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The Colonoscopy procedure is used to evaluate the lining of the colon in order to check for several medical conditions. It is the method of choice for screening patients at risk for colon cancer.
Using a colonoscope, a long, thin, flexible, tube-like instrument, your physician can visually inspect the lining of the colon. The scope bends, so the physician can move it around the curves of your colon. You may be asked to change position occasionally to help the physician move the scope. The scope also blows air into your colon, which inflates the colon and helps the physician see better. Color images are sometimes taken using video capture technology and polyps can be removed with a plastic covered wire snare that cuts, cauterizes and removes the polyp.
For the procedure, you will lie on your left side on the examining table. You will be given pain medication and sedation to keep you comfortable and sleepy during the exam. The physician will insert the colonoscope into the rectum and slowly guide it all the way up through the colon to the lower end of the small intestine. Colonoscopy is a relatively simple and painless procedure and usually lasts less than one half hour.
Any questions regarding this or any other Endoscopic procedure should be directed to your physician.
Instruction sheets for preparing for a colonoscopy may be downloaded from our forms page.
© 2003 Austin Gastroenterology * Updated