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Colonoscopy |
Colonoscopy A colonoscopy is an examination of the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract, which is called the colon or large intestine.Thecolonoscope, or long flexible tube with a camera on the end, is The patient will receive sedatives or sleep medications throughout the procedure, so he or she feels no pain and does not remember the procedure. Occasionally, a patient may be awake during the procedure; but usually, the patient does not remember it. The colonoscopy takes 20 to 30 minutes and is most often done as an outpatient. Greater than 99% of the patients have no complications and are on their way home 1 hour after the colonoscopy is over. Screening for Colon Cancer
Getting Prepared The Procedure As you arrive for your exam, you will be checked in and will meet the nursing staff. A nurse will take a brief medical history and will ask for your current medication list. Therefore, please bring your current medication list, and include dosage and frequency of ingestion. Don't forget to list any over-the-counter medications, as well. Please let the nursing staff know if you have any allergies to medications, or if you have had adverse reactions to sedatives in the past. The nurse will ask you if you have followed the clear liquid diet for 24 hours and if you have taken all the laxative preparation. Please be honest, as failure to take all the laxatives will result in stool left in your colon and may lead to the termination of the procedure prematurely. If your procedure is aborted, it will need to be rescheduled. You will change into a gown, and an intravenous line will be placed in your arm or hand. This line will allow IV fluids and medications to be given to you during the procedure. These medications are similar to valium and morphine and will relax you and take away any pain. You will be placed on a monitor that will follow your blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen level in the blood throughout the whole procedure and during the whole recovery process. Next, a nurse will review the examination with you, including possible complications and will ask you to sign an "informed consent" form. The doctor will answer any questions you may have also. The colonoscopy will be performed with you lying on your left side. Sedative drugs will be administered through the IV line. Many people sleep during the examination, and others are very relaxed, comfortable and not aware of the examination. The colonoscope is a long, flexible tube that has a camera and light source on the end. It is used to examine your entire colon and the end of your small intestine if necessary. The colonscope has an air source, used to inflate the colon; and this may cause some abdominal cramping. During the procedure if this cramping gets worse, please tell your physician right away. The colonoscope also has channels within the flexible tube, in which long forceps can be inserted in order to obtain biopsies of the colonic lining or to remove polyps. Some polyps can be pre-cancerous, and their removal usually obliterates any cancer the might have arisen from those polyps. After Your Colonoscopy After the colonoscopy, you will be taken to recovery to allow the medications to wear off and for you to wake up. Here, you will be met by your driver. The doctor will explain the results of the test to you and your driver. It is important that During your time in the recovery room -- which usually lasts from 1/2 to 1 hour -- you may feel bloating and cramping. By expelling gas from your rectum, the feeling will dissipate. Passing gas may be necessary for the rest of the day, as well. This is why, after your procedure and for the rest of the day, you should plan on spending the day at home, resting on the couch or taking a nap. You may eat a regular diet as tolerated after your procedure and likely resume all your regular medications. If you are on blood thinners such as aspirin, plavix or coumadin, ask your doctor when it is safe to resume taking these medications. Do not expect to go to work for, at least, 16-24 hours. Most people feel no adverse effects 24 hours after the procedure and are able to return to work without any difficulty. Colonocopy is a safe pocedure and complications are rare, but they can occur. Here are two examples:
Please feel free to ask questions of your doctor or nurse about anything relating to the procedure while you are in the unit. If you should experience horrible abdominal pain (not just cramping), fever, or bleeding from the rectum of more than a few tablespoons, call your physician right away. If your own physician is unavailable, and "on-call" physician will be available to answer any questions you might have.
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advancedinto the rectum through the anus. The colon is roughly four feetlong, and this part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is examined by a trained endoscopist called a gastroenterologist.
clear all the formed stool from your colon to give the colonoscopist the opportunity to obtain adequate views of the lining of the colon. If formed stool remains in the colon the day of your exam, the procedure may have to be aborted and rescheduled. The doctor will give you very detailed, written instructions relating to the clear liquid diet, medications to avoid before your procedure, and how to take the liquid laxative.
your driver write down the results of the test, because the amnestic effect of the medication may cause you to forget what the endoscopist has to say. As long as your vital signs are stable and similar to your pre-procedure vital signs, you will be allowed to go home.