Anesthesia, specifically propofol

LadyTexan

DH is having a flexible sigmoidoscopy procedure on Wednesday. The anesthesia team will be using an anesthesia called propofol. Can any of you please share your experience when propofol was used on your PWD.

I am nervous based on the posts I have read here regarding anesthesia effects on PWD, but I do not recall if it was specifically propofol. 

I have reached out to the doctor, but have not yet heard back from him.

Any feedback both positive and negative is greatly appreciated. THANKS EVERYONE.

dayn2nite2

Since it's tomorrow, all you can do is let them know he has dementia and you are very concerned about a decline due to the type of anesthesia they're going to give him.

If they do give him that, I would expect a decline.  On the good side of that, it may flatten the moods he currently has.  Bad side is more care from you necessary.

eaglemom

Several things. Become a broken record. Keep repeating that he has ALZ - the doctors, nurses, intake personal - to everyone. Have you contacted the facility where the procedure will take place and let them know he has ALZ? And that you will not be dropping him off at the door and waiting in the car?

My DH just had to have a colonscopy. I was quite hesitant about the entire thing, but it had to be done. (FYI everything was fine.) Anyway, the doctor of course knew about the ALZ. I called the facility and very kindly shared the diagnosis & that I would be accompanying him, period. They were wonderful on the phone. We get to the facility and I'm checking him in and was told "do to protocol....." that all I let her get out. I said I've called 2x's sharing his diagnosis and either I stay with him OR she can explain it to the doctor. Guess what? I stayed. They had me beside him going into the procedure room and waiting when he came out. I was the only 'person' in recovery that hadn't had a procedure. I'd had my temperature taken and was double masked - and ask to use their hand sanitizer. 

As for the medication "usually" propofol is used. It is very short acting. But I totally understand your concerns, I had them also. I weighed the pro's/con's and my DH was fine. (Except for the snoring in recovery!! Oh my. I hadn't brought his CPAP and he was snoozing loudly!)

Discuss it with everyone, voice your concerns and see how they respond.

eagle

M1

LT you are absolutely right to tell them, though I suspect the answer will be that propofol is the safest option. Good luck-

abc123

Good morning Lady Texan, just checking in to see how DH did with the procedure. Hope all was well.

LadyTexan

Thanks everyone for the information and thanks for checking in on us abc123.

As suggested I contacted both the doctor and the surgery center ahead of time expressing my husband's dx and concerns regarding anesthesia. The surgery center was very responsive and had an anesthesiologist contact me directly to address the benefits and risks of propofol. As I heard here 1st, propofol really was the only option for the procedure.

The Gastro doctor's response was less impressive. The doctor had his receptionist respond to me stating that he (the doctor) has no involvement in the anesthesia used. I was already apprehensive about the Gastroenterologist because I had not yet met him. The PCP referred us to the Gastro doc. There was no consult, just the scheduling of the flexible sigmoidoscopy (flex-sig) procedure, which I had never heard of. Everything I learned about the flex sig, I learned on the internet

The 1st time I met the gastro doc was 10 minutes prior to the procedure and only because I insisted to the pre-op nurse that I wanted to speak with him. That's when I learned that the flex sig would do nothing to address the external hemorrhoids. 

The procedure was uneventful. DH did well. The doc found internal hemorrhoids, poly, diverticulum and erythematous. Biopsies were sent to path as appropriate. Nothing conclusive was determined for the cause of his butt pain.

DH has not had any noticeable decline due to the propofol. For that I am truly grateful. I am grateful, as always, for the useful information and support I receive here.

THANK YOU EVERYONE. 

M1

Thanks for the update LT.  Sorry the GI guy was such an Ahole (pun intended) and glad your husband did okay.  Sorry he's so uncomfortable though.

Mint

Glad all went well LT with propanol.