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Comment by jbb67 | Hacker News Reader

But it's not usual to have an anesthetic for a colonoscopy is it? I've had two without. I was offered a light sedation but then I couldn't have driven home afterwards. It wasn't particularly awful without.

It's it usual to be asleep? I've not really heard of that. Is it a US thing?

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I'm not a medical doctor, nor a clinician that does colonoscopies, so I have no idea. All I know is that the clinic suggested by my primary care physician set everything up and UHC denied it 10 days prior to the procedure, leaving me almost no time to work through any sort of processes to effectively change their decision--if it's even possible.

Without any real evidence except a hunch, I think it's because I've already met my deductible for the year and they don't want to pay for the entire thing and they'll do anything they can to avoid having it happen this year and hope I just go away or do it in another year when I haven't hit my deductible.

Same here, just had one in the US and I refused to be sedated as I knew from previous one in EU that it is tolerable. You should have seen the song and dance of the provider trying to convince me to get sedated. In the end they accepted my decision. Afterwards about everybody in the clinic came to see me as if I was a hero of sorts. However,the whole episode gave me a good insight as to why US healthcare is so expensive.

Light sedation is anesthesia.

> Anesthesia or anaesthesia is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia, paralysis, amnesia, and unconsciousness.

"General anesthesia" is probably what you're thinking, which is a specific form of anesthesia where someone is put to sleep.

i was actually confused about this for a long time - i always thought my colonoscopies were "general" because i... couldn't remember anything, but all of them were really just propofol "twilight," which is just a deep sleep, i guess? i only learned this when i got a real surgery and had to actually go under general, it's a much more involved thing where you're essentially put in a coma

i'm not sure if it's a US thing but i think especially if they're going to take biopsies you're put under twilight, which is one step below general - i don't remember anything about any of the ones i've had, and wake up later in a recovery room

I'm in US and I've had a single one. It was sedation which induces twilight sleep but I was definitely conscious. I've known many that have had them (ex-partner had stage 3 colon cancer and had/has them on the regular) and it was always sedation.

I dunno if it's unusual? I had mine done recently, 49 years old... seemed like a given that I was going to go under? (I'm pretty sure I prefer it that way?)

Also UHC fwiw, but went through my local provider group, etc...

It is extremely common in the US. The only people who get colonoscopies without any sedation are those who want to be able to drive themselves home afterward.

We have people - covered in tattoos - who insist that they are terrified of needles. And that they want drugs before any even mildly painful procedure, like placing an IV.

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