Re: CHAT: Elective surgery (was: Interbeing)

Am 27.02.02, Lars Henrik Mathiesen yscrifef:

> > Date:         Wed, 27 Feb 2002 16:43:29 -0500
> > From: Padraic Brown <agricola@...>
> >
> > Am 27.02.02, Kala Tunu yscrifef:
> > >[Attribution lost]:
> > >> And tomorrow, a lengthier opus on "Circumcision". Fear not, o
> > >> squeamish ones; it's not a medical treatise, [...]
>
> > > ouch. i don't want to read this. does anyone here whitness whether
> > > it really hurts when you're an adult?
>
> > If I have any say in the matter, the anesthetist _will_ make sure
> > the man is dead to the world for the duration. In answer to your
> > question, yes, it hurts like bloody hell. Suture needles, knives,
> > electrocautery, scissors, clamps, little tweezers with teeth, and
> > a few other friendly looking instruments of torture all play a
> > vital part.
>
> Circumcision in adults is an elective procedure, usually cosmetic or
> to alleviate functional problems.
Which is why I said "without PDG medical reason"! [Except the
cosmetic; which in my opinion does _not_ constitute PDG.

> As a matter of sane medical risk
> management, it does not merit a general anesthetic, which has a risk
> of .1 to 1 percent of life threatening complications even in healthy
> young adults.
>
> Now meditate on how to do a local anesthetic of the affected part...
I'd like to say "go to hell!" ;) Probably the closest thing would
be an epidural. You wouldn't get a local anywheres near my
"affected parts" without me already being well and truly zonked.

> (The same goes for dental surgery. A general anesthetic should only be
> used if a local is strongly contraindicated. I'm told that general
> anesthetis is the standard procedure in the US. See above on sanity).
Depends on the service. My service (ophthamology and ENT) is
mostly MAC for the eyes and general for the throat etc. Most
of our work is on children, who you really can't operate on
with anything less than general. They just squirm around too
much. And to be honest, most adults aren't much better!
Otherwise, it's all microsurgery, and you really can't have
people moving about.

On the other hand, it's amazing how much we do _not_ under
general [hips and knees, hand and foot, etc.]

Padraic.
--
Gwerez dah, chee gwaz vaz, ha leal.