"Cytoscopy department - truly terrible experience"

Beyond dreadful! My husband had an appointment to have a cytoscopy performed on 10/04/14. Prior to the visit he told the consultant that he had extreme anxiety about this procedure because of a previous terrible experience a few years previously. During this consultation he asked about the possibility of a sedative, but was told that this would be unnecessary. The day before the visit he telephoned the department and explained again that he was extremely anxious about the procedure and again asked for a sedative to be prescribed. The staff consulted with a Consultant who told them this would not be necessary. Upon arrival, my husband was ushered into a cubicle on the day case ward. He was then left on his own where his fears and anxiety increased to such a degree that he started to vomit. My husband completed the pre-op questionnaire and again stated that he was "extremely anxious" about the procedure. After 45 minutes he met with the endoscopy team and again voiced his concerns that he was extremely anxious. He was then taken into theatre. As he approached the operating bed he saw one of the theatre nurses weilding the cytoscopy instrument. Given the shear size and menacing appearance of this piece of equipment, this completely through my husband into meltdown. He anxiously looked to see if there was a thinner end of the cytoscopy instrument, but the staff just said that it was a continuous 12mm. At this point my husband walked out of the theatre. Surely given the sensitive nature of this procedure, no man or women for that matter wants to see the enormatity of the instrument which is going to penetrate their most sensitive and private areas. I urge you to consider how you deal with all patients in future. I do not think that the staff at the Alex could have dealt with my husbands genuine and understandable fear and anxiety about this procedure any more badly if they had tried. They were insensitive, did not listen and lacked any compassion or respect for his feelings. What is the point of asking on the pre-op questionnaire whether you are feeling anxious about the procedure if you then do not do anything about it. After leaving the theatre, no-one checked to see whether my husband was ok - which he clearly was not. This experience has left my husband extremely shocked and shaken and we now do not have a diagnosis for his haematuria. - Well done the Alex!