Local anesthesia or full anesthesia for egg retrieval?

[Elga_05]

Hello hello,

I hope you are all well.

I am very new in the IVF world, we will probably have an IVF this summer and I wonder if we can choose to have a local anesthesia instead of a full anesthesia for the egg retrieval ?

We are at the UCLH if anyone experienced a IVF there.

Thank you all and best of luck in this journey <3

[Keggles36]

Hi there, I've not experienced UCLH but unless there is reason for anaesthesia they don't use it. Instead they use sedation, so you just have a bit of a sleep. You breathe for yourself etc, so not like with general anaesthetic.

I had a lovely little nap, it was great!

[Elga_05 in reply to Keggles36]

Thank you so much ! Yes the Doctor mentioned sedation but as I am not native english speaker I was wondering if this means full anesthesia or not but it seems it's not so good thank you again for your reply

[Keggles36 in reply to Elga_05]

So, they pop a cannula in your hand and give you some medicine through this. I think you also have oxygen, but i can't remember. I found it really effective, and it is a lot safer than general anaesthetic 😊

[Kitkat10]

hi, I think it’s usually just sedation. I used two different clinics and the first used propofol so I was not aware of anything happening and woke up afterwards like I’d been asleep.

The second clinic only used midazolam so I was aware of the egg collection and the nurses talking and discussing egg count etc. I just felt relaxed and sleepy.

both were fine and I didn’t feel anything as such but was still ‘awake’ in the second clinic.

[K_LNB]

Yes, I believe sedation is the norm. I was cold out (totally asleep) until I woke up afterwards. So basically like general anaesthetic but as others say, with less risk.