IUD removal under general anesthesia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to have general anesthesia for an upcoming surgery and y’all have me scared now. “Severe respiratory depression”…yikes! But no, I wouldn’t be doing it for an IED removal. Perhaps “conscious sedation” is a better option, or anti-anxiety like Ativan for the procedure.

I don’t know, I’d want general anesthesia if I was having an IED removed. I’d be worried about it exploding! Probably wouldn’t bother for an IUD removal, though.

Funny typo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My teen had very bad period cramps for years, and we tried pretty much everything. She ended up with a Kyleena IUD and it has helped a lot, and it's been a couple of years and she's in college now. The Kyleena lasts five years.

However; an issue keeps coming up. The insersion really hurt her. I was there, holding her hand, and I felt her hand go hot and she got sweaty and gasped. She started shaking and after the doctor left the room, she cried a little. She maintains that it was one of the most painful things in her entire life.

This comes up a lot. She is terrified about the removal in a few years. The removal is not supposed be as bad because of the way it is shaped. I thought she'd get over it, but she has not. I was facetiming her yesterday, and she brought it up in passing about how she thinks she needs to see a therapist because (among other things), her fear about the IUD removal.

She has mentioned in the past how maybe the removal could be under anesthesia. At the time I just thought that was so...extra. Not to mention the cost. But after last night, I'm thinking that I haven't taken her fear seriously. People get put out to get their teeth done, so, why not?

Does anyone know if this is a procedure?

Insertion sucked. Getting it out was better than a Pap smear.

[Anonymous]

I had my IUD inserted under anesthesia- propofol (same drug used for colonoscopy). It was scheduled at the hospital in a surgical suite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never had an IUD inserted, so please take this with a grain of salt (I have had a Hysterosalpingography/HSG which I imagine is in the same neighborhood). I am a highly anxious person and avoided shots of any kind and all dental care for a long time once i was in charge of myself so to speak.

I have had both and the IUD insertion (the one I had pre-kids) was way, way more painful in my case. Still, the removal was easy and does not, on its own, call for premedication or anesthesia. I do think women should be offered anesthesia for the insertion--especially women who have not carried pregnancies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IUD removal is very quick. Maybe asking for Valium or something similar would help?

F that. Women's pain should be taken seriously. If the majority of men get a colonoscopy under anesthesia, why can't women get an implant removed under the same guidance?

So stupid.

1) removal is far less painless 2) general anesthesia is very dangerous. I would argue it’s not appropriate for either procedure.

Yeah definitely not the same. Also her daughter doesn't have to get an IUD. That's why it isn't recommended for women that haven't given birth. Just pick a different method.

NP. Do you have an up to date reference for that? I think it is quite outdated advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to have general anesthesia for an upcoming surgery and y’all have me scared now. “Severe respiratory depression”…yikes! But no, I wouldn’t be doing it for an IED removal. Perhaps “conscious sedation” is a better option, or anti-anxiety like Ativan for the procedure.

Have you had general anesthesia before? You will sign a whole bunch of waivers indicating you understand the risk. In reality it doesn’t happen very often and that’s why it’s so carefully monitored during the entire procedure but it is most certainly the number one risk associated with that intervention.

I'm not entirely sure either of you understand what "general anesthesia" is. "Severe respiratory depression" is the GOAL, not a potential side effect. Your muscles are paralyzed, including the diaphragm, and you are on a ventilator that breathes for you.

That's what general anesthesia is. It's to make you stop breathing on your own, as well as go completely limp everywhere in your body so that the surgery can proceed. Then they bring you back out of it when it's over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IUD removal is very quick. Maybe asking for Valium or something similar would help?

F that. Women's pain should be taken seriously. If the majority of men get a colonoscopy under anesthesia, why can't women get an implant removed under the same guidance?

So stupid.

1) removal is far less painless 2) general anesthesia is very dangerous. I would argue it’s not appropriate for either procedure.

The bolded above is not necessarily true. “General anesthesia” can also refer to “twilight anesthesia” which is what many dentists use and is not as dangerous as true general anesthesia.

No. NO. No, no, no.

"Twilight anesthesia" a.k.a. "conscious sedation" is exactly not the same thing as "general anesthesia." You don't understand what these words mean.

https://www.westlakedermatology.com/blog/different-types-of-anesthesia/
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANESTHESIA: GENERAL VS. TWILIGHT VS. LOCAL

General anesthesia uses specific drugs to make the patient completely unconscious and unresponsive (an induced coma), making the patient unable to feel pain or remember their procedure. The coma is so deep that the patient loses control of their reflexes and autonomic nervous system. Patients will require the help of breathing tubes and a ventilator to breathe while under general anesthesia.

