If you have any history of adenoma or family history for colon cancer, then your doctor will refer you for colonoscopy. You will be referred for the colonoscopy following fecal immunochemical test. In these cases, patient coordinator will discuss this procedure with you and go ahead with colonoscopy screening.
Colonoscopy is a treatment where doctor uses flexible tube with miniature camera to view inside lining of the colon and rectum. During this test, the doctor will find or remove most polyps & some cancers.
What’s Colonoscopy?
Colonoscopy is the outpatient treatment that is generally done to examine inside of the large intestine (rectum and colon). This examination uses instrument named colonoscope (at times called scope). The flexible instrument is long and includes camera and ability to remove any tissue (you will not feel tissue getting removed).
Colonoscopy is used to check gastrointestinal symptoms, like abdominal pain, bleeding, and changes in the bowel habits.
How Is Colonoscopy Performed?
During the colonoscopy treatment, you will have to lie on the left side on your exam table. You will be given sedatives through IV in the arm, and you will sleep for some time.
During this procedure, your doctor puts the tube-like device named colonoscope in your rectum. It is long but just about half-inch across. This has video camera and light on its tip so that doctor will see your colon lining and tell in case there is any issue.
Colonoscope includes the tube that allows your doctor to pump in air & inflate your colon. It can give them much better view of the colon and lining.
During this exam, your doctor will use small snare in a colonoscope to take small samples of the colon for testing that is named biopsy. They will use this to take out the abnormal growths named polyps.