History Main / SkipTheAnesthetic

This can be TruthInTelevision. Modern general anesthesia both paralyzes the patient (to hold him still) and blocks pain, there are proven cases where [[AndIMustScream the mix was off and only the first effect occurred]]. Someone performing SelfSurgery will be limited to local anesthetics at best, and in a LifeOrLimbDecision situation there may not be any painkillers available.

** A very cruel example in the ''Series/CrisisOnEarthX'' crossover. The Earth-X Nazis have captured Kara and plan to use her as a donor for a heart transplant to save her dying EvilDoppelgänger (using [[KryptoniteFactor an artificial red sun emitor]] to make their skins vulnerables). While Overgirl is put under anethesia, Eobard Thawne ''intentionally'' keeps Kara awake as he's about to cut her open [[ForTheEvulz just to make her suffer.]]

** A very cruel example in the ''Series/CrisisOnEarthX'' crossover. The Earth-X Nazis have captured Kara and plan to use her as a donor for a heart transplant to save her dying EvilDopplegänger (using [[KryptoniteFactor an artificial red sun emitor]] to make their skins vulnerables). While Overgirl is put under anethesia, Eobard Thawne ''intentionally'' keeps Kara awake as he's about to cut her open [[ForTheEvulvz just to make her suffer.]]

* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Barry's SuperSpeed also increases his metabolism to the point that if he ''did'' use anesthetic [[ImmuneToDrugs it would burn right through him]] before finishing any kind of surgery.

* In ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', when they first met Ronon he revealed he had a tracking chip at the base of his brain stem that the Wraith used to track him down for sport. As he didn't trust the others, he insisted Dr. Beckett perform fairly intense surgery with him awake, sitting up and holding his gun. Subverts the norm as he passed out from the pain once the chip was removed.
* ''Series/StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds'': La'an declines the anaesthetic offered to her before having her epigenetics altered to disguise her, despite Chapel suggesting that the pain would be considerable. [[TheStoic Spock]], when he underwent a premature reversal of the process, described it as "excruciating".

* ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'': Adelle [=DeWitt=] at the end of "A Spy in the House of Love" when she's getting a gunshot wound stitched up by Dr Saunders. It's implied [[spoiler:she's punishing herself for trusting Laurence Dominic, who turned out to be an NSA mole.]]

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E8TheGunfighters The Gunfighters]]", the Doctor passes up the offer of anesthetic from Doc Holliday when having his tooth pulled. Of course, his options were a slug of whiskey or a rap on the noggin with a pistol.
* ''Series/NYPDBlue'': Andy, who is a recovering alcoholic, has prostate cancer. When they try to do a [=CAT=] scan on him he has a possible heart attack due to a reaction to the dye they inject him with and they take him to the [=ER=]. He is given morphine for the pain. He rejects it at first but is convinced that it's necessary in this case. Later, after he has surgery to remove his prostate, Andy is given a button to dose himself with painkillers. He keeps it "in reserve" again due to his addiction.
* ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'': In "Second Chance", Little Joe is shot with an arrow and the arrowhead needs to be cut out. When the doc offers him some booze before the operation, Little Joe declines the offer: "I don't need anything like that." He passes out during the procedure, but it still comes across very manly.
* In one episode of ''Series/NipTuck'', Christian's nose is broken by his latest paramour, requiring surgery to fix it, but is concerned that his partner Sean might botch the surgery. Christian requests that the doctors only give him topical anesthesia so that he can talk Sean through the procedure.

* ''Series/ThePunisher2017''. In the final episode, Billy Russo forces a BackAlleyDoctor to operate on him at gunpoint. As he refuses anaesthetic Russo passes out after the second bullet is removed, then wakes up to find the doctor has stolen all his money and left him to die in a garbage dumpster.
* In the 2020 miniseries ''Series/TheHead'', a doctor on an isolated Antarctic station is shot and has to do SelfSurgery with only a local anesthetic because she can't afford to be doped up.
* In the first episode of ''Series/StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds'', Nurse Chapel gives the away team a sedative before the [[WeWillNotUseStageMakeUpInTheFuture genetic alterations to let them pass for natives]]. La'an Noonien-Singh refuses the sedative, and when asked if she's sure, makes it clear that the only way she'll take it is if ordered to do so.
* In ''Series/{{Coupling}}'', Susan intends to have her baby naturally, but tells Steve to check if she changes her mind once it's happening. (She does.) Steve isn't sure he can be entrusted with this responsibility, because when Susan's in pain, his instinct is to do whatever he can to make it stop.

