My brother told me he was going in for his colonoscopy and I said, “Are you concerned?” He said, “No, it’s just a lot of time lost.”
I suggested he do it without anesthesia like I did, and it was a hard no for him. The thing is, by not doing anesthesia, I gained hours of my life back, plus I didn’t risk dying.
Here are some reasons to go without anesthesia, and a bit about my experience.
Why Do a Colonoscopy Without Anesthesia?
Mortality Risk
Sure, the mortality risk of going under anesthesia is very slim, but it’s not zero. Why risk it?
For a healthy adult (ASA I–II) in the U.S., roughly age 50–60, the risk of death directly attributable to anesthesia is about 0.0005%–0.005% (≈1 in 200,000 to 1 in 20,000) based on modern data.
I love my life. I’d rather suffer some mild discomfort for 20-30 minutes than risk being that 1 in 200,000.
Time Reclaimed
When you go under anesthesia, you pay a massive time tax. You have to get to your appointment earlier to get prepped and put under. After your 30-minute procedure, you spend an hour in recovery waiting until you’re coherent enough to walk and talk. It takes 1-2 hours to fully regain your normal mental faculties, you aren’t allowed to drive, and they caution against making major decisions for 24 hours.
I bypassed all of this. I breezed in, got checked in, and was examined. I sat in the waiting room until my number was called. After it was over, I got dressed and walked out. I could’ve driven home no problem. My brother had gone with me as a precaution, but it was unnecessary.
I was fully mentally clear the entire time. Even excited and energized because I had braved a new adventure!
Summary: I ran no risk of dying, I saved a few hours out of my day which I could use to be productive, and I didn’t have foreign agents in my body making me groggy, dizzy, or nauseous.
But was it worth it? Was it painful? Scary?
What was it Like Getting a Colonoscopy without Sedation?
When I was researching this, I found many accounts from others who had skipped the sedation. Most said the worst of it was like bad gas, or intense cramps. That was my experience.
I put on the gown and waited. When they were ready for me, I got wheeled into the procedure room. The doctor and his support staff were great. They explained what to expect and made me as comfortable as possible.
And yes, there was a scope up my butt, trolling my colon for 20 minutes, but aside from a few moments of discomfort, it was very tolerable. The doc explained to me that they now use CO2 rather than air to puff up the colon and make passage smoother for the scope. Room air used to leave people feeling bloated, but the CO2 is absorbed, eliminating bloat.
Honestly, in the 20 minutes or so of the procedure, there were only a few moments of intense discomfort. Like the worst gas you’ve ever had, or extreme cramps. For most of the time, I was on my side, watching the process on a video monitor along with the doctor. He took the time to explain to me what he was doing and where he was in the geography of the colon.
I thought it was super-cool! It was a whole world that most of us never see! I felt like an explorer. It felt like an adventure, truly. And then it was over. They wheeled me back into the waiting room. I got dressed, checked out at the desk, and I was feeling good, ready to go on with my day.
Was There Pushback from the Hospital?
I was amazed, but no. I told them I wanted to do it without anesthesia and they basically said “OK”. I had less resistance from the hospital on this than I did when I told my dentist that I wanted a non-amalgam tooth filling.
I notified the hospital in advance, so it pushed back my pre-procedure arrival time. More time for me in my day.
The nurse who checked my vitals thought it was great that I was staying conscious. She said that she planned to do hers unsedated when the time came. She wanted to see it. She was interested.
Is it Common to do an Unsedated Colonoscopy?
I looked it up, and 1-2% of colonoscopies in the US are done without anesthesia. That number is very different outside of the US, though. In Europe, rates vary widely—roughly 20–60% unsedated, with countries like the U.K. and Scandinavia commonly offering no or minimal sedation.
In Asia, South America, and parts of Africa, unsedated procedures are more common overall—often 50–90%, depending on local practice patterns, cost, and resource availability.
Are we wimps in the US?
Would I Do it Again?
Heck Yeah!
For the reasons mentioned above: reclaiming time in my day and eliminating mortality risk.
Also for the adventure. It felt like I was exploring the ocean floor, or deep space—going where no man has gone before!
I love to learn, and I learned about the anatomy of the colon and the tools and instruments they use. I also got the real-time prognosis on my colon health since I was awake and talking with the doc.
I do my best to take great care of my body and to be in tune with my health and well-being. Doing the process this way gave me sovereignty.
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