Once you arrive at the hospital, you'll be admitted for your colonoscopy. This is a day procedure, so you likely won't have to stay overnight. To get you ready, hospital staff will insert an intravenous cannula into a vein in your hand or arm to administer medications before, during and after your procedure.
The First 24 Hours of Recovery
Because a colonoscopy is performed with the patient under the effects of sedation, the patient will need to arrange for a ride home. Once they are at home, patients should allow themselves at least 24 hours to rest and recover.
After the exam, it takes about an hour to begin to recover from the sedative. You'll need someone to take you home because it can take up to a day for the full effects of the sedative to wear off. Don't drive or make important decisions or go back to work for the rest of the day.
After the procedure, you will stay in recovery until the sedation wears off enough for you to go home. 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.
Colonoscopy. After a colonoscopy, you will need to be driven home by a friend or family member since you will still be recovering from sedation. It is also recommended that you have someone with you for the first 24 hours after you leave our endoscopy center.
For your safety, do not drive, operate machinery, or power tools for at least 8 hours after getting sedation. Your doctor may tell you not to drive or operate machinery until the day after your test. Do not sign legal documents or make major decisions for at least 8 hours after getting sedation.
Colonoscopy recovery is usually quick with most people resuming normal activity the next day. Even so, it is important not to rush back to work. It is best to take the remainder of the day to rest, recover from sedation, and replenish fluids and nutrition. The results of your exam should be available within a few days.
Propofol works quickly; most patients are unconscious within five minutes. "When the procedure is over and we stop the intravenous drip, it generally takes only 10 to 15 minutes before he or she is fairly wide awake again.”
You may experience loose stool or no stool for up to three days following the procedure.
After a colonoscopy, eat foods that are soft and easy to digest to ease side effects such as bloating or gas. This may include eggs, white toast, and applesauce for breakfast. For lunch or dinner, choices could include lean chicken without skin, mashed potatoes, and soft-cooked carrots.
Colonoscopies performed in the afternoon (PM) have been shown to have lower adenoma detection rates (ADR) compared to those in the morning (AM). Endoscopist fatigue has been suggested as a possible reason. Colonoscopies tend to be technically more challenging in female patients.
Will I be up all night with colonoscopy prep? Probably not, if you start on time. While everyone's body is different, most people are able to complete their round of purging before going to sleep for the night.
You'll need to replace the electrolytes and liquids that you lost. Since the colon's lining may be irritated, your doctor may recommend that you drink generous amounts of fluids and eat soft, mild foods for the first day or two. Foods you can eat after the procedure include: Scrambled eggs.
You can help the cleansing process by eating light 3 or 4 days before the procedure. Doctors recommend low-fiber foods that are easy to digest and leave your system quickly. You can have: White bread, pasta, and rice.
The tool that your doctor uses in a colonoscopy could push too hard against your colon. This can cause a small tear. Your doctor may need to repair it with surgery.
Bleeding is one of the most common complications of colonoscopy, accounting for 0.3-6.1% of cases[35,36].
While there are risks associated with even the most routine medical procedures, the benefits of a colonoscopy significantly outweigh the associated risks for people ages 45 to 75. The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy estimates that only three in 1,000 colonoscopies leads to serious complications.
Complications related to colonoscopy include, but are not limited to, the following: Continued bleeding after biopsy (tissue sample) or polyp removal. Nausea, vomiting, bloating or rectal irritation caused by the procedure or by the preparatory bowel cleansing.
Most often, either moderate sedation or deep sedation with the anesthetic propofol are used for colonoscopies. An anesthesiologist is sometimes present for moderate sedation — sometimes called conscious sedation by patients, though the term is technically incorrect.
Absolutely no straining. You may go up and down stairs and carry on normal activities otherwise. 5. You may have a light meal following the colonoscopy and resume your regular diet the same day or following day.
Following your colonoscopy
The air pumped into your colon may cause continued bloating and cramps for an hour or so. You should, in fact, pass gas during and after the procedure to relieve the lingering cramps. You'll feel groggy after the procedure and should arrange to have a friend or family member take you home.