After you
arrive at the facility (be sure to check whether you are going to
Surgicare or the hospital) you’ll register, review your history with a
nurse who will then start an intravenous line. You’ll have an
opportunity to ask questions or review
any new
developments with your doctor. Your blood pressure, pulse and breathing
are monitored via a typical blood pressure cuff and an oximeter (finger
cap). You receive initial doses of the sedative to make sure you are
quite calm before the actual procedure begins. The level of sedation
can be varied in most cases to suit your preference.
In the vast
majority of cases the answer is no. While most patients naturally fear
their first endoscopic procedure, in practice the sedative medications
are quite effective, safe
and allow
us a great deal of flexibility in keeping your comfort a priority.
Patient comfort is a high priority for our doctors and nursing staff
such that most patients that need a subsequent procedure down the line,
face it with much less anxiety.
