Colonoscopy under GA

[daisyjgrey]

I'm being booked in for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy and have been able to choose general anaesthetic for it.

Does anyone have any experience with how the recovery for this process works? How long you were kept in afterwards? General colonoscopy after effects?

Any info is very gratefully received.

Anyone?

Never heard of it under GA, only sedation.

It's because I have PTSD. I've not had a GA before so that combined with the procedures etc is making my brain work over drive, was hoping there was someone out there who'd had one under general.

Never heard of this under GA.
However there are plenty other day procedures that are done under GA.
Recovery depends on age,under lying conditions,general health

I assume this would be a day surgery so they do the colonoscopy and then put you into recovery for 15 mins odd and then an hour or two in for observations and then ship you out.

I had an op at the weekend and that was the case. Then I needed someone at home to watch me for 24 hours and then I've been signed off for two weeks to recover.

General is a scary thing in principal but I'm actually really happy with how it went.

After a GA you will need to be collected and ideally not be alone for the following 24 hours.
However lots of people can't manage this and they are fine.
You will be sleepy that evening.
As is such a short procedure you should be fine the next day
Good luck

@Cillmantain I hadn't heard of it either and I didn't ask but the conversation was more "I won't be able to do that" and then the Dr started to ask if certain things would help/enable the procedures to happen and that's where we got to. I can also be put under wearing my own clothes and won't have to wear a hospital gown at any point (odd, but it matters in my brain).

Thanks for the other info!

@AyyMacarena

Thanks for the info, hope you're feeling ok after your op.

Yes I'm assuming it's day surgery as I can't see a reason I'd have to be kept in so hopefully it will go as smoothly as you've described!

Colonoscopies are routinely done under a GA in some parts of Europe.

Day surgery....then recovery ward for however long you need (max an hour'ish usually).

Then sit around in a day lounge for another couple of hours...then talk to consultant...

If all OK sent home, if by car they usually demand somebody else does the driving and as I recall it they ask that you shouldn't be alone until the next day.

Personally zero after effects from the GA day after, usual note that the prep the day before is the worse bit.

[quote daisyjgrey]@Cillmantain I hadn't heard of it either and I didn't ask but the conversation was more "I won't be able to do that" and then the Dr started to ask if certain things would help/enable the procedures to happen and that's where we got to. I can also be put under wearing my own clothes and won't have to wear a hospital gown at any point (odd, but it matters in my brain).

Thanks for the other info![/quote]
It's good that they're making adjustments for you. I am pleased that they have been proactive about that for you.

Will the staff on the recovery day ward also be advised that you have additional needs in terms of the PTSD?

Have you confirmed that they will definitely re-dress you and you won't wake up in a gown? Explicitly? It's not just that they will undress you after the GA, they will definitely re-dress you too?

Don't post the answer because we don't need to know and it's private - but if you haven't already confirmed this then I would. Preferably in writing.

It would be awful if you were expecting to wake up still in your own clothes but instead woke up in a gown because somebody didn't realise that the waking up part is just as important as how you go under. (E.g. someone might assume that it was only undressing that you had a problem with but you would be ok to wake up already in a gown - whereas I can well imagine that would be very distressing for you.)

Have you agreed any kind of adjustments/support plan for the unlikely event that there is any kind of complication that means you need to stay in longer? For instance, if they need to keep you in a gown for any reason?

Communication about patient needs can be exceptionally shit in hospitals (i.e. non-existent), so it is best to get arrangements like this in writing and make sure you understand who is responsible for sharing information and doing handovers to ensure that your adjustments continue to be made throughout your time in the hospital and they don't just dump you without any handover after the procedure.

You will probably have a sore throat from the gastroscopy and a sore tummy for a few days from the colonoscopy (because they inflate your bowel to look at it, so you will have some degree of trapped wind). If either of those things are going to be triggering for you to wake up with, it is also worth discussing a plan with them if you will need support or any other adjustments. Or if there is anything you can take with you to help you cope.

The GA may also make you sick, but it affects everyone differently.

I hope it goes well for you.

@user1632477324668886543

You've raised some really good points, some which I hadn't thought about.

It's on my notes about the PTSD, he's the first Dr to have actively done this, but I will make sure that the recovery staff are aware before.

