To request conscious sedation for egg retrieval (IVF)

[SquashedSquashess]

I have IVF coming up in the next few months.

Our NHS IVF clinic offers only gas and air as standard for the egg retrieval procedure. Our nurse was emphatic that this is clinically effective, and has persuaded my husband (who won’t be having a needle repeatedly jabbed through his uterus wall into his ovaries) that this is fine.

A friend of mine who has been through IVF recommended sedation, and seemed shocked I’d only be offered gas and air.

I’m concerned that, as with so much in women’s health, this “clinically effective” option is offered to keep costs down without any consideration of whether it’s best for me.

In addition, I previously had PTSD from a rape which I’ve overcome. I’ve been through various intrusive procedures on the IVF journey without incident, but don’t fancy the prospect of being re-triggered if gas and air is going to result in the egg retrieval process being both invasive and painful.

Grateful for any insights from others that have been through this.

YABU: gas and air will be fine
YANBU: request the sedation

I’ve had several egg collections, under sedation, fentanyl and something else which I don’t remember the name of. The procedure was still painful but like it was happening to someone else not me, and my memory of it very quickly faded within minutes. The sedation makes you not care/detatch. Surreal I remember that you can hear the dr and embryologists throughout and they call out each egg, but then in recovery someone tells you how many and it’s like Brand New Information.

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Having had ER for IVF 100% push for sedation, even with mine I could feel it towards the end and no way would I even have attempted it with just gas and air. I also had g&a for transfer too as I’ve got faaaaar too much trauma from past experiences of folk rummaging around in my undercarriage area. Currently listening to my toddler snoozing 💖

I was away home within 2hr of ER and didn’t feel any side effects from the sedation

I did it in the USA and sedation (I want to say it was fentanyl and versed, but it could have been propofol) is standard. I do suspect they're using gas & air for cost reasons and to avoid needing an anaesthetist. You can and should ask, but be prepared to be told they can't because they don't have staffing. They may be able to offer an oral medication, though, which would help.

I’m sorry, that’s quite shit. I’d rather the clinic calls a spade a spade - so acknowledge they’re an outlier and that they don’t have the staff to facilitate conscious sedation. I would move clinic if I possibly could, but I know that’s maybe easier said than done.

Thank you all. Sounds like I’m right to be considering sedation. I will ask if there’s the option, particularly given my previous PTSD

Sedation always! I wouldn’t have consented to egg collection without it. I rejected any clinics that didn’t offer being knocked out.

I didn't have sedation per se but did have IV fentanyl which has a sedative effect as well as being a painkiller.

This was fine, I remembered everything but was in a lovely happy floaty state! (Definitely more aware than when I've had sedation for dental work.)

So strong IV pain relief should be enough without specific sedation. Just in case you're offered that!

Also to add - you can request gas and air for embryo transfers if you find them painful. Game changer for me!

Wishing you luck with the IVF. 6 months in with my little miracle here ✨️

I'm really surprised there are clinics doing egg collections without any kind of sedation. I absolutely couldn't have coped with that. I was in a lot of pain afterwards.
Wishing you all the best with your treatment.

There is a great (and frightening podcast) called The Retrievals (Season 1) about a fertility clinic in the US - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-retrievals/id1691599042

Lots of topics covered but a main one being that women’s pain is systematically ignored - being labelled as over reacting or hysterical.

I’ve had 3 fresh cycles of egg collection and never been out of the count for ec

You honestly don’t feel anything - it’s just like a smear

What is also annoying is that I bet the clinic is able to work like this because there’s not much choice of clinics in the local area for women to pick from. As if this was in a major city, I think most women would go elsewhere.

I don't think anyone's talking about being out of it, it's the various types of IV drugs that mean you are aware of what's happening but you don't much care about it or remember the pain. Did you have some kind of IV drug?

I also only had this and it was the most painful experience of my life. I would absolutely insist on sedation.

another anaesthetist pov... suspect that most of these done with anaesthetist delivered 'sedation' are probably a GA without airway control. With sedation the aim is for people to be aware of what's going on, but not really care about it... as threads on here always show, there's some variation in how well achieved that is (don't think any of my colleagues promise absolute oblivion from sedation when going through the anaesthetic consent process). There's also quite a bit of variation in how people look/respond to us vs what they're experiencing on the inside. I don't do any IVF lists, but am very, very wary of sedating for gynae procedures, particularly when there's a history of sexual abuse as it can get quite tricky around consent to proceed/not knowing what the patient's actually experiencing.

It sounds like a procedure that needs more analgesia than sedation - gas and air has both properties. Most of the proper sedatives don't get rid of the pain but might mean you don't remember it/care so much. IV analgesics are great for the pain but variable for the consciousness. As pp suggested - you really need to find out what options are available before proceeding and use that to help you decide whether to proceed or not (also bearing in mind that based on medical history there may be reasons that one option vs another is safer too).

I don’t rem having an iv in my hand tbh

Tho thinking about it - I wasn’t sucking on gas and air like I did for giving birth as obv need you to keep still as possible

maybe they gave me a tablet to relax me

I went private but gas and air was not suggested at all. I was just told it would be conscious sedation and that was that . It was bliss .do not remember a thing from the procedure itself but had a warm fuzzy feeling after from the drugs. I would totally demand it if I were you .

Sedation 💯.. had ivf and egg retrieval and all the stages several times. Sedation is essential

Retired egg donor here……… sedation !

I wouldn’t entertain gas and air at all for that procedure. Why are they being so lazy and cheap?! I thought heavy sedation was standard

I have had 6 egg collections privately. All with gas and air.

I would advise you, with absolute certainty, that if you can get it, have the sedation. The gas and air may as well have been a fart in a breeze it was so ineffectual.

Same. It was horrendous and I am not a pappy woman.

A friend went for this procedure and had sedation. It didn’t work (as it doesn’t always) and she said it was excruciating. I’d be saying no to gas and air and pushing for sedation. It’s your body