Procedure guide · Gastroenterology
A colonoscopy lets a doctor look inside the rectum and the whole colon using a thin tube with a light and camera. MedlinePlus explains that it can show inflamed tissue, ulcers, polyps and cancer, and that polyps can often be removed during the test. The bowel preparation the day before shapes your plans more than the procedure itself.
What is a colonoscopy?
MedlinePlus describes a scope passed through the rectum to examine the full length of the large intestine. You usually receive sedatives or anaesthesia through a vein, often with pain relief, so you are not awake or in pain. The doctor may remove polyps and send them to a laboratory. Abnormal-looking tissue may be biopsied.
MedlinePlus also distinguishes related tests. A flexible sigmoidoscopy examines only the rectum and lower colon. A virtual colonoscopy is a CT scan that does not use a scope.
Who may be suitable for a colonoscopy?
According to MedlinePlus, colonoscopy is used to find the cause of symptoms such as rectal bleeding, changes in bowel habit, abdominal pain or unexplained weight loss. It is also used to screen for polyps and bowel cancer in people without symptoms. MedlinePlus notes that other screening options such as stool tests exist. Your doctor decides which test suits you and when.
What should you send before a specialist advises?
- A summary of symptoms or the reason for screening
- Reports from earlier colonoscopies, including polyp and biopsy results
- Family history of bowel cancer or polyps
- Recent blood tests, especially a full blood count
- A full list of medicines and supplements, including blood thinners, iron and diabetes medicines
- Any heart, kidney or breathing conditions that may affect sedation or bowel preparation
How should you plan the trip?
MedlinePlus describes a clear liquid diet before the test and laxatives that cause diarrhoea, so you need to stay near a toilet. It advises avoiding red or purple drinks. After the test you stay while sedation wears off and need someone to take you home.
- Consultation and instructions on preparation and medicines
- Preparation day in your room, with a private bathroom and clear fluids
- Colonoscopy with sedation
- Recovery while sedation wears off, then an escorted return to your hotel
- Results: polyp and biopsy reports take time from the laboratory
- Home: a written report and any surveillance plan for your own doctor
Choose accommodation close to the hospital with a private bathroom. People with diabetes should ask how to manage their medicines while on clear fluids. An attendant is useful on the day of the test.
What should you ask the hospital?
- Which bowel preparation will I use and when should I start it?
- How should I adjust my diabetes or blood-thinning medicines?
- If you find polyps, will you remove them during the same test?
- When will laboratory results be ready and how will I receive them?
- When will I need my next colonoscopy, if at all?
- Will you provide images and a written report for my doctor?
IndiaMedica helps you prepare records and plan the visit. The treating gastroenterologist decides on testing and any follow-up.
Questions people ask
Will I be awake during a colonoscopy?
Usually not. MedlinePlus says you typically receive sedatives or anaesthesia through a vein, often with pain medicine, so you are not awake or in pain. You then rest while it wears off. You need someone to take you home afterwards.
Is bleeding normal after a colonoscopy?
MedlinePlus notes that light rectal bleeding after polyp removal or biopsy is normal, and that cramping or bloating may occur at first. Heavier bleeding, severe pain or fever should be reported to the hospital straight away. Ask for a contact number before you leave.
Why do I need to avoid red drinks before the test?
MedlinePlus explains that the dye in red or purple drinks and gelatin can look like blood in the colon. Avoiding them helps the doctor see the bowel lining clearly. Follow the hospital’s own preparation instructions exactly.
Sources
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. Your treating specialist decides on suitability, treatment and length of stay. How we write and check.