-->-- ''[[WebAnimation/TeamFortress2: Meet the Medic]]''

->'''Heavy:''' "Should I be awake for this?"
->'''Medic:''' "Heh, well, no."
-->-- '''[[WebAnimation/TeamFortress2 Meet The Medic]]'''

** Ork Painboyz also usually don't bother with sedating their "patients". If said patients are especially lucky, the "Dok" will give them a [[TapOnTheHead severe concussion]] with a [[DropTheHammer big mallet]], if only to stop them from struggling during delicate ([[MeatgrinderSurgery by Ork standards]]) surgery.

* {{''Series/Yellowstone''}}: John Dutton's ulcer ruptures in the middle of cattle insemination and the vet taking care of the cows can only perform RoadsideSurgery in her trailer. As the only sedatives in the trailer are livestock-strength and would kill him, she has to operate without any.

* In one episode of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', Turk is asked to perform surgery on a patient that is under hypnosis, because she doesn't believe anaesthesia is safe. Turk is reluctant, but eventually does it. It works... for the first half.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds'': La'an declines the anaesthetic offered to her before having her epigenetics altered to disguise her, despite Chapel suggesting that the pain would be considerable.
** [[TheStoic Spock]], when he underwent a premature reversal of the process, described it as "excruciating".

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'', "Kissed by Fire": as Qyburn prepares to operate on Jaime Lannister's [[spoiler:amputated stump]], he offers Milk of the Poppy to dull his pain, but Jaime turns him down. When it's pointed out that "there will be pain, Jaime simply says "I'll scream" - and when Qyburn rephrases it to "quite a bit of pain", Jaime replies "I'll scream loudly". In this case, Jaime justifiably doesn't trust [[MadDoctor the man]] working on him and wants to remain lucid to keep an eye on the situation.
* ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}''. Adelle [=DeWitt=] at the end of "A Spy in the House of Love" when she's getting a gunshot wound stitched up by Dr Saunders. It's implied [[spoiler:she's punishing herself for trusting Laurence Dominic, who turned out to be an NSA mole.]]

** Col. Flagg of the CID insists on going into surgery without anesthetic because if he's knocked out he might inadvertently talk, and nobody at the unit is cleared to hear any of the state secrets he might accidentally divulge.
** In another episode a Turk and a Greek soldier are both at the 4077th at the same time trying to out-stoic one another, refusing anesthetic after a fight at Rosie's bar.

* In one episode of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' Turk is asked to perform surgery on a patient that is under hypnosis, because she doesn't believe anaesthesia is safe. Turk is reluctant, but eventually does it. It works... for the first half.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "The Gunfighters", the Doctor passes up the offer of anesthetic from Doc Holliday when having his tooth pulled. Of course, his options were a slug of whiskey or a rap on the noggin with a pistol.

* ''Manga/GunslingerGirl''. Hilshire is wounded carrying out an assassination mission he should have assigned to his cyborg Triela. When Triela discovers this, she flees in tears as she's been [[{{Brainwashed}} conditioned]] to protect his life at all costs. Hilshire tracks her down and they return to their hotel room, where Triela [[WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut has to remove the bullet]] using a pocket knife and no anesthetic, because Hilshire is worried she'll try running away again. Hilshire passes out anyway from the pain and Triela does decide to walk out on him, but barely makes it out the door before having a LoveEpiphany.

* The invasive surgical procedures to create Space Marines in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' are generally done without anesthetic. Sometimes this is justified as due to issues with the geneseed, but other times it's seemingly just for sheer grimdarkness.

* In the "Dingos" episode of the ''Manga/BlackJack'' manga (later adapted as episode 28 of the anime series, "Wilderness Epidemic"), Black Jack performs SelfSurgery to excise parasites and infected tissue while he's being stalked by a pack of dingoes. Due to the situation, he could do no more than local anesthesia.

* Cyborgs in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' [[FeelNoPain have their pain receptors turned off]] in combat, but when Raiden acts as [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Jack the Ripper]], he forces them ''back on'' [[CombatSadomasochist because he likes the pain]].

* In the 2020 miniseries ''The Head'', a doctor has been shot and has to do SelfSurgery with only a local anaesthetic because she can't afford to be doped up.