Questioning validity of oral sedation for pain procedures

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Baron Samedi

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Went for initial consultation for the ol' snip snip this past week. Nurse says, "if you want valium beforehand, only 2 of our docs offer it. It's 5mg 1hr prior and it has to be specifically requested beforehand."

Makes me wonder -- if urologists aren't routinely giving benzos for vasectomies and those who do only give 5mg...why are pain docs giving any at all for our procedures?
 
Went for initial consultation for the ol' snip snip this past week. Nurse says, "if you want valium beforehand, only 2 of our docs offer it. It's 5mg 1hr prior and it has to be specifically requested beforehand."

Makes me wonder -- if urologists aren't routinely giving benzos for vasectomies and those who do only give 5mg...why are pain docs giving any at all for our procedures?
Different patient population. Also am wondering...was the urologist on a salary?
 
May also depend on technique - whether it’s scalpel-less or conventional. Probably not any worse than having dental work. Also I don’t think we give ourselves enough credit for just how invasive our procedures are. An RFA is applying a 176 degree F stimulus x3-4 spots at a time for 3+ minutes. That’s a big difference from the occasional brief twinge you might get when a surgeon contacts something that isn’t fully numb. I’ve had dental work done without local, but I doubt I could tolerate an RF without local.
 
story time:

i had a friend who told me that a vasectomy was a piece of cake. hurt for like 10 minutes, and then nothing.

ok, so i go in for mine. i had the option of oral sedation (which required a driver) or local. i went with just local. had the procedure done at 8 a.m. it was uncomfortable, but not oscene. took about 10-15 minutes. then, i went to work.

no problem, right? i was wearing my lead, had local on board, everything. after lunch i started to feel it a bit. by the time i got home, and took off my pants, i had a purple grapefruit in my shorts.

the moral of the story? im not sure there is one. i guess i just started ranting. but working the whole day probably wasnt the wisest move
 
I jogged home after my vasectomy.

Seriously, I was offered Xanax or nothing, elected nothing. I drove home and took the day off. I also had an RF and did a half day clinic after. That was stupid. I should have taken the day off.

Personally, I think IV sedation for an injection is a never event, for RF or more invasive procedure is case by case, and if the pt. is going to have a panic attack in pre-op, they can have an oral benzo.
 
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