Question:
Has anyone had to intubated, while AWAKE, using a FIBER OPTIC instrument?

Please either post your answers here or e mail me. Please describe how it was done exactly, how you felt,if any sedatives were given to you first, how awake were you? Did it hurt your throat much? I have to have this done and I'm scared...please be truthful. (no sugarcoating! LOL) I know this won't be pleasent, but I want to be mentally prepared for this. I had a bad experience 3 weeks ago when they couldn't intubate me and injured my throat. They tried 3X the regular way and had to postpone until my throat heals. My new date is 12/18/01. Thanks to you all!    — Karen B. (posted on December 6, 2001)

December 6, 2001
Yes, I had to be incubated while I was awake for the bypass surgery. I will try and tell you what I experienced... The anesthesiologist came in and told me I would have to be incubated due to a high amount of acids in my stomach. He was afraid that if they didn't, the acid would leak back up into my lungs and if that happened I could get pneumonia and die. This scared the "crap" out of me and so I consented to the incubation. Before I went to the operating room, they gave me some meds by mouth to help cut down the acid then they gave me some kind of a med in my IV to also help neutralize the acid. I told them I was very scared and they gave me some anti-anxiety meds in my IV as well as something to make me very groggy. I suspect it was something along the lines of valium. By the time I got into the operating room, I was feeling very foggy and disconnected. I was there and yet I wasn't. I could hear and respond to the anesthesiologist, yet it was like I was answering from somewhere beyond... I remember him telling me to open my mouth real wide (I think they were putting the scope/tube into position to go down the throat although I couldn't hold my eyes open to see what they were doing) then he told me he was going to give me an injection into my trachea which would make me cough. I felt a slight pinch and then I started coughing, coughing, coughing. I remember starting to panic as I thought something was going wrong, but I could hear the anesthesiologist saying "you are doing great... the coughing is normal... keep coughing Kellie... everything is allright..." then I was out. I don't remember the tube going down or anything else. I had to go back in for another surgery 6 weeks post op from the bypass and was lucky enough to get the same anesthesiologist. He said he remembered me and wanted to know what I really thought of being incubated and I told him it really wasn't that bad. The worst thing was being scared and not knowing what to expect. Luckily they didn't have to incubate me while I was awake for the second surgery, but in all honesty, I wouldn't be afraid to do it again. If you get really nervous, just ask for the anti-anxiety meds and tell them you definately want some meds to make you semi-conscious... like valium. Take care and good luck! Please feel free to e-mail me if you would like to ask something else or if I forgotten to answer a question you had. Also, I would love to hear from you after you have had the surgery to see what your thoughts on being incubated were.
   — Kellie Jo B.

December 6, 2001
i had to be intubated recently while 'awake' too. i was quite frightened because i too, had previously had a very bad experience where i was put out & then had to be woken up to be intubated. i am sure it was the same experience u had recently. anyway...my recent experience was no where near the last one. i told the anestethist what happened & he promised me that altho i would be 'awake' to help him i would not remember anything about it. they gave me an anti anxiety drug thru the iv & believe it or not thats the last thing i remember! lol. & he swore i was awake thru the whole intubation process. when i have my wls on the 18th i am going to be sure to tell my anestethist that i expect the same thing this time. it really doesnt frighten me to be awake for intubation this time. it seems i have a short narrow throat (polite for short & fat? lol).
   — sheryl titone

December 6, 2001
WOW was I SCARED when they told me this in the pre op area. But it wasnt that bad. For the rest of you this isnt normal but I had a very small airway. We MOs are fat on the inside as well as the outside. My Bi pap pressure was 17! Anyway they had me suck on tongue depressors with a horrid tasting paste on them to anestize my mouth and throat. YUK, Once it started numbing me I had some minor problem breathing, they said not to worry. They laid me down on the OR table and held me down on my shoulders. Gave me a injection in my throat, it hurt some. I wondered if they were giving me a trache and hadnt told me. I felt pressure and someone sid its in he is outtt... Next thing I knew I woke up in recovery, honestly shocked I had survived. I NEVER expected to survive surgery.... It TRULY wasnt that bad, Good thing is it shouldnt be necessary again, with all the weight loss my airway is bigger. I asked my surgeon later and he said they gave me a hit of the happy drugs just before intubation. I was aware, but more curious than scared once the drug hit. I am certain they knew this would be necessary before surgery but am REALLY glad they didnt tell me in advance. I would of imagined it 100 times worse than it was. If they knocked me out before intubation and couldnt get the tube in FAST I could of died. This unppleasant stuff is done for our safety. I will add that 3 years ago I had knee surgery and had a TERRIBLE time in recovery, sick as a dog, poor breathing, panic attack, you name it and it was me. After WLS NO problems at all! The docs knew what my problems were and worked hard to see they didnt reoccur.
   — bob-haller

December 7, 2001
When I was in pre-op they told me I was going to be awake when they intubated me, but I wouldn't care, notice or remember because of the "happy juice" they were going to give me. It went like this. They put my IV in and gave me Vercet (sp) told me I would be out of it in a few. I hugged my Mom and said goodbye, then was rolled out of the pre-op area and down the hall... or maybe into an elevator (see, I really didn't notice! :) and into OR. I remember seeing the OR lights, which weren't on yet, and that's it. When I woke up in recovery it was in my mouth, Someone told me to let it breathe for me, and the next time I woke up it was gone. I asked afterwards was I really awake and they said yes, that I coughed and gagged and everything, but no one ever remembers it. Weird... eh?
   — Deborah W.