If you get a spinal you will be paralyzed for at least 6 hours. If you get the general anast. You will probably go home very soon after waking up.

Thanks everybody for your input.I am wondering why they don't do a simple IV, I will ask my doc the next time I have an appointment. I still have time to find out more about the procedure and decide. I was also told that I would have a catheter and two bags, a smaller one for the daytime and a bigger one for the night. Then a nurse comes to my home to take it out after several days.

For my $$$ a general is simply better than a spinal. Besides, I don't want to be awake as they are probing there. I have been knocked out 5 times in the past 8 years and each time they seem to be doing a better job calibrating. FWIW

Maybe some facilities are more sensitive to the effects of anesthesia since the widely publicized Joan Rivers death. I was not asked to make that decision but my TURBT was now 5 years ago.

Given the choice between general anesthesia or a spinal block, I would opt for the anesthesia, but that's just me. I'm not a fan of needles. As far as the tube down your throat, you wouldn't know anything about the tube because they knock you out first by having you breath through a mask with sleepy gas in it. You'll be out almost before you can count to 10.

Edit: I'm not trying to advise you either way but just answering with the way I would go if I were having surgery. And, anesthesia didn't cause Joan's death, inattentive staff did.)

Best of luck with your TURBT...

Never heard of such choices being used. Usually it is an IV med that is short acting. Same as might be used for GI studies.

SA

I got a date for my first TURB, end of January. The uro said that I can choose the general anesthesia with a tube in my throat or a spinal needle that causes freezing from the waist down. I guess in this case I will not sleep. Which one is better?