Imagine a day when you go in for a colonoscopy and a machine, not a person, sedates you. You may be familiar with this reality if you’ve come across Sedasys—an FDA-approved anesthesiology machine developed by Johnson & Johnson.
Sedasys, currently available in only four U.S. hospitals, administers propofol through an IV and monitors sedation (then adjusts or stops the drug delivery if needed). A medical professional monitors the process and the machine alerts staff if any of your vitals falls below an acceptable level.
While there’s been debate among the medical community about the benefits and drawbacks of a machine administering anesthesia, Sedasys could present an option to reduce the cost of a colonoscopy.
Sedation fees can sometimes cost more than the colonoscopy, however Sedasys can be significantly less—$150 to $200 depending on your insurance.
What do you think? Would you let a machine sedate you?
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