Local Anesthesia

[Rachel]

I have VFS Monday (really scared) and I will be having local anesthesia. I intend on driving there and back. I could take UBER but I would prefer to drive. It is a 30 minute drive there and I need to be there at 6 AM. Has anyone had a local and drove afterwards?

I am having a proceedure called cricothyroid subluxation. The thyroid cartledge outer is shaved and the cricoid inner cartledge is shaved and the thyroid is placed behind the cricoid and affixed. The two cartledges fuse. It is not a common proceedure and I am 55. If the cartledges are too calcified then I will be having a CTA as currently planned. I would much rather have a glottoplasty as a plan B and will state such to the doctor Monday.

Questions
Can you drive after a local? I hate asking my sister. My daughter is just up the street and does clinicals at the hospital but I would never ask her. She will not be seen with me, especially there.

Have you heard of a CTA failing after a year? I have head the failure percentage is relatively high. I do not know and am wondering what people here know.

If you are going to have a 2 inch incision in your neck anyway would plan B be a CTA or glottoplasty; which would you opt for and why?

Thank you.

Any help or comments would be appreciated.

[Dena]

You probable could drive after a local but I would advise against it. My nose was done with local but they knocked me out while they numbed me. Should the decision be made for a VFS, you will be knocked out and may need a hospital stay if you are unable to go home. It's also possible with the stress of the surgery, it may not be wise to drive for a while after surgery. I think a cab or UBER would be a wise decision.

As for CTA, I have heard of a few failures as the result of the tie failing but otherwise the surgery seems to be reliable. It's more difficult learning to speak after CTA than VFS and i preferred not to have it because it limits your range. I may never sing but I wanted to leave my options open.