Should I complain about failed colonoscopy?

Tests and investigations
1

I did all the bowel prep and everything was cleared out really well. I arrived at the hospital for my appointment time and requested IV sedation. The nurse tried twice but couldn't site my cannula. She joked to another nurse that I'd left my veins at home. I'd already told her that I found needles quite stressful. She eventually gave up poking me and said the consultant would do it in the operating room.

The consultant tried three times unsuccessfully to site it. He said it was because my hands were too cold and rubbed them to warm them up. He was not communicative at all when inserting the cannula each time, no warning when it was going in even though I was clearly getting distressed, no reassurance. Eventually he got it in place but didn't tell me, just walked off and left the nurse to tape it in place. He came back and put two injections into the cannula which was painful. He said that it was not actually in the right place and that both injections had gone into the muscle and not the vein. He managed to get another cannula into my inner elbow and then had a discussion with the nurse about whether his next patient had arrived yet due to it having taken so long.

He did the injections again and this time they went into the vein and then he started the procedure immediately, no discussion, no warning that he was going to begin. I don't know how long you are supposed to give the sedation to work but I started to feel discomfort in my belly almost immediately. I must have made some noises like I was in pain and he asked me if I wanted to stop. I said 'yes' because I wanted a moment to rest, or to see if he could offer me anything else, such as additional sedation, pain relief or gas and air. I was told by the nurse that I'd be allowed gas and air in addition but I wasn't offered any.

Anyway, he took the endoscope straight out and told me that I would have to come back and have it done under GA and to wait for the consultant to contact me. 

I'm quite upset after going through the bowel prep and over half an hour of trying to site the cannula that he just ended it like that, no attempt to give me a rest or make me more comfortable before continuing. I had no support from the nurse in the room, I'm not even sure where she was, standing somewhere behind me I think. 

The discharge summary says that I was given 3mg of sedative. Could he not have offered me some more?

It also says that I was given Entonox but I wasn't.

I feel like he just rushed me out the door, perhaps because it was Sunday and he didn't want to work? Perhaps because the IV had taken so long to place? Perhaps because the next patient was waiting by that stage? Either way, I am really disappointed and upset that the procedure couldn't happen. I feel that I could have got through it with a bit more care and support. 

Strangely, I can remember the whole procedure but I can't remember getting dressed or getting home afterwards (my partner drove me!) so it leads me to feel that the sedation took effect at the wrong time.

So, I don't know if it's worth complaining or not.

Thanks for any advice. I hope all that made sense. 

 

2

I am not sure about the complaint part. It sounds as though they didn’t explain it very well to you. I have problem veins. Always have. They usually find one but we have several efforts. The sedative, if properly inserted, works immediately. With some people it causes memory loss so you don’t actually remember much of the procedure; with some it doesn’t. With me it does sometimes and not others. However, they to like to have you responsive to a certain extent because they need your cooperation during the procedure. There IS some discomfort during the entry of the colonoscope until it passes the first bend at the top of the sigmoid colon (usually pretty fast) and MOST PEOPLE (but not all) feel little or nothing after that. The examination happens as they withdraw the scope. As they withdraw, the scope is now moving in the same direction as a bowel motion would, so it’s usually painless and discomfort less, if any at all. Some people have colons shaped in such a way that means it is very painful throughout. This is a minority of people but horrible for them and from what they say it is unbearable without a “general”. Others have inflammation and they have pain too, although the colonoscopist should see this problem as the examination takes place. For most other people it is a bit of discomfort at the beginning (not actual pain) which is short-lived. It helps if you push out (like when you are on the loo) and don’t pull in (a natural reaction I appreciate when you don’t want something there) because that tenses the muscles and makes the sphincter muscle try to close. I’m very surprised a “general”  was suggested on what you say and it may be they were running late and just wanted to move on, as I think you suspect. That’s bad but I’m not sure you could make a complaint stick on these facts and first, you will waste a lot of time and energy pursuing it and, second, they may then think of (and note) you as “trouble”. I know it shouldn’t be this way but the real world isn’t perfect and I tend to think complaining is only worth it when you can make it stick. Obviously,  it is entirely a matter for you and how you feel. I think perhaps if it had been explained a bit better and they hadn’t given the impression of rushing, it might have felt comfortable enough to continue. The jokey approach is ok with some patients but not with everybody and I would have thought not very often helpful in this procedure unless the patient has had it before. Anyway, hope it works out. David.

3

Yes Velleity

I would bring this up to whoever is in charge of the medical personnel who ‘worked on you.’   

I tend to be very anxious about procedures, and am aware that my ‘anxiety or adrenaline’ doesn’t allow the IV med to sedate me as quickly as it does others.  That said, from your description, it sounds like the nurse and consultant were lacking in bedside manner.   There are many others who are also difficult from which to draw blood or place cannulas.  I would make myself heard in a firm but direct and non confrontational manner.   If you’re comfortable with writing, you could also write a letter and send it to someone at the administrative level of the hospital.  I’m not sure exactly ‘who’ would be the correct person to address your letter to.

   I now know that to have a colonoscopy or endoscopy, everyone is much happier if I’m given general anesthesia- especially me!!   You might consider this in the future... it does require placement of the IV, but hopefully you will have competent medical personnel who will do it next time.

  Good luck to you.., Never feel you’re complaining, we needn’t be rude, but we must be our own best advocates. 

     In Christ, 

         Marlene