Endoscopy

Hi, I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy yesterday. It was the second time I'd had an endoscopy, but it was a wholly different experience. I don't believe I had any effect from the sedation, and having had one previously, I know what I should feel like. There was littke acknowledgment  when I said I didn't feel the sedation, but they continued anyway. I felt like I was on a conveyor belt and that 'getting it done' was the priority. 
The different options were not discussed beyond "you're having sedation?" and the options were never explained to me. I wasn't offered gas and air through the colonoscopy, despite being clearly in a lot of pain. 
I have a considerable experience of having health care and invasive treatments for a number of years, and my pain tolerance is pretty good, but I found the experience unnecessarily distressing and wonder how much of my experience was "to be expected" and how much should have been dealt with differently. 

  • Hello and thanks for posting,

    I am sorry to hear that you had a recent negative experience when you had this procedure done in hospital.  It is obviously not possible for me to comment very specifically concerning this. You might want to consider giving some direct feedback about your experience. This could be done by writing to the head of the endoscopy department. Otherwise, maybe discussing it with the hospital PALS (patient advice and liason service).

    www.nhs.uk/.../

    Wishing you all the best,

    Vanda

  • I totally get you. I was told I'd get heavy sedation but to be honest I would have felt more effect drinking a glass of wine! An endoscopy is traumatic. I felt I'd been violated. It's a horrible procedure and I don't think consultants really think about how it affects patients emotionally.