"Sedation Without Consent"

I recently attended the gastroscopy clinic at the Bentley Health Service Hospital. Prior to the gastroscopy I was emailed what I believe to be false information about the procedure that led me to believe I would be able to raise my hand and ask and answer questions at any time during the procedure.

When I went in for the procedure the doctor tried to have me sign a consent form saying I'd talked to the anaesthetist before I'd even met them. When I refused to sign and spoke to the anaesthetist I found out that, contrary to the information I'd received, I'd actually be totally unconscious during the procedure. I asked about alternatives to that level of anaesthesia and the anaesthetist said that they could use a numbing spray in the back of my throat along with some pain relief.

I feel it was clear they didn't want to do it this way and I felt time pressured to make a decision. I confirmed with the anaesthetist, very clearly, that I would like to be awake during the procedure and that if the spray and pain relief didn't work to start with, that I would receive only a small amount of anaesthetic: enough that I would not be unconscious. The anesthetist even confirmed this back to me, by saying "so to confirm, you want to be awake during the procedure?" to which I said "yes".

Just before the procedure started, I was given the spray and a cannula was placed in my arm. I expected this to deliver pain relief but it did not. The cannula hurt a lot. as the procedure started I was told to wiggle my toes a few times. I remember nothing after that. I woke up an hour later. I spoke to the anaesthetist who advised me that they had tried to take it slow but that it seemed like I needed it (propofol) at the time.

I believe no effort was made to not render me unconscious using the propofol: I feel my wishes around the level and use of pain relief and anaesthetic were totally ignored. I don't think I actually received any pain relief, only propofol in whatever amount they usually administer in order to knock folks out to get the gastroscopy done. I don't think anyone else in the operating room even knew the wishes that I expressed to the anaesthetist.

I did not consent to the procedure that took place and I feel violated by what occurred. Notwithstanding the seemingly false information I received, the fact that I cleared up the confusion on the day and made my wishes explicitly clear to the anaesthetist, and yet still wound up unconscious, is incredibly concerning to me. If the anaesthetist truly thought that that is what was in my best interests, I believe they could have at least asked me while I was still conscious in the room.

That said, as I understand it there was no need to - I had already made myself very clear. I did not consent to this, and I resent this confusion and seeming disregard for my autonomy. I don't appreciate not knowing what took place within that hour in a dark room of eight or so people. I feel quite violated and resent this a great deal. I wonder what good explanation there could possibly be for this disrespect.