I'm not sure how widely gas anesthesia (tube down your throat) is used these days, but perhaps someone else can comment on that. For both of my recent surgeries (knee two weeks ago, foot four years ago) I had anesthetic through the IV.  For the foot, it was propofol.  Don't know what they used for the knee, something similar I suspect.

I wasn't very clear when I said I went into theatre with my dad.

He was in as a patient rather than as an OS, he is deaf and the hospital let me come in to interpret for the surgeon as he was having a local anaesthetic, as I said it was an eye opener when seeing the surgeon working (he was having a mole removed from the ankle area) but in my situation of having a TTT I am not sure I would want to be awake, I suppose it depends on the procedure as to whether you would want to be aware of what is going on.

It was very interesting as I got to see it from another point of view, not being the patient for a change.

It gave me an understanding of what goes on in theatre and if anyone got the chance they should definetly do it. 

I did make sure they told me when there were any needles about though, but had no problem watching the actual incision, but not sure how I would be if it was my own leg.

Just what I did not want to hear on this thread using gas and mask these days and thought that they no longer use gas except for children and people who dont like needles. They may well use it in 3rd world countries but surprised that they are still doing it nowadays.

I will not go and have the scope if they used gas as I never want to experience that feeling of suffocation like I did as a kid twice and was screaming and crying just before they put mask over my face. I will make it clear to my anesthetist to put me to sleep with an injection into my hand.

Nick {2009}

That's an important note, that the previous poster brought up, talk the the anesthesiologist, make sure they know these things - if you're needle-phobic, if you're difficult to start an IV in, if you've got a high level of anxiety about procedures, if you're a post-anesthesia puker, etc. If you tell them these things, they can do something about them.

They can give you a shot of local anesthetic with a tiny needle before sticking you with the big IV needle, and that makes a big difference, let me tell ya, if you really get worked up over the needle sticks. Once they've got it going, they can medicate you for anxiety before the procedure, so you're not so fretful. They even pre-medicated me for the nausea issue, so I wouldn't puke waking up after the GA.

You can also ask if they're going to use a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) instead of an endotracheal tube (ET). The LMA doesn't leave you with a sore throat like the ET tube does. The difference is that the ET tube is passed down through the voicebox, and the LMA isn't, it's seated in the back of the throat past the tongue. You don't gag on it because of the anesthetic. At least if you know which airway they're using, you can be better prepared on what to expect for the sore throat department.