Re: 2) BMI related to amt of drugs -- CHRIS

[Guest guest]

Hi Chris:

> 2) Trapped on the operating table will

> DEFINITELY give me a panic attack!! I

> WANT VALIUM! Problem is, once I had

> outpatient surgery and they didn't give

> me enough. I assume your BMI affects

> how much you need -- is there a way to

> calculate this in advance for the amount

> of certain drugs, or is this totally

> varied from person to person?

I don't know how or if BMI affects this, but I had the same problem

before my (pre-DS) panniculectomy at USC.

First off, I should say that they do things a little differently at

USC than at Cal Pacific. I understand that at Cal Pacific you walk

into the operating room. At USC they start an IV in the " Same Day

Surgery " (pre-op) department, and the anesthesiologist injects

something (valium?) into this to help you relax, then they take you

to the OR on a gurney.

At my first surgery, they didn't give me enough valium (or whatever)

and I was TOTALLY FREAKED OUT by the time they got me onto the

operating table. I think the only reason I didn't try to run from

the room was because the table seemed like it was about twenty feet

in the air, and I was sure I'd break my neck trying to get down off

it.

So, before my DS, I made SURE to mention this to the anesthesiologist

and he gave me extra valium (or whatever it is) and BOY DID IT WORK!

My last memory is of being wheeled out into the hall that leads to

the operating room -- after that I remember absolutely NOTHING until

I woke up in the recovery room.

Since you walk into the OR at Cal Pacific, I'm not sure they could

give you that much before you go into the OR, (or they'd have to

carry you!), but there's no reason they can't give you enough juice

IN the OR for you to be too blasted to care what they do to you.

Also, it's possible that they could borrow a gurney from someplace,

shoot you full of drugs until your eyes spin, and then wheel you in

to the OR.

The important thing is, be sure to mention your previous bad

experience to the anesthesiologist.

HTH,

Tom

p.s. I misplaced your email for a couple weeks. If you'd

still like to talk about MRMIPS, let me know what would be a

convenient time for me to call you. I'm home most of the time this

week.

[Guest guest]

At 7:37 PM +0000 9/3/01, tlarussa@... wrote:

>

>

>Hi Chris:

>

>> 2) Trapped on the operating table will

>> DEFINITELY give me a panic attack!! I

>> WANT VALIUM! Problem is, once I had

>> outpatient surgery and they didn't give

>> me enough. I assume your BMI affects

>> how much you need -- is there a way to

>> calculate this in advance for the amount

>> of certain drugs, or is this totally

>> varied from person to person?

Normally, drug dosing is on a % of body weight basis: mg/kg, for

example. So, the dose for a 400-pound person would normally be twice

that for a 200-pound person. This is, of course, directly

proportional to BMI, which is kg/m*2. However, different people

react differently to chemicals, even if the dose is calibrated to

body weight.

>

>So, before my DS, I made SURE to mention this to the anesthesiologist

>and he gave me extra valium (or whatever it is) and BOY DID IT WORK!

>My last memory is of being wheeled out into the hall that leads to

>the operating room -- after that I remember absolutely NOTHING until

>I woke up in the recovery room.

>...

>Also, it's possible that they could borrow a gurney from someplace,

>shoot you full of drugs until your eyes spin, and then wheel you in

>to the OR.

In other words, Tom, " Reality is the scourge of those who cannot

score good drugs! "

--Steve

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