I'm scheduled for umbilical hernia surgery in 8 days after trying to get it done for two years. I have severe emphysema and I'm on 2 liters of oxygen 24/7. I read an article by an RN that said the long term survival rate of some copd patients was poor after undergoing anesthesia. My pulmonologist said that I'm a high risk subject for complications that include possibility of death but said I should have the surgery if it bothers me. The surgeon said the same. Being a VA patient I don't get any feedback from my pcp and these guys are not really straight with me. One minute they say complications are rare and the next they are stressing death or ventilator dependence. I'll be talking to the anesthesiologist tomorrow. Maybe he'll be better able to answer my questions. If the risks are high, I would rather live with the hernia than have it fixed for my funeral. Also if it's gonna take years off my life going under, Ill sew it up myself. I asked the surgeon if he could just use some whiskey and give me a bullet to bite on but my stomach has to be relaxed to cut and patch it. Any thoughts would be appreciated.