Colonoscopy – how to prepare for the procedure? [WE EXPLAIN]

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Colonoscopy is a very important test for cancer prevention. Colorectal cancer often develops over a long period of time without symptoms. Early diagnosis gives an almost 100% chance of recovery. For this reason, you should research yourself. The best method of finding bowel cancer early is colonoscopy.

In order to be able to closely observe the large intestine, it is sometimes necessary to stretch the walls of the large intestine with a small amount of pumped air. It allows you to visualize the lumen of the large intestine and any pathological changes. The amount of air depends, among other things, on the degree of bowel cleansing.

The proper channels of the colonoscope, in addition to pumping air, also allow for washing the lens, suctioning liquid contents from the intestine and introducing additional equipment. The image from the camera is automatically visible on the monitor, thanks to which the doctor can assess the appearance of the intestinal walls. He can also take a fragment of the observed lesion for histopathological examination, as well as excise the polyps of the large intestine.

After the colonoscopy, the patient should use the toilet, where it will be easier for air to escape from the intestine after assuming a stool position. It happens that the flatulence persists after the colonoscopy. At this time, antispasmodics are administered, such as No-Spa or Espumisan. However, when the drugs have no effect, a thin rubber tube is inserted into the patient to open the anal sphincters.

Colonoscopy – indications

Colonoscopy, i.e. a preventive examination in the direction of early detection of colorectal cancer should be performed by every person over 50 years of age. The group of people at increased risk of cancer includes the closest relatives, i.e. parents, siblings or grandparents who have had cancer, but also people who have had inflammatory bowel disease for a long time (Crohn’s disease, Colitis ulcerosa), have or have had a detected intestinal polyp, or have seen blood in their stools. In this case, colonoscopy is very important. Colonoscopy is also recommended:

1. in case of anemia due to iron deficiency;
2. in inflammatory bowel diseases;
3. in constipation;
4. in diarrhea and pencil-like stools;
5. in diverticula of the large intestine.

Need to discuss the colonoscopy results or get a second opinion? You can use the online consultation option and send the test results to the specialist electronically. Make an e-appointment with your doctor and receive advice with e-Prescription, e-Release and e-Referral without leaving your home.

Colonoscopy – contraindications

Due to the nature of the procedure, it is not always possible to perform a colonoscopy. The main contraindications are:

1. exacerbation of the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease);
2. peritonitis;
3. the second and third trimesters of pregnancy;
4. problems with blood clotting, especially if a polyp excision or biopsy is necessary;
5. serious heart or lung disease.

Colonoscopy and the functions of the large intestine

The large intestine is like a “pipe” through which our body removes unnecessary food residues. It is about 150 cm long and up to 8 cm wide when it is dilated. It is much shorter than the small intestine, which is about 6 m. The main function of the large intestine is the formation and excretion of feces. Unnecessary food residues, from which valuable ingredients have already been absorbed in the small intestine, are concentrated there and transformed by bacteria located in the large intestine.

Colonoscopy – preparation

Preparation for a colonoscopy is as follows:

1. Seven days before the colonoscopy, the patient must stop taking iron preparations. You should not eat fruit containing stone and bread with grains, muesli, linseed, poppy seeds, etc. It is also not recommended to eat red beets! They can falsify the color of the intestinal mucosa. Diabetics should contact their doctor to establish an individual action plan.
2. Three days before the colonoscopy, you should switch to a liquid diet. Unfortunately, we have to give up bread, meat and potatoes. So we eat mainly yoghurts, liquid, thin soups, easily digestible products and drink large amounts of still water.
3. One day before the examination, you should take a leave of absence from work. The referring doctor will prescribe a special laxative, which should be used throughout the day at the recommended doses. After taking the remedy, it is recommended to stay in close proximity to the toilet. In addition, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids, about 3 liters a day.

On the day of the examination, you should refrain from eating (be on an empty stomach). It is allowed to drink still water.

The procedure for preparing for a colonoscopy allows the intestines to be cleaned, which is supposed to enable the examination to be performed effectively and to reduce the patient’s discomfort. When we are referred for an examination, we should carefully read the preparatory activities recommended by the doctor. We will also receive a prescription for a laxative.

The course of the colonoscopic examination

Colonoscopy is performed under local anesthesia or anesthesia. Although it is not a painful test, it is considered very unpleasant by patients. Before performing it, the patient puts on special clothes.

First, the doctor examines the area of ​​the anus to see if there are any abscesses or hemorrhoids, then he lubricates the area of ​​the anus with an anesthetic gel. The examination is performed using the finger (per rectum). The actual colonoscopy involves inserting a colonoscope through the anus into the intestine, i.e. a thin, flexible tube ending with a camera. This may be accompanied by an unpleasant feeling.

