the go! Honestly you'll be fine, i was glad i done it that way rather than being groggy for hrs later xx
I was put under with spinal and general anisthetic brcause the spinal would not last long enough for my surgery as it only lasts 3/4 hours and my surgery took 7 hours.
From what i have heard spinal is the best as you wake up feeling rather refreshed and so on.
It took me over 45 minutes to wake up properly in recovery and so i was told is very concerning and my heart rate was 150.
When you get a spinal you will be given sedatived or you can actually opt to stay awake haha. Dont worry though, you wont be aware or feel anything
Goodluck Erika xx
Tell me you me 3-4 hours and 3/4 of an hour??!!!
Thank you Sarah
Haha i mean 3-4 hours haha dont worry
I also had a spinal for both my operations. They asked me if I wanted a mild sedative to put me to sleep but I preferred not getting one and being awake. Basically everything below the lungs is completely numb and you don't feel a thing (although you do hear everything so I can see how some people would want the mild sedative). My biggest complaint was that I couldn't actually see what they were doing! Bringing a music player is a great idea although I would check with the hospital before - I don't think my hospital would let me bring anything into the operating room. After the surgery, I felt great and didn't feel any pain at all until several hours after the spinal wore off (After I got sensation back in my legs, I could do all sorts of movements pain free with my legs (maybe not a good idea) which I couldn't do the next day)
Hi Lynn I had trhr end of November 2015 had the spinal with hardly any
sedation I was aware of everything going on but I would say they were all
there but I could not have cared about anything so they do sedate you enough
that you are not fully awake but I remember it all very clearly and I had my ipod
but I had Rod Stewart (giving my age away)so he helped me relax as I went back
to thinking of when I was younger and fitter and went to see him live .I would
not have been able to do that now because of the pain so that urged me on
while I lay there thinking once this is done I will be more mobile and be able
to dance to Rod as well as listen 👠yes get the dancing shoes on lol
Do not worry about anything in the theatre as they will just sedate you if you
are getting worried and you will not know a thing about it as they talk to you all
the time and they know if you are getting worried so just lie there and let them
get on with it .I am now getting my other hip done within the next 3 months and
although I would rather have not needed it but my first operation was a great
success so the next one hopefully will be the same .Good luck to you on your
journey without this awful pain.keep us posted regards
Hey Erika ,
Thinking of you darling !!! just surrender and know that all is well ...
good luck - looking forward to your first post-op post
big warm embrace
renee
Thanks for your reply, I will check if they allow me to bring in some music. I think I'd prefer that to hearing any sawing/drilling noises lol! 
Thank you!!
They've told me my op should take around an hour and a half, thanks for sharing your experience. so good to hear from others who have already been through this! X