Colonoscopy Phoenix is a test that helps doctors look inside your large bowel. It is often used to help diagnose or find out more about bowel problems such as colitis, diverticulosis or pre-cancerous and cancerous colon polyps.
During the procedure you may feel some pressure and pain. A sedative is used to make you relaxed and sleepy during the procedure.
Your doctor will give you specific instructions to follow to prepare for the test. Typically, you will need to drink a large volume of clear liquids starting the day before the procedure and take a laxative. The laxative causes diarrhea, so you will need to plan on staying close to a bathroom that day. You should also stop taking any blood thinners (Eliquis, Warfarin, Xarelto, Plavix) or iron pills until your doctor tells you to start them again.
You will not be allowed to eat solid foods the day of your colonoscopy. You will also be given a bowel prep medication to drink the night before. This will usually consist of a liquid solution with added electrolytes and is available in various fruit flavors. It is very important to drink the entire prep so your colon is empty and ready for the procedure. If your stool is still dark or full of fecal matter, it will be impossible for the doctor to view the lining of your colon and you may need to reschedule your procedure.
For the procedure itself, you will be lying on your back while the doctor inserts a tube called a colonoscope into your rectum and begins to examine the lining of the large intestine. You might feel some pressure, bloating or cramping during the exam. During the procedure, your doctor will probably take a tissue sample to check for abnormalities, such as polyps or cancerous growths. You might experience some bleeding if the doctor removes a polyp or biopsy.
After the procedure, you will need to stay in a special recovery room until the sedation or anesthesia wears off. You will need someone to drive you home because the sedatives or anesthesia will make it unsafe for you to operate a motor vehicle.
In some cases, you might need to stay in the hospital overnight for observation after a colonoscopy. Generally, you will return home the same day. You should also arrange for a ride home from the hospital, because the sedatives or anesthesia could make you dizzy and confused.
Procedure
The procedure usually lasts 20 minutes or less. It can be done in a health care provider’s office or a hospital. You will lie on your back and a thin tube, called a sigmoidoscope, is guided through your anus and into your large intestine (colon). The doctor may inflate the bowel with air for a better view. A camera at the end of the sigmoidoscope sends video images to a monitor. The doctor can then look at the lining of your colon and take small tissue samples for biopsy.
A health care professional will give you medicine into a vein (IV) to make you sleepy and not feel any pain during the test. This is called sedation or anesthesia. You might also be given other medicines through the IV to treat pain or to help you relax. You will be asked to sign a consent form before the test begins.
Your health care provider will check your heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen level during the procedure. A nurse or a doctor will watch you closely while you are having the colonoscopy.
If your doctor sees polyps or other abnormal growths, they can be removed during the colonoscopy. A sample of the polyp or other tissue may be sent to a lab to find out if it is cancerous or noncancerous. The doctor can also remove a growth that is pressing against the colon wall, which causes symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation.
After the procedure, you will be monitored until the sedation wears off. Some discomfort, such as gas or bloating, is normal. You may also have small amounts of bleeding in your first bowel movement after the colonoscopy.
The doctor can treat any bleeding that happens during a colonoscopy right away. He or she can also use the results of a colonoscopy to work out what stage your bowel cancer is in and how best to treat it. The results of a colonoscopy can also be checked using a CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These scans create clear pictures of your colon and rectum without the need for surgery.
Recovery
For most people, the recovery process following a colonoscopy is relatively fast. However, this is partially dependent on the individual. The bowel preparation, sedation and the procedure itself can take a toll on the body, and some discomfort is normal. It may also take some time for a person to have their first bowel movement. This is a good sign that the body is recovering and nothing to be alarmed about. Some people have small amounts of blood in this bowel movement, which is also normal.
As with any medical procedure, the recovery from a colonoscopy is best when a person is well rested. A patient should try to get as much sleep as possible on the day of the procedure, and it is recommended that he or she arrange for someone to drive him or her home afterward. This is important because the sedatives used during the procedure can impair reflexes and judgment, increasing the risk of an accident.
Once the procedure is over, a patient should be moved into a recovery area to rest until the anesthesia wears off. A nurse will check the patient’s heart, breathing and blood pressure while the individual acclimates to being awake again. A person will be able to go home once the nurse is satisfied that he or she is fully recovered from the sedative.
It is important to stay hydrated after a colonoscopy. Drinking lots of liquids like water, herbal tea or clear soup can help the body eliminate any leftover contrast and support healing. It is also a good idea to avoid any caffeine or alcohol, as they can dehydrate the body further.
A patient should start with a diet of soft, easily digestible foods like scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, skinless chicken or white fish, fruit juices and soups. Gradually reintroduce more solid food as the digestive system heals. Taking it slowly allows the body to acclimate to eating and helps prevent any complications.
Patients should contact their doctor immediately if they experience any symptoms that may indicate a complication. Some symptoms that should be reported include abdominal pain, bloating, rectal bleeding or fever.
Follow-up
Screening for colorectal cancer is a proven way to reduce deaths from this common and preventable disease. However, the benefits of this procedure don’t stop with the removal of precancerous growths or polyps. Getting regular follow-up colonoscopies helps doctors track recurrence of these polyps and ensure that the underlying cancer cells are not progressing. A new study demonstrates that people who do not undergo follow-up colonoscopies are at higher risk of dying from all causes, including colorectal cancer.
The research was conducted in Italy, where universal health care provides coverage for screening services such as the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) that detects traces of blood in at-home stool samples. The FIT test is often recommended as a follow-up to a colonoscopy in order to diagnose underlying polyps or colorectal cancer. The researchers analyzed the medical records of a population that received free FIT testing as part of a regional screening program between 2004 and 2017. Patients who tested positive for colorectal cancer in their stool samples were contacted by a trained individual to offer them a follow-up colonoscopy exam.
Polyps can be a precursor to colorectal cancer, and removing these precancerous lesions greatly reduces a person’s risk of developing the disease. Unfortunately, the study found that people who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer did not undergo regular follow-up colonoscopies.
This is a serious problem, as it means that many people who may have been saved by early detection and treatment are missing out on the potential benefit of this vital procedure. The researchers concluded that people who do not get follow-up colonoscopies are also less likely to adhere to the recommendations for routine bowel screening.
The 2006 guideline recommends that a person with one or more tubular adenomas >10 mm should receive follow-up colonoscopies in less than three years. Studies have shown that these patients have a two- to five-fold increased risk of advanced neoplasia compared with those who do not have such lesions at baseline. In addition, people with serrated polyps at baseline should be evaluated for hereditary polyposis syndrome and considered for individualized follow-up based on their age and life expectancy.