Does the body still register pain even if the patient is under? Does the body still react to being cut open? I am honestly not sure how to ask this, but it's for one of my stories. I wanna know if my MC is under, does her body still transmit pain signals to the brain? Also, this is a modern story. I want a modern baseline for this book. Thanks, Gravy
I understand what you're saying. But what I mean to ask is: while the patient is under and doesn't feel anything, does the body itself react to being cut open? Do pain signals still work, even if the patient has no idea what's going on?
If it did, all sorts of things would be happening to you, such as your blood pressure going through the roof, which would make surgery extremely dangerous. I could, of course, be wrong. However, when I had my leg amputated, I was conscious for it, and my blood pressure never rose. I assume being under is a whole-body version of that.
I've done anesthesia for 20 years, so I can tell you that the nerve fibers sense the pain and the info gets transmitted to the brain, which interprets it and generates a blood pressure and heart rate increase, but the patient has no memory formation of it and there's no associated emotional response such as fear, sadness, etc. When the anesthesia provider sees the increase in HR, etc., they usually interpret that as a sign of underlying discomfort and dose pain medicine accordingly. But no, it's not like transmission of the signals from the pain receptors stops. Hope that helps. Td-
This is exactly what I was looking for. I did some research before posting and wanted to maybe get a response from an Anesthesiologist. So, when blood pressure rises, more medicine is given? So, even though the patient is under, the tech is concerned with minimizing the body response? Is that correct? Because I have a story that I posted a question about awhile ago where two characters have shared pain. (Think like I hit my toe, but you feel it.) So, I was wondering if one of the 2 ended up having surgery, would the other feel it? Or not? Because on the one hand, the conscious mind is shut down, but the body is still transmitting signals. For the sake of the story, the pain that's transferred is most likely also unconscious pain. Would these characters feel anything in surgery?
When we do general anesthesia, we have to achieve several goals. In no particular order, we need: 1) sedation (be asleep), 2) amnesia, 3) analgesia, and 4) muscle relaxation (paralysis, won't move during surgery). Any of the 4 of those fails, and it's a substandard anesthetic. Some people have severe coronary artery disease and risk having an MI if pain not treated and vital signs allowed to sail out of whack during a case, so we're very careful to treat accordingly. If your two characters are linked, assuming the sedation portion of the medications, the amnestic properties, and the paralytic didn't convey, they might feel things here and there when bumps of pain meds are needed, but it wouldn't be like they'd be screaming at the top of their lungs from the pain. However, it might be unsettling af to have someone manipulating your intestines, etc.
To be true to the logic of your story, wouldn't the character undergoing surgery need to capture the other, anaesthetize that one, thereby allowing character go through the surgery while fully awake? Morphine in recovery? No need, wait til that other sucker wakes up! While that may not be helpful, I'm just here to canvass interest in establishing a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to @Gravy's characters!
Thank you for all this information. So, this is all wonderful to learn. I am curious what an 'MI' is, but is it possible to be unable to sedate someone? Because that's another thing I have been playing with for the story. May not make the final cut, though. And yeah, since they are linked, having the analgesic work is the most important. I honestly don't know if they could feel someone moving intestines around. Because the more I write, the more I realize that it's just pain that transfers. So, if 1 is unable to feel any from the medication, then it wouldn't be felt by the other. But here's a complication: Because of complicated lore, the two can only feel each other's pain. They can't feel their OWN pain. (I am playing with this, too in it's own way.) But I am sure that any medical professional wouldn't skip analgesic, just because the patient is insistent he won't feel anything.
Um, I am not sure quite what you're explaining. But now that I thought it over, I do get it. Character A would be going through surgery. Character B would feel it. And by all logic, yes. It would work that way. I am glad you understand. Because it's SO FUN once you get it. "I'm just here to canvass interest in establishing a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to @Gravy's characters!" This made me laugh so hard. (I love this by the way) You poor summer child. I have done SO much worse to my characters. (I appreciate the campaign.)
