Twisted Bowel During Colonoscopy

[jonnyb]

Hi guys,

I had a colonoscopy this week and about 3 minutes into it I suddenly felt a really sharp pain. Next thing I know, a nurse is putting pressure on my stomach with her hands and my consultant is telling me that "my bowel has become twisted." Then they turned me onto my front. The pain was pretty intense but eventually they managed to untwist it and they carried on with the procedure. After I came out, I had really severe abdominal pains for the next hour or so. A nurse said it was all the air they pumped into me that had become trapped.
When my consultant came in to see me, he said it was common for this to happen? Is this the case? Has it happened to others here?
My consultant was an hour late for the procedure and he seemed in such a rush. My consultant is always rushing and it can be pretty frustrating because he always seems to be checking out the clock.
Today I got sent my colonoscopy results only to find that they weren't mine but an 81 year old man's! And that was sent from the consultant himself! How did he manage that one!? Makes you wonder!

Jonny.

 

[Grumbletum]

Hi Jonny
Ouch! Me too. It's a bit hazy, but I remember at one point them saying my bowel was a bit twisted and them helping me to move on to my back. The pain was pretty bad and I think it was when they were puffing the air in. It hurt a lot after too, but I was in hospital and the nurses on the ward gave me cups of hot water which really helped.
That is really bad about the results - not exactly confidence inspiring, huh?? You'll have to let us know about the results as I'm hoping they'll get the right ones to you eventually

 

[Grant]

Certainly have had a nurse pushing down with both hands & it was a bit painful with all the air inside etc but it wasn't due to twisting, adhesions in my case. Hope your feeling better now jonnyb. Fancy them giving you the wrong results though, just imagine if they found cancer in the other guy.
Rgds
Grant

 

[StarGirrrrl]

Maybe it's time to see a different Consultant? If he doesn't have the time for you, and screws-up (who knows, someone else could have been sent your private and confidential results!), ask to see someone else and tell his boss/department head why!

 

[flowergirl]

uh... i don't know cause i was out like a light for both of mine. but i do remember after the first one i had some bad pains on one side for a couple of days. like where the turn for your large intestine is. maybe they had trouble going around the bend?

 

[Nemesia]

Last month, i went at the ER and an GI decided to scope me. Yay! Second one in a month...

She was not my regular GI but they work together. After the procedure, she told me that my bowels was very twisted and had a hard time to scope me... I was asleep during the procedure. No idea what they did to me... scary!

My regular GI never said anything about that before...

 

[Mountaingem]

I've had the same experience-I woke up from the "twilight" sleep I was in to excruciating pain, and two nurses kneading at my gut like they were making bread. My GI had to also untwist the scope-apparently my colon had such a violent spasm it twisted it. It was horrible and what was worse, being partially sedated I couldn't even tell them how bad it hurt. I was in terrible pain for a week after I was still bleeding. Her GI on call saw me and did an ultrasound, said I was lucky I didn't perforate. I canned her that same day.

I was completely scared to death of colonoscopies until my new GI promised never to put me through that again and now I have a deeper sedation with Propofol (yes the stuff that killed Michael Jackson, but when used properly is really good, no hangover feeling). I wake up sore but what can you expect?

 

[Mitch]

Wasn't during a colonoscopy but was when I was in post OP following my 2nd resection. My bowels twisted up worse then a drunk clown trying to make a balloon poodle. Because of that I got to have two tubes protruding from my abdomen for awhile afterward to hold it in place. Funnest part was slowly getting to remove them an inch a day and then the 2nd one getting stuck.