My GI scheduled me for a pouch scope and didn't really explain fully what was involved.

He just instructed me to use fleet enamas the night and morning before.

Is this done under general anestethic like a colonoscopy? How long does it take?

Etc.

Hey EZ Money, You will not be under anestesia for the scope, and Generally you will not be sedated at all, the pouch being small makes it a pretty easily tolerated procedure. For me my doc doesn't even have me do enemas or anything, I am in and out of the office in 10 minutes. The worst part is he injects air to inflate the pouch to get a better look, this gives me a feeling of gas or like I have to go the bathroom, but for me thats as bad as it gets. Some people do ask to be sedated, or their surgeon prefers it but for me the scope has been the easiest part of this whole sickness. Bottom line, nothing to worry about. Good Luck, Scott Mc

Well they did the proceedure but not without some fireworks.

The ansthesia nurse asked me if I had ever had this done and I replied that I had a colonoscopy but not a pouch scope. She asked what a pouch scope was and the conversation went down hill from there.

She started insisting that I was going to get an upper scope (down my throat) and when I argued she got angry.

So I got up and started putting my pants on and the doctor came in and I had to explain to him what he was going to do. So they got my regular doctor and got it straightened out.

You have to be very careful when having surgery or a procedure done because they have so many patients per hour they get confused.

Anyway they found and removed a polyp from my rectum and I await test results.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

BTW: Could a polyp aggrivate pouchitis?

Ron! Good for you for standing up for your pouch! I'm sure your pouch appreciates it.

Nice to see you here. I hope all is continuing well with you and you're enjoying those racing cars.

kathy

Yikes! How on earth could they get an EGD (upper endoscopy) confused with a flexible sigmoidoscopy (pouch scope)??? The only thing I can think of is that your doctor was not clear on the referral.

Jan

Hey! the same thing happened to me last week. I was handed a form to sign and noticed that it said endoscopy on the proceedure line. How the scheduling person managed to hear endoscopy when I said annual pouch scope for one year check up is beyond me. Needless to say, i got the wrong prep/cleansing instructions. So the doc learned more about my diet than he wanted to

And doctors wonder why we don't always trust them?
yeesh. Good luck on the test results!

Well, actually, the flex sig is an endoscopy. All the procedures use a type of endoscope: colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, EGD, and they typically occur in endoscopy clinic.

But, you need to be careful about what sort of endoscopy you are signing up for...

Jan

What surprises me is that a lot of providers (nurses, techs and even some doctors) know very little about what a J Pouch is.

I had to print the description from this web site for my family doc to explain my plumbing.

The scrub nurse at the GI clinic had no clue either and she was going to assist in the procedure.

Are we that rare? Or is the technology that new?

Three years ago when I was post Op, the nurses in the ward didn't even know how to change an ostemy bag. My wife had to show them, and repeat with each shift change.

It’s discouraging.

I had the same thing with my last scope...the nurse said, we'll be putting the scope down your throat....Wait a minute, don't you think thats the long way around?!? I explained WHERE my pouch was located( oh brother) she smiled and said , well I guess we better turn the cart around then. I get sedation, so I have to assume my doc went the right way.....nah, I know he did he showed me the pictures.
LoriP

EZ Money,

It's not discouraging if you are being treated by a doctor who knows what he is doing. I have had pouchoscopies done annually every year in New York City since 1992 by Dr. Peter Rubin. He is one of the best in NYC for pouch issues, and was recommended to me by the late Dr. Irwin Gelernt of Mount Sinai, who was my colorectal surgeon who also pioneered the ileoanal anastomosis procedure. Dr. Rubin has a few days a week where all he does is colonoscopies and pouchoscopies. I usually am told liquids only after 12:00 p.m. the day prior to the test and to take one Fleet enema morning of the exam. For anesthesia, I am given a choice of a ****tail of drugs that are injected through an IV which do not put me out totally but make me groggy, or a type of general that puts me to sleep. I have had both done, but I prefer not being put out totally and dealing with the grogginess.

I have high confidence in my Doctor and if you don't have high confidence in yours, its time for a change.

You are right that a lot of people don't know what a J pouch is. I once had an abdominal ultrasound done and the radiologist, despite his technician being told by me that I have a J pouch, diagnosed me with having a "liquid filled cyst" which he then described by length and width. When Dr. Rubin got the report he could only laugh, as I had thought for a week that I actually had a tumor of some kind, and it was my J Pouch that the radiologist had described. This was many years ago.

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