People often have a colonoscopy as part of their screening for colorectal cancer. To have the test, people need to clean out their bowels by drinking lots of clear fluids and taking laxatives the day before and on the morning of the procedure.
The test can also find growths in the bowel that aren’t cancer and help doctors work out how serious they are. Complications are rare but can include problems from the sedation medicine and a tear (perforation) in the colon wall. Contact Colonoscopy Phoenix for professional help.
A colonoscopy is a procedure that allows your doctor to look inside your large intestine (colon). This helps doctors check for problems like colorectal cancer, polyps, and inflammation of the bowel wall. It’s also used to remove small amounts of tissue for biopsy.
To prepare for a colonoscopy, you will need to drink lots of clear fluids the day before the test and take a laxative that causes diarrhoea. You may also be given medicine to make you sleepy, or sedation for your colonoscopy. This is so you’re comfortable and relaxed for the procedure. You’ll usually have your colonoscopy in a hospital, medical office, or outpatient clinic.
You will lie on a padded exam table and your doctor will insert a long flexible tube with a camera (a colonoscope) into your back passage (rectum) and up into your colon. The colonoscope sends video images to a monitor so your doctor can see your entire large intestine lining. The doctor can also inject air into your colon to inflate it, which helps them view the lining more clearly.
During a colonoscopy, your doctor may spot a problem that needs further testing or treatment, so they might pass an instrument through the colonoscope to remove a tiny sample of the lining of your colon for further analysis (biopsy). If they find polyps during the examination, your doctor will likely remove them right away.
Your doctor might also use the colonoscope to control any bleeding they find during the procedure. They may do this by injecting medication or using a process called coagulation, which seals off blood vessels.
If you have polyps or another problem that requires further evaluation, your doctor might recommend a follow-up visit to discuss the results of the colonoscopy. During this visit, your doctor can talk to you about what they found and answer any questions you might have.
Your doctor might also recommend a different type of colonoscopy based on your age, health conditions, or other factors. This could include a double-contrast colonoscopy, which gives them even more detailed information about the lining of your colon and is recommended for people with higher risk of disease.
Preparation for a colonoscopy
Colonoscopies save lives, and they are a relatively painless way to diagnose problems. They are especially important for adults over 50, who have a higher risk of colon cancer.
In addition to a physical exam, doctors can look for abnormal areas of the colon and rectal area using two types of visual screening tests: a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. Both of these procedures involve a thin flexible tube with a camera and light at the end. However, they differ in the areas they can see. A colonoscopy allows a doctor to look at the entire large intestine, while a sigmoidoscopy only examines part of the lower bowel.
During a colonoscopy, a doctor may remove any polyps or other growths found in the colon, which can lead to bowel cancer if left untreated. A biopsy is usually performed, and the results are sent to a laboratory for testing. Polyps are small pieces of tissue that can turn into a cancer. The removal of polyps is a preventive measure that can significantly decrease your chance of getting colon cancer.
Before a colonoscopy, you will need to empty your bowels in preparation for the procedure. Your doctor will give you instructions on how to do this, which will likely include changing your diet and taking laxative medications. The day of your procedure, you should not eat solid food and should drink only clear liquids. You will also need to take a medication that causes diarrhoea.
Your doctor will also ask you about your medical history and family health history. You should discuss any recent health problems and any medicines you take, including over-the-counter medicines such as ibuprofen or aspirin. Some medicines, such as blood thinners or those that affect clotting, may need to be stopped before the test.
Before the procedure, you will be given a sedative or anesthesia to make you sleepy and comfortable. You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home afterward because the sedative or anesthesia will take time to wear off. You can resume your normal diet after the procedure, but you should avoid eating anything that contains red or purple dye as these colors can discolor the stool. You should also stock up on supplies such as moist wipes and diapers, because the bowel prep will cause you to go to the bathroom often.
During a colonoscopy
Before a colonoscopy, you have a consultation with the gastroenterologist who will talk with you about your medical history and any other symptoms you may be experiencing. He or she will also ask about any medications you are currently taking and discuss dietary restrictions. It is important to follow these dietary restrictions closely. This will help to minimize the amount of faecal material that needs to be removed during the procedure and will help to ensure that the test can be carried out successfully.
The day before your colonoscopy you will be instructed to stop eating solid foods and to consume only clear liquids. You will also need to take a laxative, which can be in pill or liquid form. You will need to drink this the night before and in the morning of your procedure. It is important to follow the specific instructions for your test, as failing to do so could result in the appointment having to be rescheduled.
When you arrive for your procedure, a member of the staff will take you to a prep room where you will change into a hospital gown and sit on an examination table. Then a nurse will insert an intravenous line into your arm or hand so that you can receive sedation during the colonoscopy.
A long, flexible tube (colonoscope) is then inserted into your anus and advanced down the rectum into the colon. The doctor uses the colonoscope to look for any abnormalities in the lining of your rectum and colon, and can even remove small growths such as polyps. These are usually harmless (benign), but if left undetected they can become cancerous.
The doctor will take tissue samples from any areas that appear unusual and send them to a laboratory for further evaluation. The sample of bowel lining can reveal things like the presence of tumours or other precancerous conditions. If the results show that any action is required, the doctor will inform you immediately.
After a colonoscopy
After a colonoscopy, the health care professional will tell you what they found during the procedure. They may remove polyps (small growths on the inside of your colon or rectum) to prevent them from becoming cancer, or they may take tissue samples for cancer screening. The doctor will send these samples to a lab to be examined. If polyps are removed, the doctor will talk to you about how frequently you should have repeat colonoscopies in the future.
Most people have a colonoscopy under sedation, which means they sleep through the procedure and don’t feel any pain. Before your colonoscopy, you’ll be given written bowel prep instructions to follow for one or two days before the test, so that little or no stool remains in your large intestine. This includes avoiding foods with fiber, such as whole grains, beans, and nuts, for several days. The instructions also typically call for drinking only clear liquids, such as water and juices, up to a few hours before the test.
When the colonoscopy is complete, you’ll be moved to a recovery room and monitored by nurses until the sedation wears off. You won’t be allowed to drive, so you need to arrange for someone to take you home afterward.
For the first few hours after a colonoscopy, you may have stomach cramping, gas pains, or bloating. This is normal, and should get better as the day goes on. Some people have small amounts of blood in their stools after the procedure, but this is usually not a cause for concern.
A health care professional will check your blood pressure, pulse, and temperature, and will give you a ride home or a hospital bed if necessary. Your body will need time to recover from the sedative and the test, so you’ll need to rest for the remainder of the day.
If you had a biopsy, the lab will send results to your doctor within a few days. Your doctor will discuss the results with you, and they’ll let you know how often you should have a repeat colonoscopy in the future based on your specific risk factors.