I'm taking my partner with me who is a really good advocate for me and I trust that he would make the right decisions if anything emergent happened, I will also take an extra set of clothes/a nightie with an easily opened neck just in case something goes wrong.

You're right in that waking up in a gown would be a problem, I hadn't thought of that and I naively thought that they may not need to fully undress me, rather just lower bits of clothing to access what they need so I will 100% double check that, thanks for bringing it up.

The Dr who I've been having phone appointments with is the person doing the procedure and has been really good throughout the whole process. He did say that me being upfront about the PTSD made it much simpler for him to make adjustments as he knows that it won't be the straight forward approach.

I'm very grateful there hasn't been a "keep calm and carry on" type of approach or any mention of "we've seen it all before, you don't need to be embarrassed" as that's neither helpful nor accurate!

My mum is sick after a GA and entonox makes me vomit so I was going to mention that and hopefully they'll be able to give me an anti sickness medication for when I come around.

Never had a GA for it but I’ve had a fair few. I imagine it depends what happens and any complications. I have full sedation normally and I’m on the recovery bed for an hour afterwards for observations then you’ll get changed and wait in the discharge lounge till their happy for you to go and till your taxi or person picking you up arrives as you can’t drive for atleast 24 hours . Not sure about clothes etc as I’m happy to wear the gowns but I imagine they’ll ask you to lower whatever you have on etc. Just double check with them that after you’ll dress yourself or they’ll dress you. I know automatically in my hospital you wear the gown and shorts and they cover you with a blanket till you wake.

My son as a child regularly had a colonoscopy under a GA.

I had one under GA last year as I am a complete wimp and couldn't go through with otherwise. You will need to take a gown to cover yourself up. They will give you a hospital gown to wear while you are there. You will then go to recovery afterwards for tea/ coffee and a biscuit. You are usually only in recovery for two hours. You will be able to come home the same day, but you will need someone to collect you. You aren't allowed on public transport on your own.
It will take a couple of days to recover from the GA

@CharlotteRose90 @Londonnight

Thanks for commenting. There won't be any gowns or undressing, the dr has said I can be put under fully clothed and then they will remove what they need. A PP said about making sure they know to redress me before I wake up so I'll make sure that is communicated as well; I wouldn't go through with it if I had to wear a gown and I would be very distressed if I woke up in one/undressed/no underwear etc.

[quote daisyjgrey]**@CharlotteRose90* @Londonnight*

Thanks for commenting. There won't be any gowns or undressing, the dr has said I can be put under fully clothed and then they will remove what they need. A PP said about making sure they know to redress me before I wake up so I'll make sure that is communicated as well; I wouldn't go through with it if I had to wear a gown and I would be very distressed if I woke up in one/undressed/no underwear etc. [/quote]
I wasn’t saying to wear a gown lovely . That’s why I said that they’ll ask you to lower whatever you wear but check what happens afterwards. If you ask for strict instructions that they cover you and you sort yourself out make sure they write it all down. Or
If you prefer them to dress you make it known. For the record though in gowns your not fully undressed. I wear a bra, vest and shorts in mine but I understand you wanting to wear your own clothes.

@CharlotteRose90

Sorry, I think I saw 'gown' and went into a mild panic!

There definitely won't be any lowering of anything by me while I'm conscious! You're right about making sure they know I need to be dressed again before I wake up, I'll definitely bring that up beforehand and make sure the right people know.

50% of the gown issue isn't the nudity (which is the other 50%), it's the actual gown itself, which is why wearing it over underwear or vest and pants etc is something I can't do

I think they have some really good anti sickness meds now. I said I had a history of vomiting and nausea after and he said most people do, as it's common I'll give you these meds too and it was nausea free.

They have killed my uvula tho which is extremely rare and annoying. Otherwise problem free and easy as pie.

Some great points raised about the gown too.

I’ve had colonoscopies both under GA and sedation (different countries explains the different protocols). Under GA you’ll come round soon after the op and will feel slightly groggy for a bit longer. Got to say I was apprehensive before the ‘just sedation’ one, but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. Best of luck

My ds had this just before he turned 2 gastroscopy and colonoscopy he was kept in over night for monitoring after he was asleep for about an hour and came round pretty quickly he also had some other tests while under so his might’ve taken longer then normal. No it’s not the same as he was very young but recovery was fine bowel prep was the worst bit as it took 4 days rather then the usual 24 hours