Postoperative Catastrophes with OSA Patients: Two Sad Accounts
would undoubtedly say that he had obtained this from them. The family says that, with the patient, operating room, and surgical staff all ready to proceed, the surgeon came to them with his change of plans. Yes, they had an alternative: to refuse the surgery on the patient’s behalf. Yet, think carefully what kind of self confidence and self-assertion that would require, to call a halt to everything at the last minute--or risk having an angry surgeon go in to operate on a loved one?
So, the family gave way to the surgeon’s last-minute about-face in plans - I would not want to go so far as to say that they freely and willingly consented.
To the patient’s surprise, when he awakened, he had undergone two procedures, not just the one he expected, but also the one for sleep apnea that he thought he had refused! The latter, incidentally, was responsible for the intense pain he suffered, despite narcotic analgesics, in those few last days of torment remaining to him.
Do you think this account improbable? Could the family have misrepresented what happened?
Maybe, but I doubt it. I believe those events probable, because I underwent yet another experience, bearing similarities to that second case, myself - only, I survived to tell the tale.
Many years ago, the first time I had any surgery, I had a prolonged, painful muscular reaction to the "muscle relaxant" used in most anesthesia. When I called the surgeon, he identified this as a well known, if uncommon, adverse reaction that a few unfortunates like myself might have to this routine medication. However, he assured me, if I only mentioned it to any surgeon or anesthesiologist I encountered in the future, that doctor would at once understand what happened, and use an alternative type of muscle relaxant.
It turned out just as he predicted, through three procedures I had later on, each one at a different hospital. Each time I forewarned the doctors, and there was no problem. I never even bothered to learn the name of the alternative muscle relaxant.
Then I encountered a less knowledgeable anesthesiologist, at a less prestigious--but conveniently nearby--hospital.
I never saw this doctor until minutes before the procedure, although I had tried to contact him by phone. Therefore, I had faxed - and mailed - an explanation of my problem, making it clear that I needed a
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