Surgical procedure without anaesthetic?!?

[Bogal]

This is my first post on mumsnet but i thought it would be a good place to find out if anyone has been through something similar...

I found out at 11 wks 6 days that i was having an embryonic pregnancy, where theres a sac growing, pregnancy symptoms etc but for whatever reason the egg never develops - the scan pic showed an empty black bean where there would usually be a baby. This was my first pregnancy.

I tried medical management with tablets to bring on a miscarriage but it didn't work - my husband and i had been warned that anembryonic pregnancies can be particularly resistant so weren't totally surprised.

I opted for an mva under local anaesthetic instead - it seemed a less risky option than a d&c under a general. I went through the procedure 2weeks after the original scan, later than hoped because of bank hols/ lack of appointments.

Just before the procedure the Dr performing it explained what would happen but didn't mention anaesthetic, just using gas & air. When i asked (already feet with feet in stirrups) she said they'd 'try it without'. This was totally contrary to everything I 'd been told previously and all the info I'd been given but i was too overwhelmed by everything to question it, and she started the procedure immediately after.

Even with the gas and air it was horrendously painful and traumatic - i didn't feel prepared for it and neither did my husband. He passed out, hit his head and we spent three hours after in casualty. He said seeing me in so much pain and moaning set him off.

I cried non stop from when i got home until 3 in the morning and had nightmares about it when i finally fell asleep. Ive phoned the hospital to find out why i wasn't anaesthetised but have just been passed around the houses.

We want to try again as soon as we can but Im scared it will happen again.
Its only the day after now but i feel so traumatised by it, is it normal to be treated like that, and for it to be so painful? Has anyone else experienced an MVA without anaesthetic?

That is truly horrific, why on earth would they do such a thing?
I hope you get the answers you seek.

That is barbaric and I hope isn't normal practice. I would complain.

WTAF? I've heard of it being done with local rather than general, but not without any anaesthesia at all!

I have never heard of such a procedure being carried out without light anaesthesia / sedation. It sounds absolutely horrific. I feel very sorry for you and your poor husband. I'm a HCP but not an anaesthetist or obs/gynae. Hopefully someone with more credentials will be along in a bit. I would definitely follow this up with the hospital when you're feeling better. I'm also very sorry that your pregnancy turned out this way .

that is horrific you poor thing, how are you feeling now? A mc is traumatic enough without that to follow!

Was this in the UK?

I've had something similar with my first MC but not as a planned procedure. I was taken to hospital haemorrhaging v badly because the sac got stuck in my cervix and when they examined me they decided the best way to deal with it was to pull it out. It was extremely traumatic and painful, so you have my sympathies. Even though I understood they made the best decision in the circumstances and they had to act quickly it was horrible.
I think an ERPC under local sounds bad enough, I've found the rummaging about involved in gynae exams pretty unpleasant in itself. My understanding of this relatively new option was that usually you'd have some sort of anxiolytic drug like diazepam to make you feel a bit out of it and spacey and to prevent you forming traumatic memories of the event, and then a local anaesthetic (which in itself is no picnic - I had local for being sutured after birth of DS1 and it hurt like a B but only briefly)
I think to prepare you (and get your informed consent) for one thing and then change the plan at the last minute when you are in a very vulnerable position is unethical and I would be complaining in the strongest possible terms. If you are not getting answers from the gynae department then go over their heads to PALS who should be able to help you.
I'm so sorry you lost your baby. Being treated badly at that time makes an already difficult emotional event very hard to get over. When you feel strong enough I would really encourage you to make a formal complaint so other vulnerable women are not treated like this.

I agree - contact PALS. I have never heard of such a thing! Completely unethical.

Thank you for your support, feeling better today stateofconfusion and my heads a bit clearer. Have checked back through the consent form i signed and it clearly states the procedure involves local anaesthetic. Also this was in the uk, at my local hospital which has a bit of a rep for treating patients like cattle.

bakingtins im sorry you had such a traumatic and scary experience, i hope understanding why they had to do what they did helped you. An anxiolytic drug wasnt mentioned but having the procedure (with anaesthetic) explained in a previous appointment meant i could mentally prepare. I phoned the hospital again last night but still no joy - thanks for your tip about PALS I'll try them next.

mrsapplepants I'm considering putting in a formal complaint if i have no luck with PALS (they seem to be two seperate depts at my local hosp) - its too late to change what happened to me but if it makes them reconsider putting another patient through that it will be worth it. And i would really like an explanation!

Talked it through with my mum and she suggested it could have been because it would have been quicker without. I'd like to keep an open mind until i hear the hospitals version of events.

Thanks again for your support all, i was starting to wonder if its just the norm to be treated that way and i should just accept it...

That sounds absolutely horrific. ..you poor thing.

Id complain to the chief exec, thatll certainly get things moving.dont let them palm you off. You can find all the department contact details on the hospital website.

Hope you're being well looked after as you recover.

I had a bad experience at an NHS hospital and wrote a strongly-worded letter to the Chairman of the hospital and cc'd Andrew Lansley Secretary of State for health.
I must have scared them because I got very contrite letters back from them both and a description of how they would treat women patients in the department differently in the future. People do listen. Don't start low with your complaint , go as high as you possibly can.

I am so sorry for your dreadful experience. That shouldn't happen to anyone. I am glad your DH was there with you to hold your hand, but sorry he was so traumatised by the whe thing too. [Sad] Here is an unmumsnetty ((hug))

A friend of mine had this done in London (UCHL) because she was scared of having a GA... I was horrified but I didn't try to talk her out of it as it was obviously her decision! She had a horrific experience and regretted her decision. I think it's absolutely barbaric... but I'm someone who flatly refused to have a colposcopy and loop excision done locally, I insisted on and got GA... OP I hope you will be ok