Going Under GA for hysterscopy

[Starwish90]

Hi

just wanted some advice really and to be told i aibu and theres nothing to be worried about.

I am due to go under GA for a hysterscopy next thursday and the fear of going under is scaring me. I feel so scared i have a 2 year old to look after who has a lung condition and solely ng fed and requires oxygen at night. im scared i wont wake up scared about what would happen to my son.

the procedure was tried a month ago but failed as the dr couldnt reach the cervix and i was in agony. She wasnt very nice about it so not sure if thats made me feel a bit more weary but i feel like i cant sleep or eat i literally cant stop thinking about it.

I went for pre op last week and they informed procedure wont last longer than 30mins and i have nothing to worry about but again not sure they understood my fears. They said i need to have the procedure for unexplained bleeding.

has anyone had proceudre under GA and if so how did it feel what can i expect?

I've had a GA twice, both as an emergency so didn't have time to worry about it.
The only thing is that they might pop a tube down your throat to help you breathe and end up with a very sore throat afterwards and you have various sticky heart monitors on you which they forgot to remove.

Woman’s hour did a piece on GA for hysteroscopy last week (17th). They were saying that women shouldn’t feel bad for asking for a GA because we shouldn’t have to tolerate the pain, although for many people it isn’t too painful.

Also I think GA is only risky if your health is really poor, so if you’re otherwise fit and healthy then you’ll be absolutely fine.

Hi op out of ga and back on day ward tired and starving just had two billies feel drained but ok best of luck for you next week 🍷

@user1494050295 Glad your ok hope it all went well.

Thank you home now and feel good no need for meds either they removed a giant fibroid about the size of a golf ball

oh god poor u glad ur feeling good though i feel a lot better about next week now.

I had a GA for a laparoscopy for an ovarian cyst, they found severe endometriosis so they added a hysteroscopy and ablation while I was under. My 30-45 mins op ended up taking about 2 1/2 hours.

I walked to the theatre and climbed up onto the bed. Someone asking how I felt, I said "fuzzy", they said that was good and the next thing I knew, it was 2 1/2 hours later. I remember asking if they cut me open (it was keyhole, but had been warned there was a small chance then might have to extend it), I then asked it they cut my stomach tattoo. I have strange priorities apparently. One thing is that when I woke up I knew I was talking really, REALLY slowly.

Wheeled through to recovery, tea and toast (best cup of tea ever BTW), got dressed, went to the loo and was home and sitting on my couch less than 3 hours after waking up.

I had this,it was fine, really glad I did.

Hi. I’ve spent many years in fear of a GA and I was properly worried during pregnancy of a C section under GA.

As it has happened I’ve got to the grand age of 44 and had a nasty accident a couple of months that has required GA surgeries. It’s been fine. Porters, nurses, anaesthetists and post op teams are really lovely. The fear was so much worse than the actual reality. X

I was terrified the first time having a GA as an adult, I had terrible memories of GA as a child, having a rubber mask clamped on my face & fighting until I went under. It's totally different now, a tiny butterfly in the back of your hand, stickers for monitors on your chest, they talk to you while they are doing it, two syringes of medication through the butterfly, then you kind of feel like you are going backwards on a rollercoaster & you are asleep, next thing you know you are in recovery & then back to the ward, as soon as you are properly awake you can get dressed & home.

I had exactly that about 4 years ago. Hysteroscopy under GA to investigate / clear polyp. And it was all for nothing as they didn't find anything! Apparently they discovered uterus was completely clear and the scan that found said polyp must have been wrong. That said it was super easy, no pain, no complications and waking up from the anaesthetic was absolutely fine. Actually suspiciously pleasant (I suspect having to do with the drug mix used ha). Don't worry OP, it nothing to worry about! Super straightforward

Had an endometrial ablation under GA. I can remember the aneasthesia room. The next thing I was in the recovery room.

The only thing post op was getting very fixated on the idea that the dog wanted an ice cream. I got the dog an ice cream from the ice cream van. The dog was not impressed by the ice cream!

thank you all for replies so glad i posted about this

I had a hysteroscopy last year under GA, absolutely no ill effects and minimal bleeding.

To add I was up at 0600 doing some gardening no side effects

I had this procedure under GA a couple of years ago. It is nothing to worry about. It is very quick so you will be under for just a few minutes. Nothing to worry about and a nice little nap.

thank you

glad ur ok@user1494050295

I had very heavy periods so I had an endometrial ablation last year under GA where they removed multiple polyps as well (one the size of a tangerine). I went into theatre around 3pm and was home by 6:30pm. As others have said they wheel you to a room where you get on the bed, they give you the anaesthetic and then before you have time to panic you're out. Next thing you wake up and it's all done, it's such a deep sleep compared with normal sleep that it literally feels like you've blinked and been teleported into the recovery ward, except 2 hours have passed. My DH wasn't allowed in the ward but the staff phoned him 15 mins before it was time to pick me up.

The ablation didn't work for me so I had a total hysterectomy last month and am recovering well. I'll admit I was quite scared (not of the anaesthetic - like others I found that part enjoyable!) but my fears were way worse than the reality. Good luck!

