Surgery mysteries
By Carol Brown
@blitzfrick (2890)
United States
December 4, 2016 6:33pm CST
My friend here who has had cataract surgery tells me she was sedated during her surgery. She also tells me they instructed her to follow a light or lights during the surgery.
I wonder how the patient can follow any instructions at all when sedated?
Such mysteries. 
7 people like this
8 responses
@LadyDuck (502428)
• Italy
5 Dec 16
@blitzfrick As a matter of fact you do not sleep at all, only the area that must be treated is "sedated". In our days even for more important surgery you can only be partially sedated and listen to the questions of the surgeon while he operates. This was the case for my husband during his inguinal hernia surgery.
2 people like this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
5 Dec 16
@LadyDuck Yes, that partial sedation is what happens with "twilight sleep".
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Twilight sleep (English translation of the German word Dämmerschlaf[1][2]) is an amnesic condition characterized by insensitivity to pain without loss of consciousness, induced by an injecti
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@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
5 Dec 16
I wonder if this is like the "twilight sleep" women get (or used to get) during childbirth. Interesting.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
5 Dec 16
When I had cataract surgery, they used a local anesthesia with a lot of drops in the eye, but you are not sedated to the point where you don't know what is happening. It keeps you from blinking or feeling pain.
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@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
5 Dec 16
@JamesHxstatic I guess it depends on the individual. I'm hoping for smooth sailing.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
5 Dec 16
@blitzfrick No, but my wife had some problems with hers, had to use drops for long time.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208869)
• United States
5 Dec 16
I know with my dad, there was a whole list of things he had to do, prior to the surgery, and afterwards.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45111)
• Canada
19 Jan 17
That is a mystery! Maybe she wasn't completely sedated?
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@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
22 Jan 17
Yes, I've since learned she was not. I don't think she was sedated at all, in fact. Just drops in her eye to kill pain locally.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
5 Dec 16
It must depend on the type of sedation.
1 person likes this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
5 Dec 16
eeeuw, I don't like to watch surgeries. matter of fact, I look away when the news (or any other show) covers the flu shots; they always show the needle going into the flesh—look away! look away!
1 person likes this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
5 Dec 16
@JudyEv American football is a crusher too. Yesterday a player's leg was broken. argh
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382036)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Dec 16
@blitzfrick I can understand that although it doesn't worry me. However I don't like watching sport where the guys are getting tackled and dropped, etc. I'm thinking Australian Rules football which is very physical.
1 person likes this
@DesirousDreamer (34776)
• Peoria, Arizona
5 Dec 16
Well sedated doesn't always mean having the full anesthesia. People who also have brain surgery are sedated so they cannot feel the pain but need to stay away so the surgeons can still talk to them so they know they don't slip up.
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