[Anonymous]

Just putting my two cents out here with in my experience that my removal was more painful than my insertion and they had to insert it three times.

The pain was so bad that I will not have another IUD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just putting my two cents out here with in my experience that my removal was more painful than my insertion and they had to insert it three times.

The pain was so bad that I will not have another IUD.

Yikes. Did it get stuck or embedded?

NP here who also thought removal was no big deal but found insertion shockingly painful.

[Anonymous]

I didn't think insertion was painful at all. Removal SUCKED. I'm actually surprised at the replies here because I just assumed removal sucked for everyone!! But it does seem to track that if it hurt going in, it didn't seem to hurt coming out? I had two IUDs and both times hurt coming out; the second one REALLY, I mean REALLY hurt, and if I wasn't in menopause I wouldn't even consider getting another one.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for taking her pain and anxiety about this pain seriously! Many of us have anxiety around pain because so many medical professionals dismiss our pain as no big deal.

When I got my IUD, insertion was so painful for me that I passed out from the pain. When it came time for a new IUD, my new GYN was wonderful and prescribed several Xanax for anxiety and mega Advil for the pain. DH said I grabbed his hand once but I have no recollection of the experience! Have her talk to her GYN about this (or find a new one who respects her concerns), especially if she’s getting a new IUD.

[Anonymous]

Insertion was awful for me -- for what it's worth, I've had a kid and most of my 30hr labor was without epidural. But I've heard the removal is not as bad. I agree with poster recommending Valium/Xanax. Maybe ask the OBGYN ahead of time for a prescription.

[Anonymous]

Insertion can be bad - mine were ok because I did it at 8 weeks postpartum twice.

Removal is nothing. It slides right out. My OB showed it to me so I would know it was really out.

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone, it's OP and thank you for the replies.

I spoke with my own ob/gyn, and he said it sounds like DD had a vasovagal reaction (the vagus nerve got triggered by the pain) and that's why she had such a bad experience.

He said anesthesia is overkill (my words, not his) and the better route is that he will prescribe her a Cytotec (Misaprostal) the night before, it will open up her cervix some and ensure that he can get it out. He said he'd have it out in 10 secs tops.

I spoke with my DD and she's on board, so we made an appointment for when she's at home for spring break.

The one thing I think I'm a little unclear on--I had forgotten until DD mentioned it today--is it might not even be the cervix that was the issue. When the original GYN was doing the insertion, she started out with a big speculum, and that hurt and DD tried to hold out but couldn't and then the GYN ended up switching to a smaller one. I think that switch happened too fast to allow her to recover from the bigger one. Then the IUD went it after that, and I think somewhere in there the reaction happened. I just think the GYN was too fast with it all.

So anyways, my DD is ready to remind my OB/GYN to use a smaller speculum, and he is a seasoned and skilled and gentle guy, so I think we have the problem solved! Thanks everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone, it's OP and thank you for the replies.

I spoke with my own ob/gyn, and he said it sounds like DD had a vasovagal reaction (the vagus nerve got triggered by the pain) and that's why she had such a bad experience.

He said anesthesia is overkill (my words, not his) and the better route is that he will prescribe her a Cytotec (Misaprostal) the night before, it will open up her cervix some and ensure that he can get it out. He said he'd have it out in 10 secs tops.

I spoke with my DD and she's on board, so we made an appointment for when she's at home for spring break.

The one thing I think I'm a little unclear on--I had forgotten until DD mentioned it today--is it might not even be the cervix that was the issue. When the original GYN was doing the insertion, she started out with a big speculum, and that hurt and DD tried to hold out but couldn't and then the GYN ended up switching to a smaller one. I think that switch happened too fast to allow her to recover from the bigger one. Then the IUD went it after that, and I think somewhere in there the reaction happened. I just think the GYN was too fast with it all.

So anyways, my DD is ready to remind my OB/GYN to use a smaller speculum, and he is a seasoned and skilled and gentle guy, so I think we have the problem solved! Thanks everyone.

Let's hope she responds to the dose. He may think anesthesia is overkill by cytotec by itself may no be entirely helpful. That's where something else should be added.