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At Capital Digestive Care, our providers offer a comprehensive range of digestive health services.
Colonoscopy
What to expect and how to prepare, plus additional resources. Contact your provider to confirm if they perform the procedure.
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Procedure overview
A colonoscopy is a visual examination of the entire large intestine (colon) using a lighted, flexible colonoscope that screens for colon polyps and colon cancer. To be certain you are comfortable and relaxed during your colonoscopy, you will be sedated through an I.V. In fact, most patients are asleep during the entire process and remember little to nothing about it. Early detection of colon cancer is crucial.
Do you need a Colonoscopy
You should begin screening for colorectal cancer with a colonoscopy once you turn 45. You should continue getting screened at regular intervals after that. Your physician can let you know if you need to begin screening before you turn 45 based on your risk level.
Screening Tool
Your doctor can help you understand your colorectal cancer risk. You can also use the colorectal cancer screening tool, which is grounded in well-established risk factors acknowledged by the medical community for colorectal cancer.
What to expect
To ensure you’re comfortable and relaxed during your colonoscopy, you’ll be sedated through an I.V. Most patients are asleep during the process and remember little to nothing about it. It takes between 15 and 30 minutes.
- When it’s time to start the screening, you’ll lie on your side.
- Once sedation takes effect, a colonoscope is inserted through the rectum and moved gently around the bends of the colon.
- As the colonoscope makes its way through the colon, the physician can see the lining of the colon on a television screen. Typically, the physician looks all the way to the end of the large intestine, and back, for anything unusual.
- Once complete, your nurse will take you into a recovery area, where the sedation quickly wears off.
- Your physician will speak with you about your test and any findings.
How to prepare
Preparation for a colonoscopy begins with a thorough cleansing of the entire bowel. This is essential for effective results and to minimize the need for retesting. You’ll receive instructions from your physician, which may include:
- Taking an enema
- Restriction from eating solid foods a day or two before the test
- Taking laxatives (pill or liquid form)
- Drinking clear, fat-free bouillon or broth, gelatin, strained fruit juice (no grape juice or any liquid with red color), water, plain and unsweetened coffee or tea, or diet soda
You also may need to avoid taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medications, as well as iron supplements, before the test. Unless otherwise instructed, you can continue taking any regularly prescribed medication.
Your doctor will also want to know if you have heart disease, lung disease or any medical condition that may need special attention.
Finally, you will need to have someone drive you home afterward because lingering, subtle effects of the sedation will make it unsafe for you to drive until the next day.
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