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Did the transnasal esophagoscopy cause permanent damage?
Hi, I went to an ENT for a new patient visit 12 days ago. About 2.5 weeks ago I took a sip of hot coffee (didn't know it was that hot) & after I swallowed it my throat felt kind of swollen. I didn't have pain though and could swallow fine.
After 2.5 wks, I was starting to feel better but decided to go to the ENT just to double check & ask questions.
Long story short, I went to the ENT just to have them check and I wanted to just ask questions.
After the MA took my vitals, she said so your her today because your having difficulty swallowing. I told her no, that I was there bc on March 24 I took a sip of hot coffee and worried. I said that I've been eating soft foods since I the hot coffee incident my throat & that the mashed potatoes kind of irritated my throat that first week of the incident.
She then told me to move to the exam chair b/c the doctor wanted me to have medicine to look at my throat (she never left the room so I'm not sure if she was messaging him). I was confused, but moved. She handed me a tissue & said she was going to put the medicine up my nose. I am very upset with myself b/c I didn't ask why or what was going on. It was all happening so fast & yes, I do feel stupid for not asking questions.
She put lidocaine & Afrin liquid down my nose, which ran down my throat (she never told me what she was putting in, I saw the labels after she was done). I started to fell like my throat was swelling. She left and 5 mins later the doctor came in and had an NP that was shadowing. He introduced the NP and said he was going to take a look at me. He looked in my ears, nose, & mouth with the light. He then said, "Ok I'm going to put the a camera down your right nostril, since that side looks the best and look at your throat".
I'm beating myself up again b/c I didn't ask questions, I just froze & my anxiety took over. Never once did I know they were going to do this, I've never seen this doctor before. I didn't know why they were doing this or that they were doing it at the appt. They never informed me of anything, the procedure, risks, nothing.
After I left the appt, it felt strained when I tried talking. I was worried that the camera or lidocaine might have hurt my voice box since he said he went that far down. After the lidocaine wore off, from about 5 pm to 5:20 AM I had gotten a sore throat.
Now 12 days later, I feel like the camera/tube is still in my throat or like there's a stick poking my larynx. The part where you larynx is (not sure if that's the right name or spot), when I swallow make a faint click sound/feeling that I didn't have before this scope procedure. I feel strained when I talk now, I can't even talk for a minute without my voice starts to get uncomfortable & then it makes my throat feel uncomfortable. I'm scared that now my throat is damaged forever from this.
Could the camera have scratched my throat or damaged it (perforation)? Do you think the camera/tube or lidocaine caused permanent damage?
Shouldn't they have given me an informed consent or at least warned me of the risks before? Or does this type of procedure not need permission or to inform of risk?
Again, I have beating myself up b/c I should have told the MA to pause for a moment & ask more questions, but I didn't know what was going on. I thought the doctor was going to at least ask me more questions & if they needed to do any test or procedures that it would be scheduled at another time, b/c that is normally how appts go. I feel stupid and for the last 12 days I've been mad at myself for going to that ENT appt. Had I known there where going to do a procedure on me I would have definitely canceled. I can't even cry because that feels like it's pulling something inside my throat now.
After 2.5 wks, I was starting to feel better but decided to go to the ENT just to double check & ask questions.
Long story short, I went to the ENT just to have them check and I wanted to just ask questions.
After the MA took my vitals, she said so your her today because your having difficulty swallowing. I told her no, that I was there bc on March 24 I took a sip of hot coffee and worried. I said that I've been eating soft foods since I the hot coffee incident my throat & that the mashed potatoes kind of irritated my throat that first week of the incident.
She then told me to move to the exam chair b/c the doctor wanted me to have medicine to look at my throat (she never left the room so I'm not sure if she was messaging him). I was confused, but moved. She handed me a tissue & said she was going to put the medicine up my nose. I am very upset with myself b/c I didn't ask why or what was going on. It was all happening so fast & yes, I do feel stupid for not asking questions.
She put lidocaine & Afrin liquid down my nose, which ran down my throat (she never told me what she was putting in, I saw the labels after she was done). I started to fell like my throat was swelling. She left and 5 mins later the doctor came in and had an NP that was shadowing. He introduced the NP and said he was going to take a look at me. He looked in my ears, nose, & mouth with the light. He then said, "Ok I'm going to put the a camera down your right nostril, since that side looks the best and look at your throat".
I'm beating myself up again b/c I didn't ask questions, I just froze & my anxiety took over. Never once did I know they were going to do this, I've never seen this doctor before. I didn't know why they were doing this or that they were doing it at the appt. They never informed me of anything, the procedure, risks, nothing.
After I left the appt, it felt strained when I tried talking. I was worried that the camera or lidocaine might have hurt my voice box since he said he went that far down. After the lidocaine wore off, from about 5 pm to 5:20 AM I had gotten a sore throat.
Now 12 days later, I feel like the camera/tube is still in my throat or like there's a stick poking my larynx. The part where you larynx is (not sure if that's the right name or spot), when I swallow make a faint click sound/feeling that I didn't have before this scope procedure. I feel strained when I talk now, I can't even talk for a minute without my voice starts to get uncomfortable & then it makes my throat feel uncomfortable. I'm scared that now my throat is damaged forever from this.
Could the camera have scratched my throat or damaged it (perforation)? Do you think the camera/tube or lidocaine caused permanent damage?
Shouldn't they have given me an informed consent or at least warned me of the risks before? Or does this type of procedure not need permission or to inform of risk?
Again, I have beating myself up b/c I should have told the MA to pause for a moment & ask more questions, but I didn't know what was going on. I thought the doctor was going to at least ask me more questions & if they needed to do any test or procedures that it would be scheduled at another time, b/c that is normally how appts go. I feel stupid and for the last 12 days I've been mad at myself for going to that ENT appt. Had I known there where going to do a procedure on me I would have definitely canceled. I can't even cry because that feels like it's pulling something inside my throat now.
To any that responds to my post: I had the coffee incident a month ago, not 2.5 weeks ago. I saw the doctor 12 days ago.
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