A colonoscopy is a safe, painless procedure. You’ll likely not remember the test and may feel cramping or bloating afterward.
During the test, you lie on an exam table, and doctors insert a flexible tube with a camera (colonoscope) into your rectum and colon. They pump air into your colon to inflate it and then send a video image to a monitor.
Diagnosis
The medical student spends much of his curriculum learning how to make a diagnosis, and the practicing physician devotes enormous time and effort to making them. According to experts from Gastroenterology Of The Rockies Colonoscopy Denver, colonoscopy is a powerful tool for diagnosing colorectal cancer and other illnesses in the large intestine (colon).
Patients arrive at the doctor’s office or hospital, change into a gown, and lie on a procedure table. They are often given medicine directly into a vein (IV) to help them relax and tolerate the test. The doctor inserts the tube, called a colonoscope, into the anus and then proceeds to examine the lining of the colon and rectum. The scope has a camera that sends video images to a monitor for viewing. The doctor may also blow air into the colon to expand it for a better view of the scope. Patients might feel pressure or bloating during the procedure but do not usually experience pain.
Prevention
The most effective way to lower your risk of colon cancer is by undergoing regular screenings. Your doctor can identify and remove polyps that might become cancerous. During a colonoscopy, your doctor will ease a thin, flexible, hollow, lighted scope into your rectum and colon. The colonoscope has a camera that allows your doctor to examine the entire colon lining and polyps. The doctor can also pass instruments through the scope to perform biopsies or to remove abnormal growths. The procedure is usually well tolerated, although you might feel pressure, bloating, or cramping during the exam. You’ll likely receive sedation to help you relax. You should arrange for someone to drive you home afterward because sedatives can affect your judgment and reflexes.
Treatment
After changing into a hospital gown, you’ll receive sedation to make you feel more comfortable. This is usually combined with pain medication.
The doctor will insert the colonoscope into your anus and rectum, then move it through your colon to examine its lining. Using the camera on the end of the tube, they can see any polyps or other problems and take tissue samples for biopsy.
Some people experience abdominal cramping or need a bowel movement while the colonoscope is in the colon. This is normal, and it resolves when the colonoscope is withdrawn. Complications are rare, but they can include a reaction to the bowel prep or sedative, an infection, bleeding in your colon, and perforation (hole in your colon). Rarely, surgery is needed to treat complications.
Follow-Up
In the vast majority of cases, colonoscopies are done with minimal discomfort. And if your gastroenterologist removes polyps that could become cancerous, the test will likely prevent more serious symptoms later.
In many cases, your gastroenterologist can tell you immediately what they found and if they removed any tissue for biopsy. But if the doctor had to send tissue for further analysis, you may not get results for a few days or weeks.
If you have a colonoscopy, carefully prepare your body by following the bowel prep instructions. This is the most critical part of the exam because if your bowel isn’t thoroughly cleaned out beforehand, your gastroenterologist won’t be able to see and treat any polyps or pre-cancerous lesions. As instructed, taking a laxative the night before and the day of your procedure is essential. You may also need to stop taking certain medications, including aspirin and ibuprofen, which can affect blood clotting.
*This is a collaboration post
