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Colonoscopy | Ivy Family Health Updates

Colonoscopy

 
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Dr. Mark Avila discusses colonoscopy with Drs. John, Kathryn, and Edward Martin.

Colonoscopy is a procedure done to examine the inside of the colon, looking for polyps and possible tumors of the colon. It is recommended that everyone have a screening colonoscopy done at age 50. If someone has a family history or a gastrointestinal cancer, or has had any GI bleeding, then it should be done sooner.

To do a colonoscopy the colon must be completely empty, and this is accomplished by doing a prep the night before. The more common solutions
available for this are mag citrate or a solution called Go Lightly. This is the most unpleasant part of the whole procedure for most patients.

During a colonoscopy, a scope is inserted through the rectum and advanced along the entire length of the colon. Air is placed into the colon, which allows visualization of the inside. Any polyps seen are removed and sent for pathology. The whole procedure usually takes about 15 minutes. Anesthesia can be given intravenously so that the patient doesn’t feel any discomfort during the procedure. Complications of a colonoscopy do not occur often, but include an anesthetic complication, perforation (less than .1%), bleeding, and infection.

If the first colonoscopy is normal, you can wait 10 years for the next exam. If a benign solitary polyp is found, the next exam should be done in 5 years. And if there is a large polyp, for example 2cm in length, a repeat colonoscopy should be done in 1 to 3 years. If there is any change in bowel movements such as prolonged constipation, rectal bleeding, or any other abnormality noted, the exam should be done sooner.

Virtual colonoscopy uses x-rays and computers to provide 2 and 3 dimensional images of the colon. This is a great alternative in patients who may not be able to do a regular colonoscopy, such as in the elderly, patients who can not stop their anticoagulants, or very ill patients. The accuracy is similar to a regular colonoscopy, although smaller polyps may be missed. Unfortunately a bowel prep must still be done before the exam.