Endoscopy Question

I received approval from my insurance company for my lap-band procedure.  My surgeon's office called to schedule an appointment for an endoscopy.  Do they actually knock you out?  I think the form said most people fall asleep.  I'd hate to be awake for that.  Anyone care to share their experience?  I also have to attend a 1/2 day class on diet.  Is the lap band diet very modified? Mick

Hi Mick,

I just googled and all three sites that I checked indicated that the lap band is done under full ventilation, abdominal inflation and general anesthesia, just as are the RNY and others.

Hope this Helps,

Dave

Hi Mick,

For me, the endoscope procedure was performed under IV based anesthesia. I do not recall much between the IV being put in and waking up after it was all over.  I cannot add any comments regarding the post Lap-Band diet, but for the RNY experience, I approach it mostly in the South Beach diet mode of proteins and vegetables and low carbs. Herb

Hi Mick, I was very aprehensive about the endoscopy. I was described it in great detail by a friend that had a bleeding ulcer that had it done in an emergency. He was aware of everything that was going on durng it. When I had it done I was on the table and laying on my side and then the next thing I was waking up unaware of any thing that had happened.  pan head

mick, please forgive me for posting because i hate to post when i have had a bad experience. my first time they give you amnesia drugs. so you're awake but then forget. at least that's the plan since you're under only 5 minutes or less. you simply forget what happened thus thinking you were under. however, it didn't work for me and i was awake and terrified. please tell everyone in the room you're a big guy and please make sure you're out for this. i think that's the best plan. i had to go back a second time and i stopped the doc this time on the table and told him PLUS i had my bypass doc call and tell him too. i didn't want to experience this again. well the second time was for a colonoscopy and they put you under for that a lot better, it was a breeze. so 99.9% of the guys here sail through it as i'm sure you will, just a note, it's very simple to request being knocked out before he starts. don't be scared it goes really fast and if done right, you won't remember a thing.....carbonblob

Sorry, that's right. Colonoscopy - the procedure that seems as if it would be very unpleasant...I've always heard nearly out for most people. I had the upper GI and they just gave me something like valium.

Dave

I've had a colonoscopy a couple of times.  They always knock you out for it, but it's not surgery and a specialist can do it in his office.   A lot of it is done in special clinics or outpatient clinics in hospitals. The hard part of colonoscopy isn't the procedure itself.  The hard part is cleaning out your bowel the day before by fasting and using drugs to make you poop out everything inside.  Sometimes an enema is required beforehand too.

Don't confuse endoscopy with laparoscopy. An endoscopy is, for us, usually a fiber optic thing they tell you to swallow and they use it to examine your esophagus and stomach from the inside.  Usually quite a while before surgery.  My doc gave me the option of anesthesia or not.  I chose not and I chose wrong.  It turned out they needed to pluck out some tissue from the inside of my stomach for a biopsy and it made the entire experience terrible. The biopsy showed nothing important.

Hey Mick, I had an edoscopy and it was very simple and painless.  I was hooked up to IV valium and became very drowsy while the doc and nurse prepped everything.  I wasn't even nervous watching because the valium had completely mellowed me out.  And, I did fall asleep before they actually inserted the scope, and woke up after it was done. I would check and see what they plan on giving you, and if they aren't planning on giving you an IV to relax, maybe you could request it. Best of Luck - hope yours goes as smoothly as mine did. Chuck

Hey Mick My experience was a lot like panhead’s I got it from both ends and I was knocked out, when I woke the Doctor told me in the recovery room that I was the first person he had seen to still have a gag reflex while still out.

Bret