General anesthesia or spine injection for implant surgery?

[IwillbeatPD]

Hey guys,

For those of you who had implant surgery, did you have anesthesia only? Or a spine injection also? I was reading about someone getting the spinal injection and was wondering how common that is. I feel like there would be additional risks from that, so I would prefer to have only the anesthesia.

Thanks!

[Hawk]

I had a spinal ONLY. After that experience, I will never have anything but a spinal on any type of surgery where that is an option.

Dr. Eid likes to give some degree of a spinal because it totally relaxes all muscle and blood vessels in the lower body.  I think his reasoning is that it improves the evaluation of the penis and helps with the procedure.  

[Stepone]

I assume mine was regular anesthesia as I was told I would be taken into another room and that's all I remember. I had no problems with the anesthesia.
StepOne  

[Hawk]

I know the idea of an implant with only a spinal seems like it makes someone want to scream, but this is my experience.

1.  Your body is not numb from the waist down.  It is DEAD from the waist down.  No tingling, no feeling of pressure.  It is NOT like with Novacane at the dentist, NOTHING!  I am certain you could saw your own leg off with a chainsaw and feel NOTHING.

2.  You see nothing because even though I would have watched (I think I could have disassociated that from being my penis), they put about a 10"-12" high wall made from a surgical sheet between my lower abdomen and penis.  I could see everything except the action and as I said, there was no sense they were touching me.

3.  With Dr. Eid, I had a good-humored OR staff that were fun and upbeat.  I found it fascinating.

4.  They had an IV in me with general anesthesiologist ready to go.  The Anesthesiologist warned me, "If you talk too much or if I feel you are distracting Dr. Eid from his work, I will knock you out without warning and without asking Dr. Eid because I am in charge of anesthesia.  He also told me that there is always an IV inserted with general anesthesia on standby during a spinal because the surgery could last longer than the one-time spinal shot, and they automatically administer general anesthesia.  A spinal does last for hours, however, so it would never run out for penile implant surgery which with Dr, Eid lasted 40 minutes counting prep time.

5.  I was totally alert and clear-headed when it was over.  No crappy groggy feeling, and Dr. Eid asked if I wanted to see the finished product.  He took down the sheet and showed me my penis fully inflated.  I was shocked that it looked totally trauma-free at that point.  It was motivating. He wrapped me up and we were done.

6.  It takes many hours for that spinal anesthesia to clear your lower body, so it is a GREAT pain med for four hours after your release from the recovery area, whether you ride home in a car or go to a local hotel.  Zero pain for hours after release.

7.  You do still have a couple of hours in recovery because they will not release you until you can walk on your own.  You think you can, but you cannot sense your feet or leg position, so you cannot balance.