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1994-01-17
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$Title{Colonoscopy}
A Medical Times Patient Education Chart
(C) Romaine Pierson Publishers, Inc.
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Colonoscopy
A colonoscope is a slender and flexible tube that can be used to examine
the entire colon. The procedure, known as a colonoscopy, is not a routine
examination, but may be recommended by your doctor to determine a source of
bleeding or to diagnose polyps, cancer, and other conditions.
Colonoscopy is particularly useful in diagnosing disease that is beyond
the reach of a proctosigmoidoscope. A proctosigmoidoscope is shorter and more
rigid and is used to examine the rectum and lower colon only. It can help
find colon and rectal cancers early, and it is recommended that men and women
over the age of 50 have a "procto" every one to five years, depending on the
individual and the test results. If the results are not normal, your
physician may recommend more extensive tests, including colonoscopy.
Why is Colonoscopy Useful?
The development of an instrument that can be used to view the entire
colon has greatly improved the diagnosis and treatment of polyps, small
projecting growths. Polyps, even tiny ones, can be located much more easily
than with other methods. A wire loop can be passed through the scope and
hooked around the base of a polyp. A current is applied and polyp is nipped
off.
Colonoscopy is also useful in determining the cause of bleeding, either
bleeding from the rectum or hidden (also known as "occult") bleeding that has
been detected by a stool blood slide test. The bleeding can be stopped with
an electrical current, a heat probe, or a laser passed through the
colonoscope.
If other tests, such as the "procto" and stool blood slide test
(mentioned above) or the barium enema, indicate problems may be present,
colonoscopy may be used to look for other signs of bowel disease and possible
cancerous growths. If an unusual growth is noted, the physician can take a
sample of cells for later examination under a microscope, a procedure known as
a biopsy. If cancer is diagnosed, colonoscopy can be used before surgery to
determine the extent of the disease, and as a follow-up procedure to see if
the growths in the colon have been completely removed and later, if they
return.
The Examination
Your doctor may advise you to follow a liquid diet the day before the
test and to not consume anything after midnight. Your doctor may also want
you to have an enema the morning of the procedure. This will cleanse the
bowel and permit better viewing of the walls of the colon. You may receive a
mild sedative to relax you prior to the examination. For the examination, you
lie on your left side, with a sheet draped over your lower body. Your doctor
will gently insert the scope through the anus and rectum and into the colon.
You may feel cramps, but these can be relieved by your doctor manipulating the
scope and, if needed, by additional medication.