Undergoing a colonoscopy may seem daunting. Here at Austin Gastroenterology, we do our best to ensure that the process is smooth-sailing for you. A colonoscopy can help us detect and understand any problems in the large intestine as well as the rectum. While it may seem like an ordinary medical procedure, colonoscopy has the potential to save or prolong your life because of what it is capable of detecting.
What Is A Colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is a way for us to gain insight into the possible causes of various gastrointestinal conditions that you may be experiencing. It may uncover the causes of abdominal pain, chronic constipation, chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and the like. The procedure can also detect other abnormalities in your colon.
Screening for Colon Cancer
Colonoscopy is also the procedure used for colon cancer screenings. Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, but it is often the most dangerous because there are no symptoms associated with it until it has progressed significantly. Prevention is possible through the detection of precancerous growths during a screening.
Colon cancer usually affects older adults and starts off as benign clumps of cells (polyps) that form in the large intestine. Individuals over the age of 50 who have an average risk of colon cancer are recommended to undergo colonoscopies. While polyps are generally benign or noncancerous, they can become cancerous. These and other abnormal tissues can be detected and removed during a colonoscopy. It may take around 10 or 15 years for a polyp to become cancer. Hence, following the recommendation to have a colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years can save you from colon cancer. For patients who have had polyps before, a follow-up colonoscopy may be necessary to spot and eliminate additional polyps.
What Happens During a Colonoscopy?
The colonoscope, a long and flexible tube with a minuscule video camera attached to its tip, is inserted into your rectum. Through the video camera, your doctor sees the entire colon.
For accurate results, you need to undergo preparations to empty your bowel. Clearing out your large intestine is important, so that your doctor can have a clear view. We recommend a low-fiber diet three days before your procedure, as this will limit the food waste that has to pass through the colon. Another way to prepare for a colonoscopy is to undergo a clear liquid diet a day before the procedure.
If there are polyps or abnormal tissue detected during your colonoscopy, your doctor will remove it. The tissue will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. A biopsy is necessary for your doctor to determine if it is cancerous.
Colonoscopy Services in Texas
Whether to find the underlying cause of your gastrointestinal problem or for the sake of colon cancer prevention, you should not shy away from getting a colonoscopy. At Austin Gastroenterology, we do our best to help your colonoscopy be as smooth and relaxing as possible.
For an appointment, call us our north offices at (512) 244-2273, central offices at (512) 454-4588, or south offices at (512) 488-4588. To set an appointment online, you may fill out this request form.
