I had a colonoscopy a couple of years ago with just sedation and it was extremely painful, I never want that pain again, so the next one I have will be under general anaethetic. My pain threshold is quite high, but the pain of thios colonoscopy was worse than childbirth. Every one is different and it depends on their condition, I have had ulcerative colitis for 20 years and my colon is not in great shape, which would account for the pain during the procedure. For some people just having sedation may be ok.
Further to this post,I had the colonoscopy done in late October 2015,I had general anaesthetic(put out completely),and I must say it was such a improvement on the last one I had done with just sedation which was so painful.The great thing about having general anaesthetic is that you know when you wake up it will be all over with no pain at all. The recovery was fine and having someone collect you from the hospital is not such a big deal. I am so glad I had it done under general. I also was told by the consultant the reason my first colonoscopy was so painful. I had a full hystorectomy to treat ovarian cancer, and part of that surgery removed part of the bowel. He said that with this sort of surgery, the bowel will generally be replaced at an awkward angle for colonoscopy and endoscopy, which may explain why some people have little pain and some have a lot during colonocopy. You have a right to ask for general anaesthetic and I beleive it is wel worth any very small risks involved.
My Question is if colonoscopy is so uncomfortable why is it used compared to capsule colonoscopy or virtual colonoscopy ? Surely a less invasive and painless procedures
Actually, for most people it isn't uncomfortable. It's quick, painless and gives immediate results. This means that a good endoscopy service can see 2-3 people per hour, give them the results they need immediately, and either send them on their way reassured, or quickly refer them for more treatment. This is all makes it a cost effective way of diagnosing lower bowel problems.
Unfortunately, as with any medical procedure there will be some people who have a bad time, and inevitably they're the ones we hear most about. The large number of people who have uneventful colonoscopies are normally silent afterwards.
I agree with Telemando - I've lost count of the number of endoscopies I've had and only once has it been any worse than unpleasant. My first one was 30 years ago and the tubes then were far thicker than they are these days.
I know some people have terrible experiences, but thankfully most people don't.
I agree with Telemando - I've lost count of the number of endoscopies I've had and only once has it been any worse than unpleasant. My first one was 30 years ago and the tubes then were far thicker than they are these days.
I know some people have terrible experiences, but thankfully most people don't.