Gases or fluid that come out of the anus during the test are a normal body reaction because air is blown into the center of the intestine to make its walls more visible. Patients who do not tolerate this test may ask for general anesthesia. Sometimes it is impossible to insert the colonoscope to the very end of the colon, in such a situation the doctor may perform another additional examination.

See also: Sigmoidoscopy – imaging of the end of the large intestine

After the administration of anesthesia, the subject should rest for at least three hours, and on the day of the test he must not drive the car at all. Gas should not be held with gas after colonoscopy. It is associated with faster relief of abdominal distension and pain.

During colonoscopy, a mucosal segment is often taken for histopathological analysis and endoscopy:

1. elimination of polyps;
2. widening of intestinal strictures;
3. stopping bleeding from the lower gastrointestinal tract;
4. palliative reduction of the tumor mass in inoperable neoplasms in order to restore the lower gastrointestinal tract.

We will know the results of the colonoscopy immediately after the examination. If a histopathological analysis of a tissue specimen obtained during the procedure is necessary, it is usually up to three weeks for this result.

Colonoscopy – complications

Keep in mind that a colonoscopy is an invasive test that can irritate the gut. Then, the patient develops diarrhea, which may persist even a few days after the examination. Sometimes, loose stools are the result of a laxative that is given to the patient before the test is performed. In this case, it is recommended to take, for example, Loperamide, which stops diarrhea.

In addition, after the examination, symptoms such as:

1. abdominal pain,
2. rectal bleeding
3. tight and hard belly,
4. blood in the stool
5. high temperature.

Such symptoms should be consulted with a doctor immediately. The complications of colonoscopy should not be ignored. The most common complications occur after surgical colonoscopy (polypectomy) and widening of narrowing in the intestine.

You can find a specialist in your area on the website clinics.pl.

If we are wondering whether the colonoscopy hurts, there is no universal answer here. The sensations accompanying the procedure depend on the individual sensitivity of the patient and the type of changes in the anus and mucosa.

While colonoscopy is generally considered unpleasant, it is largely associated with a feeling of distension and fullness in the abdomen. Pain is not that common, but it can happen, especially in people who have had abdominal surgery. If in doubt, consult your doctor about the available forms of anesthesia. Conducting a colonoscopy is considered to be one of the key methods used in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, and avoiding it can be disastrous.

Virtual colonoscopy – non-invasive examination

In recent years, the importance of a study that is better tolerated by patients has grown in importance, i.e. virtual colonoscopy CT. It is a study that uses the possibilities of computed tomography (CT, CT), an imaging test based on the effect of X-rays. With virtual colonoscopy, the procedure is less invasive than with traditional colonoscopy. What’s the difference?

Virtual colonoscopy does not require the introduction of a colonoscope into the large intestine. Instead, a rectal canal is used – this short tube is inserted into the anus and air is pumped into the intestine. This is to allow you to get an accurate picture of the inside of the intestine with a proper examination. The next step is computed tomography. Imaging tests are performed in the prone position and supine position, which may take approximately 15–30 minutes.

If virtual CT colonoscopy is screening, it is not necessary to administer iodine contrast. However, this measure is used when diagnostics are carried out – in this case, people with renal insufficiency or allergy to contrast cannot use the test. Pregnancy is also a contraindication to CT scans.

Virtual colonoscopy also has other limitations. If during the examination we discover polyps or changes that require taking a specimen for histopathological examination, it will be necessary to perform a classic colonoscopy.

Advantages of virtual colonoscopy instead, there are:

1. low inconvenience for the patient compared to standard colonoscopy;
2. no need for sedation or general anesthesia to the patient;
3. accurate determination of the location of lesions that require surgical intervention;
4. facilitated examination of patients with adhesions;
5. increasing availability of research;
6. the possibility of examining patients for whom classic colonoscopy could be risky, e.g. due to contraindications;
7. capturing changes in the intestine that might be missed in a standard examination;
8. low risk of intestinal damage.

That is why screening tests (e.g. faecal occult blood test), quick reaction to the first symptoms, a visit to a proctologist and colonoscopy increase the chance of detecting neoplastic changes and healing.

If you want to support the work of the intestines, you can start supplementation with caprylic acid, which counteracts inflammatory changes in the intestines.

If we decide to perform a colonoscopic examination privately, the price will depend on the specifics of the examination:

1. colonoscopy without anesthesia – about PLN 280-900;
2. anesthesia by an anesthesiologist before colonoscopy – about PLN 200–400;
3. polypectomy (colonoscopy with removal of a polyp) – about PLN 300-800, but with anesthesia included, the price may reach PLN 1000-2000 (depending on the place of examination);
4. taking a sample for histopathological examination – additional PLN 50-300;
5. virtual colonoscopy (CT / CT colonography) – approx. 370–700 PLN.

Read also:

1. Gastroscopy – preparation for examination and anesthesia
2. Colon cancer symptoms – how do you recognize them?
3. Tumors that kill fastest

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