It is completely safe and will only help you get better if the doctor has suggested you to get one. They found and removed 7 polyps and the surgeon was very confident that there were no signs of cancer. Had sedation and gas and air, so glad I had it done and feel proud of myself. Most patients are asleep. I am 59 and have never had a colonoscopy. Sedation is available and widely used. Propofol works quickly; most patients are unconscious within five minutes. Instead of putting the patient into a deep state of unconsciousness, IV sedation allows patients to experience an anxiety-free and pain-free upper endoscopy, without having to rely on machines for breathing support. A known family history of colorectal cancer only accounts for 20 percent of newly diagnosed cases.” Some people have a fear of general anaesthetic because of loss of control and or not understanding that with a general in these procedures you are only very lightly sedated. This is blog is here to assure people from North Carolina, and other parts of the world that there is no reason for anyone to fear this procedure. Vinegargal August 20, 2020 “2010 had a colonoscopy. But even that has improved in recent years. Not sure what anesthesia was used, but I had no issues other than sleepy afterwards. Propofol guarantees that you will go to sleep. “There is a misconception that a lack of a family history of colon cancer is a free pass to avoid colonoscopy,” says Dr. Irwin. However, it is less stressful and more comfortable for the vast majority of patients to utilize conscious sedation for a colonoscopy. Mild conscious sedation occurs through administration of either oral or intravenous medications. Thank you everyone For all your kind words and helping me get though it! It is impossible to not be adequately sedated with Propofol. If like me, your fear of being groggy and confused from anesthetics for even a few minutes or your fear of suffering long-term cognitive defects from anesthetic use way surpasses your fear of any degree of pain, then an anesthesia-free colonoscopy will most likely work for you too. It’s a simple procedure done under heavy sedation (you’re usually totally asleep, but not under general anesthetic). Aim: The aim of this research was to assess how the use of sedation during colonoscopy influences patient anxiety, fear, satisfaction, and acceptance of repeat examinations. atoff. “In fact, 75 percent of colorectal cancer arises sporadically, meaning no known family history. It is not meant to “knock you out.” Rather, it is to keep you comfortable throughout the procedure. In my previous post I have forgot to mention that at 22 years old when I had my second colonoscopy under sedation I had a pulmonary arrest. X . Let me just put that fear to rest: there is NOTHING about a colonoscopy that will hurt. You Will Be Sedated I have avoided it because I do not like to be put under and what they may tell me when I wake up ( if I do wake up) i know that is crazy thinking, but I dont want to put out. As for … NOTHING. The prep procedure is the same, but a virtual colonoscopy is done in an external CT scanner instead of with an internal scope, and is done without sedation. First, Let's Debunk the Fear of Anesthesia. Cleveland Clinic’s James Church, MD, has long devoted himself to making colonoscopy a gentle process, as free as possible from pain, fear and anxiety.Yet when a patient hears “horror stories” from the next-door neighbor or has had their own bad past experience, the odds are weighted against the desirable calm that makes a colonoscopy go most smoothly. You’ll be limited to only clear liquids for 24 hours before the procedure, and you’ll also have to take a laxative. Reply (2) Report. Hence, whilst the use of sedation and analgesia reduce the experience of pain during a colonoscopy, pain and discomfort are often identified as factors contributing to unwillingness to return for a repeat procedure, with associated increased anxiety prior to future examinations. I know it is important to have done and find anything before. There is a live video of a colonoscopy on YouTube (around 40-50 minutes long). You may feel fear, embarrassment, anger or a whole host of emotions when facing the recommendation by your doctor to have a colonoscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective case-control study quantifying the anxiety and fears of patients appointed for colonoscopy, comparing patients who had undergone previous colonoscopies with sedation (cases) … FRreedman in reply to Jeanniemargaret. According to a study published in the March 20, 2012, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the use of full anesthesia for colonoscopy procedures is adding $1.1 billion annually to medical costs. No fear now of colonoscopy Sales executive Michael Heng tells Joan Chew how he realised his fear of the test for colon cancer was unfounded . I remember praying to god inside me and asking not to die. Report. The nurses kept trying to talk me into letting them give me medicine. For many people, the rigorous prep required to thoroughly clean out the colon the night before the test has overshadowed the colonoscopy’s lifesaving impact, resulting in a third of adults 50 or older, the group most at risk of developing colorectal cancer, to not be screened. Reply (0) Report. In the cases where a patient does die during surgery, it's almost always from confounding medical factors (several things at play that created a "perfect storm"). They should offer you sedation and the use of gas and air so you won't be totally aware of the procedure being done. During a colonoscopy, the body would be handed over to an unfamiliar person, which felt uncomfortable and quite difficult for the adolescent to accept. While there are risks to the procedure (infection, bleeding, perforation, missed diagnoses, and incomplete procedure) they are rare and manageable compared to undiagnosed colon cancer. First of all, the majority of our patients elect to have IV sedation, which means you won’t even be awake or remember the procedure. AIM: The aim of this research was to assess how the use of sedation during colonoscopy influences patient anxiety, fear, satisfaction, and acceptance of repeat examinations. Side effects usually prove mild; however, some are serious and require medical … Joan Chew. This is often due to its sensitive nature, potential embarrassment, and misinformation. Egghead68 Mon 08-Jul-19 12:58:43. As we illustrated above, the likelihood of serious complication and death from anesthesia is very, very, VERY low. Fear of waking up in the middle of the investigation was also indicated as a problem. A colonoscopy typically takes 30 to 60 minutes, and the vast majority of procedures performed in the U.S. are performed under sedation. Of course, my monkey thoughts convinced me they were wrong and I had cancer. The routine colonoscopy has been one of the revolutionary screening methods that has been saving lives. I had the colonoscopy without sedation and for someone with the lowest pain threshold there is it was fine, uncomfortable but not painful, the gas and air worked for me. If it's something like Chron's or UC then it needs to be diagnosed and treated. Colonoscopy fear. Most emetophobics aren’t too worried about the procedure; they’re just terribly worried about the prep the day before. You'll be fine Op but please get it done. The colonoscopy went well. With the right information, that fear can be alleviated. Fear of Colonoscopy. That was very scary, my souvenirs are unclear but I remember people panicking (or acting very quickly around me) and having a strong fear of dying. However, the fear and anxiety of the procedure can sometimes deter patients from even getting it done. Intravenous Sedation: IV sedation or monitored anesthesia is routinely used for upper endoscopies and colonoscopies. Usually, it takes the form of two different medications, given into an intravenous line that has been inserted into the patient’s vein prior to the procedure. Recently I faced fear and pain when I went through a colonoscopy without sedation or anesthesia. If fear is keeping you from scheduling your colonoscopy, consider a virtual colonoscopy. deleted_user 11/09/2011. First experience with propofol and it was excellent. Jeanniemargaret • ... Part of my fear is the sedation I don't like to be put under but I'm hoping the sedation is mild... My last one was quite uncomfortable because I said I would like to watch it and it was painful or rather crampy so sedation would be a good thing but for some reason I fear that. This is clearly relevant to patients whose screening or surveillance entails multiple colonoscopies. I found the colonoscopy procedure pretty easy with virtually no sedation. Talk to your doctor: Many people fear that endoscopy-- specifically colonoscopy-- will hurt or that something bad will happen during it. My fear was wondering what had been growing in the last 55 years, I could have stage 4 cancer, etc. Areas of anxiety-related concern included bowel preparation, difficulties with the procedure (embarrassment, pain, possible complications, and sedation), and concerns about diagnosis; including fear of being diagnosed with cancer. I don't know or remember what they did to … With conscious sedation, the gastroenterologist administers the medications and has to monitor the patient’s vital signs in addition to focusing on the colonoscopy. The doctor said the pain level would be close to the pain of labor in child birth and that only one … G. S. Raju, M.D. Fighting the Colonoscopy Fear Factor is important to your health. The type of anesthesia typically used during a colonoscopy is conscious sedation. Add message | Report | See all. That is the next thing Kaiser wants me to have done. Published. Read on the 4 reasons why gi endoscopy is no threat to your system: 1. An unexplained death from general anesthesia is extremely rare. Conscious sedation uses sedatives and pain relievers to reduce pain sensations and anxiety during medical procedures 2. In colonoscopy with sedation, patients received anesthesia with intravenous propofol to achieve deep sedation or general anesthesia. Myth #3: I'm … Personally I don't have a fear – Im just of the school of thought that things like that are reserved for more serious crap, also another reason derived from a family members experience. Their doctors almost always recommend a colonoscopy. This colonoscopy anesthesia can be an expensive option if the anesthesiologist’s fee is not covered by your health insurance. discusses how to get over the fear of having a colonoscopy. But fair warning — there is going to be some degree of discomfort. Moderate sedation (also called conscious sedation) is a form of sedation involving an intravenous narcotic and intravenous sedative that your registered nurse will administer as prescribed by your provider. Bear in mind they insert air into your colon during the procedure, that could be the reason for the ongoing wind and bloating. At Yale Medicine, anesthesiologists caring for patients who want deep sedation for their colonoscopy typically use a drug called propofol. 2018 had outpatient surgery for a torn meniscus. Conscious Sedation The vast majority of anesthesia used for colonoscopy is conscious sedation. This is generally administered by the physician doing the colonoscopy. “It is a short-acting anesthetic that has the advantage of wearing off relatively quickly,” Dr. Rock explains. I have been diagnosed with Diviculitus at least now I know what I'm dealing with and get some treatment.