More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory

Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by andrewclunn on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @04:39PM (#10976315)

Anecdotally, I am aware that many in my family who developed alzheimer's (it runs on both side of my family) has surgery a few years before the disease started to present itself. Though the likelihood of there being much of a connection seems far fetched, even with this latest evidence, I have suddenly become much more concerned about going under the knife until this is all worked out. The grafts I get, but that proteins lingering on equipment, which isn't ordinarily removed through standard sterilization, could be a means of transmission... scary.

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by SixSigma on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @04:47PM (#10976386)

The long term effects of surgery are just coming to light. While, obviously, it is better to have an operation than die, it seems that you don't recover as quickly as your meat heals.

Anecdotal I know but I believe it took me 10 years to get over my bowel resection.

And then there's the anesthesia : http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hidden-dangers-of-...

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by nommm-nommm on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @04:58PM (#10976452)

The anesthesia is scary - my grandpa-in-law was never the same after he had surgery. He went in totally lucid and came out of surgury totally out of it with dementia-like symptoms. It was permanent and it made him have to go into a home. He didn't even know who I was anymore. The surgery itself was routine and very uneventful but the difference in mental function pre and post op were as dramatic as night and day - and permanent.

I mentioned it to my doctor in casual conversation and she says she has seen that happen before when older people have surgery, especially those in not so great health. The article says "researchers hit on two other factors that increased the chances a patient would become dramatically confused after an operation: being older than about 70." He was about 80.

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by mgpc on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @07:20PM (#10977324)

The same thing happened to my grandmother. She went in for a minor hernia operation, and came out a different person. She never recovered. It was very dramatic and very sad.

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by jowiar on Wednesday January 27, 2016 @04:14AM (#10979065)

Same thing happened to my grandfather as well -- late 70s, was put under to have a small bladder tumor removed, came out of the anesthesia delirious, and was in a nursing home for the rest of his life.

Scary, and terrible.

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by scott_s on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @06:41PM (#10977147)

I wonder if he had a stroke while under anesthesia - but maybe they would have seen that?

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by elfyhat on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @05:38PM (#10976782)

Wow, thanks for that link about anesthesia! I never thought to look into anesthesia being the culprit of what I'm about to relate..

5 years ago I underwent major surgery after an incident. I remember one day being fine and normal and then my next memories are of me slowly becoming self-aware, conscious & lucid again in a hospital bed over the course of somewhere between 15-30 days (I'm not sure I can pin-point a specific time I became fully aware of where I was and what had happened).

The period of time in between my surgery and when I was fully awake was without a doubt the most terrifying experience of my life. Mentally, I was in a nightmare state for what felt like a large extent of the time that I was 'out of it.' I still have memories and images in my mind today of the dreams I experienced falling in and out of consciousness while slowly 'waking' up over a month.

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by Outdoorsman on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @06:04PM (#10976946)

I have a distant in-law, cousin of my wife, who is a doctor of anesthesiology at a fairly prominent regional hospital...

He often says that he wishes he had gone into another specialty because of the uncertainties inherent in anesthetizing someone even when they're healthy and the most soundly tested protocols are rigidly followed...

He recently underwent a surgery to remove a deep dime-sized BCC (basal cell carcinoma)on his cheek near one eye...though the surgery took nearly 2 hours, primarily to minimize scarring, he adamantly refused everything but local anesthesia...

Elective surgery, with anesthesia, is not something to consider lightly..

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by mark-r on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @06:42PM (#10977149)

What about the stuff they give you for a colonoscopy? Those are highly recommended for adults of a certain age, it would be horrible if the complications from anesthesia outdid the known benefits.

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by SixSigma on Wednesday January 27, 2016 @01:30AM (#10978606)

I've had colonoscopy with and without meds. It's not so bad without.

Mind you, when I came round from my bowel resection (which was a 5 hour op) my pain relief wasn't working and I had to wait 6 hours for my doctor - that was a crazy ride - so I think my attitude to pain has changed.

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by ceejayoz on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @04:44PM (#10976357)

I'd be cautious about relying on anecdotal data here. This may be a bit like the "my kid got autism after vaccines" confirmation bias issue - as people get older, they're more likely to need surgical interventions.

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by mc32 on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @04:45PM (#10976360)

These cases involved brain tissues. So unless you're having brain surgery done, there are other more mundane complications to worry about.

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Re:More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory by Gibbon1 on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @05:23PM (#10976673)

Course there are prion diseases which can be spread by ingesting infected nervous system tissue. Kuru, Mad cow disease and scrapie come to mind.

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