Will I Be Awake for My Procedure?

A commonly asked question that patients have is “will I be awake for my procedure?” The answer to that question depends upon what the patient wants. While most patients prefer “not to remember anything”, a few prefer to be only lightly sedated.

Medication options for procedure

• Sedation & anesthesia – this is the most common choice for patients. Patients are given a mild sedation when they arrive in the procedure room and then a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) will administer an anesthesia agent called Propofol. With Propofol, patients will not remember the procedure. Propofol is a very safe anesthetic agent when delivered by a trained professional. It has a very short half-life so most patients awake easily. This method is preferred over the older method of procedural sedation where patients could experience sleepiness and “hangover symptoms” for several hours follow their procedure. For information on our licensed CRNAs, click here.
• Moderate Sedation – Moderate sedation is an older method of procedural sedation but it is still available and effective for most patients. A sedative and narcotic is administered and titrated to patient need during the procedure. The sedative reduces anxiety and causes temporary amnesia. The narcotic is administered for pain control. Most patients do not remember the procedure. Moderate sedation is administered by an RN trained in the administration of moderate sedation.
• Limited or No Medication – Occasionally patients prefer very little medication or no medication at all. Most of these patients can tolerate the procedure without difficulty. This is not recommended for the general population.