But don't worry about being embarrassed or exposed — you will wear a hospital gown, and a sheet provides extra covering. Rest assured that, during the procedure, your gastroenterologist will be focused on a monitor displaying the inside of your colon, not on your backside.
You may need a catheter (fine plastic drain tube) put in your front passage to drain the urine from your bladder until you are able to pass urine comfortably on your own.
You may keep most clothing on for upper endoscopy as well as comfortable shirt and socks for colonoscopy. Women may keep their bra on for the procedure. Please do not wear lotions, oils or perfumes/cologne to the center due to the monitoring devices.
The night before your surgery, wash with soap you were given. Do not shave your abdomen (stomach) or pubic hair. Shaving before your surgery gives you a higher chance of getting an infection. A person from the health-care team will use clippers to get you ready for surgery if hair needs to be removed.
❖ You will need to undress and wear a hospital gown along with a dressing gown. You will be offered disposable shorts to wear. ❖ You will receive a sedative and an analgesic injection for the test and you may be offered Entonox (gas and air).
What if I've taken all my preparation and am still passing solid stool on the day of my exam? In this case, your procedure will need to be rescheduled. You may be prescribed a different preparation for your next procedure. Please call the triage nurse to reschedule your procedure with a different preparation.
Your doctor and nurse will be in the room at all times. The procedure usually takes about 20-45 minutes. The amount of time depends on how well your at-home preparation worked, the length of your colon, and how many polyps are found and removed. How comfortable you are also affects how long the procedure takes.
Take a bath or shower before you come in for your procedure. Do not apply lotions, perfumes, deodorants, or nail polish. Take off all jewelry and piercings. And take out contact lenses, if you wear them.
Hair is removed to avoid problems during and after surgery, for example when stitching up wounds or applying dressings. However, some studies claim that removing hair could cause infections after surgery and should be avoided.
Most colonoscopies take only 15-30 minutes to complete. As a reminder, most patients recall feeling minimal to no pain or discomfort during the procedure. After the colonoscopy is done, you will be observed in a recovery area until the effects of the anesthesia wear off.
During a colonoscopy, a long, flexible tube called a colonoscope is inserted into the rectum. A tiny video camera at the tip of the tube allows the doctor to detect changes or abnormalities inside the entire colon. If you are not sedated, you may choose to watch the video during the procedure.
Your Recovery
After a colonoscopy, you'll stay at the clinic until you wake up. Then you can go home. But you'll need to arrange for a ride. Your doctor will tell you when you can eat and do your other usual activities.
Once the procedure is over, the patient will need about 30-60 minutes to recover from the sedation before getting dressed and leaving the building. As a last step before leaving, the doctor will review what he or she found during the colonoscopy and discuss next steps, if there are any.
This type of anesthetic renders you completely unconscious, and your breathing is impaired, so a breathing tube, ventilator, and inhalation anesthetic are used.
You can start eating regular foods the next day. Keep eating light meals if you are not able to pass gas and still feel bloated. For the first 24 hours after your procedure: Do not drink alcohol.
Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothes and socks to keep you warm. Do not wear heavy or bulky sweaters. Avoid girdles, pantyhose, or tight-fitting garments. You will be required to change into a hospital gown for your procedure.
Dr. Minkin told us that, although "there is no biological reason to remove pubic hair," shaving down there is a safe option for removal, as long as you're doing it correctly. "The major concern with shaving is cutting oneself — but as long as you don't get cut, there's not much harm," Dr. Minkin said.
3. Don't shave your stomach or pubic area. You might think you're being helpful, but shaving with razors creates small nicks in the skin, which can promote infection after delivery.
The morning of your colonoscopy.
You may brush your teeth. However, unless specifically instructed by your doctor to drink the remainder of a split-dose prep, you are generally asked to refrain from eating or drinking anything, even water, the morning of your procedure.
A few days before the colonoscopy procedure — Start eating a low-fiber diet: no whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or raw fruits or vegetables. The day before the colonoscopy procedure — Don't eat solid foods.
You will probably feel a bit tired or groggy even then, so you cannot drive yourself home. Your doctor will not release you unless there is someone there to bring you home. The effects of the sedation could last up to a day, so you should not drive or operate any machinery until the following day.
As a general rule, it is best to take the rest of the day off from work after a colonoscopy and give yourself 24 hours to feel 100% normal again.
While everyone's body is different, most people are able to complete their round of purging before going to sleep for the night. If you're taking a split dose, you may have to wake up early to take your second dose on the morning of your colonoscopy. But you should be able to sleep in between.