Has anyone had vacuum aspiration under local anaesthetic for missed miscarriage?

[BonyM]

I am having my second scan next week to confirm a missed miscarriage and will have to consider my options. I am scared of general anaesthetic but also terrified of having a medically managed miscarriage so the option of vacuum aspiration seems to be the easiest and least traumatic option as long as I can have it under local and not general.

I'm not even sure if the hospital offers this but wondered if anyone else had had this done, and if so, how it was?

[EldonAve]

bumping for you

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I started out with a medically managed tablet and pessary job after mmc. It was meant to be over and done with by lunchtime, I went in on Sat and on Monday refused breakfast till I'd been seen by a doc as I was so desperat to get it over with.
He agreed to GA and op.
I'd been in pain and bleeding on a ward for all that time.
So yes I had GA which I hadn't wanted, but if you just want it over and done with and home the same day...
My friend had mmc the year later and was terrified of GA but after my experience she turned down the medically managed version.
I have never heard of VA done under local anasthetic though - they'd have to have some way of locally anaesthetising all your middle - more like an epidural or spinal. I had a spinal for ecsect with ds2 and that took a lot longer to set up and recover from than GA so I suspect thats why they don't do it.

[mosschops30]

So sorry that you have to even think about this BonyM.

Please consider having the GA, you will be safe and you probably wont even be properly intubated for a short procedure like this. It may be slightly less traumatic for you to be asleep (as theatre staff are not known for their diplomacy, we are used to sleeping patients , although we do try) and you will be able to go home later in the day

[AnyFucker]

yes, twice

I am sorry this has to happen for you Boney, but I really feel it is the best way

it was over in minutes, no sickness after the GA and although very, very upsetting because of the cicumstances, it meant it was over and done with quickly instead of being drawn out

my condolences to you and dp

[samoy]

just to say i had a ga for erpc after a missed miscarriage back in jan. I was truly terrified and was convinced i wouldnt ever wake up. The reality was fine, i woke up very quickly with no untoward side effects,all i remembered were lovely dreams! Cant recommend it enough under the awful circumstances- its easier to move on this way- good luck x

[EllieG]

I had this under a general. They gave me a pessary to open my cervix which started the whole process and was the most painful bit, surprisingly so, made me have mild contractions and was deeply unpleasant and emotionally painful. I was pleased to be knocked out in fact and the op was over very soon and I had very little discomfort after.

I am sorry you are going through this x

[hobbgoblin]

I've had medical and surgical but never surgical under local. I would not wish to go through that at all while aware...the medically managed evacuation was awful in terms of having to be fully aware from start to finish but at least natural I suppose. The surgical was a little odd because I wasn't aware - just woke up with baby gone

I don't think, no matter how much I might dislike GA I'd want the prodding about insensitivty of a surgical procedure complete with the awareness of not being under GA.

Could you at all talk yourself into GA?

I too am sorry you have to make this choice.

[BonyM]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I guess I thought it seemed a bit strange, as from what I have read, abortions (of live fetuses) are usually performed under local, yet mmc is dealt with under general and I wondered why they would be treated differently.

[hobbgoblin]

I think in the States abortion is under local, but not in the UK.

[BonyM]

bpas does it under local as a matter of course according to their website here

[hobbgoblin]

I went to BPAS in December where they offered the abortion pill or surgical under GA.

I think it is very uncommon in UK.

[expatinscotland]

Surgical management for missed miscarriage is routinely done under local in the US.

Theatre and ward staff there are much more used to awake patients because the US doesn't use GA unless there is no other option (my father had his prostate removed under epidural. I had a full ACL reconstruction under spinal, etc.).

You can indeed have it done under local with IV sedation so you're very loopy and not really fully aware of what's going on.

[myfeethurt]

How many weeks are you? Have you considered just waiting and letting a miscarriage happen naturally?

[BonyM]

I am roughly 7/8 weeks and have considered just waiting but a friend of mine had a missed miscarriage last year - found out at her 12 week scan that the baby had died at 5 weeks and then didn't miscarry until she was 14 weeks. The thought of potentially having to wait another 6 weeks for anything to happen is more than I can stand tbh.

[BonyM]

Hmm - 2nd scan is actually tomorrow, not next week - wonder if that was wishful thinking (putting off the inevitable).

[expatinscotland]

most anaesthetists will be willing to work with you if you insist.

[BonyM]

Thanks expat - that's good to know.