Going Into Surgery Solo
Talka
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Registered User regular
I'm 24 years old and getting my wisdom teeth removed in a week. I'll be under general anesthesia. My oral surgeon was adamant I bring someone with me on the day of the surgery to 1) listen to any post-surgery instructions and 2) drive me home. I agreed on the spot without considering I don't have anyone who can do that:
Local anesthesia is apparently not an option, and I'd rather not delay the procedure.
- I don't really have friends in my city
- My roommate is abroad for the next three months and I'm living alone
- My parents are 800 miles away
- I'm reluctant to ask my coworkers for a variety of reasons. Mostly embarrassment ("why can't you ask a friend?"). Also, I've kept secret from my coworkers that I have lingual (behind-the-teeth) braces, and that secret would come out if one of them accompanied me for oral surgery.
Local anesthesia is apparently not an option, and I'd rather not delay the procedure.
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Ideally, one of his/her assistants might want to make some money on their day off, and you could pay them to sit/drive for you during the surgery.
Or fly your mom/dad in for a couple days and do some bonding.
Also, none of your co-workers care about your braces.
It is possible to endure the procedure with local anesthesia, BUT you would need someone with you anyway, you would be defenseless, in great pain, and there is the possibility you could panic in the middle of the surgery with very nasty results.
Perhaps you could just postpone the surgery.
This. I guarantee you no one cares; hidden braces just aren't high on the list of things an adult is likely to give a shit about or even a second thought to. So this concern is a little on the silly side.
It also happens that asking a coworker is probably your best option right now, so you may want to try that first. They don't have to tuck you into bed or hold your hand while your teeth are getting ripped out, all they have to do is get you safely from point A to point B and back. If they are going to have you under general probably no one is going to be allowed in the room anyway.
Definitely get someone to come with you. Not only is going alone potentially dangerous, there is also a possibility that they refuse to perform the surgery if there's nobody accompanying you. Ask a coworker. There's nothing to be embarrassed about (certainly not the braces). Just tell them that your friends and family don't happen to be available at that time, and ask if they could help you out. I have never been under general anesthesia, but I've accompanied my mom, and she was barely functional for the rest of the day. I'm not sure she could even have managed a cab drive home.
Your other option is to fly mom or dad in for a couple of days. That's what I'm doing when I have surgery later this year, flying my mom in for a couple of days.
It depends entirely on how bad the teeth are. If they are severely impacted, requiring serious amounts of cutting, they will use general. If they are just going to break them and pull them out, sometimes they won't.
Think a long night of drinking with an empty stomach.
You'll be dizzy, disoriented, possibly a bit nauseous. You definitely don't want to make the trek home alone.
Either bite the bullet and ask a coworker, or let the office know of the pickle you are in.
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I'd agree to the fly mom in for a few days if she can
And for hilarity's sake: David after the dentist
When I woke up, not only was I crying for absolutely no reason (I remember the doctor said that's common after general anesthesia), I was completely disoriented and goofy. When I tried to stand up ten minutes after waking up, I was wobbly and remember falling-leaning on the doorframe and giggling that I couldn't walk properly.
Absolutely get one of your coworkers to help you out. They will not care about your braces.
I promise you you'll want someone there to help you out. I had mine out years ago, but I looked and felt like I'd gone 10 rounds with Tyson for a week or so afterwards. And the blood... ugh.
Anyway, general will funk your stuff up. Probably for a good few hours. After that, if you're anything like me, you'll be popping percocets like tic-tacs anyway. But here's hoping you have a better experience than I did!
While this was... not pleasant, I survived and was able to walk to the drugstore afterward to pick up my medication, and then walk home.
Some dentists might not be comfortable attempting something like that, but if you really can't get a ride it's worth a shot.
Don't worry too much about it man. It's just one of those things. You shouldn't let the potential for minor embarrassment get in the way of your health and safety and all that.
Besides, assuming you don't work with complete jackasses, I'd say you really don't have anything to worry about. While it effects everyone differently, anyone who has been under general knows how weird it is to come out. Worry more about having enough apple sauce, mashed potatoes, and painkillers on hand!
* Oh and for what it's worth, I couldn't even begin to imagine having it done with local. Euuugggh... Even if the oral surgeon was paying me. God how awful!
First, wisdom teeth are not a big deal and I am betting (99% sure) you're not actually having general anesthesia. General anesthesia means you will be rendered unconscious and an artificial breathing tube placed in your trachea for the duration of the surgery. This also requires a ton of monitoring and a nurse anesthetist or an anesthesiologist. If this is being done in their office more likely it's sedation.
Anyway.
Second, you need a ride home because the anesthesia provider is liable for that trip home. Oddly enough, so are maternity nurses for the initial ride home from the baby (that's why hospital security is tasked for putting in the child's care seat), weird, huh?
Third, just ask a co-worker or call a cab, really not a big deal.
If you'd like more information on your anesthetic please PM me!
Technically correct. For the use of this thread, though, people have been meaning laughing gas for general anesthesia, even though that isn't what it means.
No he said "general anesthesia," and I know what those words mean and it's not laughing gas, so I've been assuming he's going to a hospital for a few hours and having it done outpatient because that's what general anesthesia is. I tend to assume people mean the words they use, though. I've known a lot of people to have their wisdom teeth out this way due to impacting or having them fail to come in enough to pull without it, so it doesn't seem like a strange thing to me.
After my procedure, I woke up (no strange "episodes" or behaviour) and had him drive me home. I slept in the car on the way home, about a 30 - 40 minute drive and when I got home I took two Vicoden, and slept on the couch for most of the rest of the day. The next day I was up and moving and totally self-sufficient. I didn't need anything beyond a couple of 200mg ibuprofen a couple times a day for the next few days. I was back at work after two days and by day 4 I didn't need any painkillers. The worst part for me was a week after the operation when I had to go back in for them to remove the packing. I was miserable and in more pain after that than I was from the actual act of having my teeth out.
But I'm sure you'll have a better experience, OP!
It's 50/50 that my dad is going to drive up to spend the weekend with me. That's my preference, at this point. Hearing everyone's stories has made me worry I've been underestimating the seriousness of the procedure (not in terms of risk or anything like that... just in terms of how non-functional I might be for a few days).
That is a person after their wisdom teeth were removed. I don't remember most of the day after I had mine removed. That said, I have had anesthesia several times and I always am always more out of it than would be expected so I may be overstating it.
So it might be awful, or it might not. Who knows.
When I was 19 I had two non-erupted teeth removed surgically and had general anesthesia (aka knocked out via IV). I was way fucking out of it when I woke up, but by the time I got home (~30 minutes later, mother drove me) I was mostly okay. I don't think it would be a big deal to have a cab drive you home. By the time you get there (especially if you sit at the office for a few minutes) you should be coherent enough to handle yourself. (Protip: have some jello premade and ready to go, I got nauseous when I got home and jello fixed me up.)
A few weeks ago I had my third and final (erupted) wisdom tooth removed as a simple extraction. Novocaine and tug tug out. No big deal. Drove home and went about my day.
I'd feel awkward as shit asking co-workers to take time off to babysit for me so I'd definitely try to go the cab route. Just explain to your dental office you'd like a few minutes to regain your senses before they summon a cab. You'll probably be chatty as fuck if you're anything like me/every youtube video of post-anesthesia people.
edit.. ps, just read the braces part, nobody will give half a shit. It's crazy that you even consider that.