I had this yesterday and signed up to comment.
I'd never had a GA before, so was nervous, mainly because of the fuss that's made about all the tests to see that you're good to go.
Anyway, my experience is fresh in my head, so this was my experience.
My appointment was for 12pm for the afternoon list.
At precisely 12pm the sister phoned to see where I was (in the carpark as taxi had been late arriving). The anaesthetist was there to talk to me so I said give me 2 minutes to find the ward and I'll be there so she held on.

Nurse came in first with the dressing gown/disposable knickers and told me to get changed into those after I'd spoken to the anaesthetist.
Anaesthetist came in and asked whether I'd ever had GA before and since I hadn't she explained, the injection, followed by a tube down throat etc. There was then a bit of a commotion as I've asthma and was wheezy, so she told me to take my inhaler.

Then another nurse came in and took obs and filled in a lengthy questionnaire about dentures/mirena coil/jewelery etc.
Then consultant gynae came in to explain the medical side of it.
Only question I had really was what exactly is the procedure so she explained that initially they send up the camera about the width of a pen and in through the cervix. They then insert fluid/water to distend the uterus so they can see all the walls of the uterus. Next they insert a tool of some description to take a biopsy of all 4 walls of uterus.

She then said that I'm a complicated creature to put under GA so would I consent to mirena coil (the treatment) being inserted while I'm under. I refused and she accepted my reasons (it doesn't agree with me mentally). She was really cold and unfriendly but factual I felt but didn't try to persuade me.
She asked whether I knew why I was getting it. I had to sign several forms and 'explain in your own words' what procedure you're having and why.
She explained various risks such as difficulty entering cervix (small risk) and risk of perforation in which case she would likely abandon procedure.
Nurses were in and out (I was in a private room waiting) waiting for me to give a urine sample to test for pregnancy.

At 3.30pm I was called and transported to waiting room/theater/anaesthesia room. But not before consultant anaesthetist came in, listened to my chest, wanted to cancel it all completely and seeing I was none too happy, explained potential risks of a serious asthma attack and etc. etc. I told her to get on with it. So off she went and I was called in 5 mins later with all systems go!

Cannula put in. 3 sticky things put on chest - 4pm. They're jabbering on all the time. Gas mask thing given to you and it tastes chemically - that's the last I remember. I don't remember having to count down or anything being injected, I think the gas knocked me out.

Woke up and I'm a bit hazy about the next bit apart from that it was precisely 4.30pm.

Some time later wheeled to a ward as I was staying in overnight and doc (the gynae consultant) appears and tells me it was completely straightforward, nothing untoward found, they'd taken a biopsy, which would take about 2 weeks to get results on, then I'd get an appointment with gynae head bucko in 4-6 weeks in time for him to have a gander and find a slot in his diary where they'd have the results of the biopsy. She reiterated that everything looked completely normal and she was not at all concerned.

She then told me that she had written my discharge letter already and once the nurses were happy with me overnight I'd be able to go after breakfast. She came around again this morning just before brekkie to confirm I was good to go home.

Anyway, got the discharge letter and it actually says that they performed a polypectomy (sp?) during procedure. Why she never mentioned it I don't know, but maybe it wasn't worth mentioning?

All in all, it's like nothing happened. Zero pain. Some light bleeding on a pad they had put gracelessly between my legs! I put my own pad on when I discovered that. I was up and wandering around by 5.30pm (I'm a smoker ).

They really make a fuss of you. If you've any questions don't be afraid to ask - they seem to like questions actually!

All my docs were female - though a few males in attendance - not sure what they were.

It was a breeze compared to what I had built it up to be in my head!!

Oh and the only other thing is they ask you the same questions about 4 times by various nurses/docs. Confirm name/DOB/allergies/do you consent/understand risks/history/particularly interested in asthma in my case (the anaesthetists that is)/do you know what the procedure is and why you're having it. Prepare to have great patience answering the same questions over and over but they're apologetic about it. All in all I was treated like royalty going under a quadruple life-threatening 12 hour op - not a 10 minute gawp into my lady bits!

The anaesthetist alluded to giving me a mild version of anaesthesia (from my layman's understanding of what she said) so as to reduce risk of full blown asthma attack (she had told me there was a risk I'd wake up in ICU if I went ahead and had an attack - once I was prepared to accept that risk she was quite happy to go ahead).

Oh and another spanner in the works, was I mistook drinking 'only water' as 'drinking only liquids' from 7am, so had a cup of tea at 10am which also sent the nurses into a tizz as milk is food and 6 hours and blah blah, everyone had to be consulted about me cup of tea at 10am... So stick rigidly to the water only rules!

Incidentally, I've had mirena coil inserted without any pain relief by my GP many years ago, and my boyfriend pulled it out many years later when I finally twigged it was what was causing me to be suicidal.

I had this done under GA last year. I had never had a GA before. It was fine. No pain after, very little bleeding and I wasn’t drowsy after either. I stayed put in the house and put my feet up but didn’t need to.

Honestly, it's like you're treated like some sort of precious cargo. It's kinda cool really!