I completely get that sometimes general anesthesia is absolutely needed but if you can avoid I support this 100%!
http://www.star2.com/health/wellness/2016/03/26/being-awake-during-surgery-could-help-you-heal-better/
do you agree?
I request conscious sedation whenever possible as I tend to have a LOT of nausea from general anesthesia. A lot depends on how comfortable and confident the doc performing the procedure/operation is, IMHO. For my lung health, my docs generally do prefer conscious sedation as well. I have a very high pain threshold as well and don’t get grossed out and can remain still.
I had a bronchoscope and breast lump biopsy via conscious sedation and had a very rapid and uneventful recovery. The recovery room was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was asking for food and beverages.
I wanted my colonoscopy with conscious sedation but believe the GI vetoed it and I believe I got general anesthesia with an anti-nausea IV. I really dislike how groggy I feel after general anesthesia and how long the feeling persists.
No thanks. I want to be knocked out whenever possible. I’m willing to take the extra risks.
For those who can stomach it though, I say go for it. More power to 'em!
I was awake for hernia surgery. I much preferred that to the possibilities of what could go wrong with a general.
I had my hysterectomy with an epidural. NBD. But I need general for a colonoscopy because of all the scar tissue.
The anesthesiologist for my colonoscopy claimed i got conscious sedation (using propafal…oh that isn’t spelled correctly). But really I was totally out!
Now, when I had my wisdom teeth pulled recently, I had novacaine and nitrous oxide, and I was totally awake the whole time…but didn’t feel a thing.
For my eye surgery, I had a a small dose of propafal while they gave me a local anesthetic. Then I was awake…with something to “relax me” via IV.
In all cases…I walked in and out of the procedures with ease. No grogginess at all. And then went out to lunch.
Yea, when the surgeon and anesthesiologist don’t want you to remember, I think they just increase your dose of sedation and you really can’t recall much. I was VERY tired and loopy when I had my colonoscopy–I don’t like feeling that way.
I disagree @HImom
If the anesthesiologist knows you are comfortable in a surgery setting they will recommend the lest sedation possible. There is less risk for them as a physician.
I really don’t know @MaterS. All I do know is that I have gotten different amounts of sedation with very different effects.
I think Versed is the drug of choice for conscious sedation when they don’t want you to remember anything from the procedure. I’ve had it a number of times, and do not remember a single thing, but the doctor tells me I was able to respond to them when they asked me to cooperate. I think you lose your ability to form new memories when it’s in your system and has a relatively short half-life.
I didn’t have the don’t-remember drugs. I clearly recall the anethesiologist (a woman) chatting with the rest of the surgical team and telling them about going duck hunting.
That’s what I had! Versed!
I’ve had Versed and remember chatting with the surgeon and anesthesiologist about the upcoming HS reunion of the surgeon and other topics. Also remember being wheeled out and how surprised the staff was that I was so alert and hungry and thirsty. The amount of Versed you get seems to affect how much is remembered.
I had lidocaine and Versed for my bronchoscopy and remember it all very well also, including being able to see the video screen of the scope in my lungs and being splashed with saline. Was very hungry and thirsty when they were done.
Hmm. A pattern–always hungry and thirst because we have to fast prior to the procedure/surgery. ;
I have had it for below the waist procedures and it went fine. No pain due to the spinal and some Versed/Profanol (sp) to stay calm. The article is about using for heart surgery! DK how I feel about that.
I don’t know why he said that. Propofol actually is considered a general anesthesia agent. It doesn’t put you as deep as “typical” general anesthesia, which renders you incapable of maintaining your own airway (thus while you are in surgery, you are on a ventilator). But given in proper doses, you will not “wake up” during the procedure.
As an RN, I can give conscious sedation via IV. I cannot give propofol, which requires an anesthesiologist (MD) or nurse anesthetist (CRNA). Clearly there is a major difference between propofol and typical IV sedation.
For those of you who are waking up from colonoscopy feeling loopy, queasy, sedated, and lethargic, they have likely given you something in addition to the propofol, such as versed, demerol, or fentanyl. You CAN request that they only use propofol, which has a very short half life and doesn’t result in near as much post procedure sedation or nausea. Your provider may have a legitimate concern about using only propofol, but this is done in my facility by some of the providers, and I haven’t heard any patients complaining about waking up during the procedure. It may be that propofol only requires more finesse on the part of the provider, but I’ve certainly seen it used to good effect.
Perhaps @wis75 can weigh in on this. She is an anesthesiologist and can certainly clear up any mis-statements I’ve made. But our providers do tell patients that propofol given in correct doses functions as a general anesthesia.
I can’t think about propofol without thinking about Michael Jackson 
I call it Michael Jackson drug when I have trouble remembering the name. I had that during colonoscopy. It felt great when I work up. Didn’t feel a thing and it felt like I just had a wonderful deep sleep. I could see why anyone would want it if they have insomnia.
Yes, MJ gave propofol a bad rap.
When I first heard about the whole MJ debacle, I could NOT BELIEVE his doc had been administering propofol in a home environment. As details spilled out, it got even more unbelievable.
I never understood why the doc didn’t take a plea deal. In order to argue what he did was reasonable, he would have needed expert witnesses to validate his actions. There are NO expert anesthesia providers who would ever argue that his actions were anything but criminally and medically negligent.
I disagree that surgeons will listen to you if you want less anesthesia. I’d had a couple of breast biopsies under local.and thought that was just fine, then I got a surgeon who absolutely refused to do what I’d done before. For what it’s worth, he was also the only one who left an invisible scar. So perhaps I shouldn’t complain!
There are some seriously scary articles about anesthesia in Scientific American that have appeared in the last couple of years.
I have been awake for my 3 C-sections , but out for endoscopies , colonoscopy and gall bladder removal. I wouldn’t want to be awake , except for the C-sections. I only wish they would have told me that I would feel things moving around , which kind of freaked me out the first time …no pain , but it worried me at the time.