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Could I Ever Wake Up During a Tummy Tuck? I Did During My C-Section.

asked 8 months ago by GlowingAgain in tampa , florida
Latest answer by Alan Engler, MD
Question viewed 255 times
Tags: awake, c-section, risk

When I had my emergency C-section, I remember feeling a lot of pain, so they put me to sleep and I remember waking up during the middle of the C- section. They told me they couldn't give me anymore anesthesia, because it would be fatal amount. I always wondered why I woke up. And does this mean that I might wake up during a tummy tuck procedure?

12 answers to Could I Ever Wake Up During a Tummy Tuck? I Did During My C-Section.

General anesthesia and tummy tuck surgery

I believe that the best type of anesthesia for abdominoplasty( tummy tuck) would be to have general anesthesia, and I must admit that I have never had a patient wake up during a general anesthetic experience. Once the surgery is completed the patient is then brought to the Recovery Room still sleepy, and once there the patients will usually wake up fully. This is the sequence for all of the general anesthesia operations that I have been involved with in my Plastic Surgical... more

Francis (Frank) William Rieger, MD
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

Waking Up During My Tummy Tuck

Dear Ready4newme84, Thank you for your question. The type of anesthesia usually given during a c-section is very different than what you would receive for an abdominoplasty(tummy tuck). With a c-section, there are two patients they have to be thinking about; you and your baby. Usually during an emergency c-section, the anesthesiologist will use an epidural anesthetic supplemented with some IV-sedation. It is not uncommon for the IV medication to wear off before... more

Herluf G. Lund, Jr, MD
Saint Louis Plastic Surgeon

www.stlcosmeticsurgery.com

Tummy Tuck - Could I Ever Wake Up During a Tummy Tuck? I Did During My C-Section.

Yes - but it's very unlikely. You cannot reasonably compare an emergency C-section with an elective, planned tummy tuck. From almost any standpoint; and certainly anesthesia. During a C-Section you have not been fully prepared for the surgery, and there is the health of your child to take into consideration. During a tummy tuck, though, your anesthesiologist has every opportunity to take his or her time and make sure that you're sedated appropriately, or... more

Alan Engler, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Awakening during anesthesia is uncommon.

C-sections are often performed under a different type of anesthesia, commonly an epidural with some IV sedation. For a tummy tuck, you are likely to be under a true general anesthesia. It is very uncommon to "wake up" during a general anesthetic. If you have concerns, why not meet with the anesthesiologist prior to your surgery? This is the best way to calm your anxiety about surgery and allows them to walk you through what will happen.

David Bogue, MD
Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

Waking up during surgery

The chances of waking up during surgery are extremely rare when the surgery is performed under general anesthesia. This is completely different from sedation where you are asleep, but how deep you are may vary. Many C-sections are done under sedation and it is possible to be aware of what is going on. On the other hand if your surgeon is going to do your abdominoplasty under general anesthesia (which is most often the preferred way to do it) you should be fine and have no chance of waking up... more

Navinderdeep S. Nijher, MD
Ocala Plastic Surgeon

ocalaplasticsurgery.com

Concerns about waking up during anesthesia

There is always the theoretical risk that you could "wake up" (have awareness) during a tummy tuck but this would be exceedingly rare when performed under general anesthesia with the monitoring devices that we have now and when under the care of a competent anesthesiologist. The reality is that awareness during surgery virtually never happens. The anesthsia administered for a C-section is far different than that for an elective tummy tuck including the issue of having to deal... more

Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

Tummy Tucks Are Done Under General Anesthesia Not Sedation

The difference in anesthesia between a c-section and a tummy tuck is that one is done with an epidural and sedation (c-section) and the other is done under general anesthesia. (tummy tuck) It is common to periodically emerge from a sedation anesthetic but that will not happen during a general anesthetic.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com

Could I Ever Wake Up During a Tummy Tuck?

This is a topic that is continuously fanned by the media when their ratings go down. So let's discuss it. The word ANESTHESIA literally means the absence of sensation. But the field encompasses many different ways to make a patient comfortable while we inflict a considerable amount of pain to the body to deliver a baby, remove cancer, correct a deformity and - yes - make it more attractive. During C-section, most women have a spinal to block out pain from the lower tummy and a... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Aware under anesthesia during tummy tuck

Being aware or uncomfortable under general anesthesia during tummy tuck is certainly a rare event. There is a perception in the media that this is a risk frequently encountered. Proper anesthesia is not fatal and if administered with skill and attention you should not have to worry about being aware during your procedure. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Could I wake up during a tummy tuck?

If you have general anesthesia for your tummy tuck, it is exceedingly unlikely that you will "wake up" during surgery. Giving birth and having anesthesia for a c-section is very different from an elective surgery where there is no concern for a baby, and different methods of anesthesia were likely used. Be sure to talk with your anesthesiologist about your concerns before surgery.

Michelle Spring, MD
Marina Del Rey Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck and anesthesia concerns

Thank you the question. Assuming you're working with a well experienced board-certified anesthesiologist and plastic surgeon the chances of you “waking up” during your surgery is close to zero. This is a different situation than delivery, which may have been done using a regional anesthesia (epidural or spinal). Best wishes as you plan your tummy tuck procedure.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

Waking up during surgery

If you had an epidural with your cesarean section, they actually did not 'put you to sleep.' Rather they gave you IV medication to sedate you and it is not uncommon you that to wear off and allow you to wake up and be aware of your surroundings. With general anesthesia, which is what is normally used for a tummy tuck, it is extremely unusual to wake up during surgery. Discuss your experience with your anesthesiologist before your surgery and I'm sure they will... more