In general, colonoscopy is a safe procedure. As with any medical procedure, however, there are some risks associated with the procedure and with the sedation used. You should contact your doctor if you feel severe abdominal pain, dizziness, fever, chills or rectal bleeding after the colonoscopy.
Bleeding is one of the most common complications of colonoscopy, accounting for 0.3-6.1% of cases[35,36].
Regular screening, beginning at age 45, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer and finding it early. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) recommends that adults age 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer. The Task Force recommends that adults age 76 to 85 talk to their doctor about screening.
Usually if a suspected colorectal cancer is found by any screening or diagnostic test, it is biopsied during a colonoscopy. In a biopsy, the doctor removes a small piece of tissue with a special instrument passed through the scope. Less often, part of the colon may need to be surgically removed to make the diagnosis.
Virtual colonoscopy is also known as screening CT colonography. Unlike the usual or traditional colonoscopy, which needs a scope to be put into your rectum and advanced through your colon, virtual colonoscopy uses a CT scan to take hundreds of cross-sectional pictures of your belly organs.
Loops or angulation in the colon are possibly the most common patient-related source of difficulty. Some bends require additional skill to navigate. Loops, particularly in the sigmoid colon, can result in loss of control of the endoscope as well as patient discomfort.
Following a normal colonoscopy, most patients are ready to return to work and all other routine activities 24 hours after the procedure.
If, on the other hand, you still wish to avoid colonoscopy, but you do not want to die from colon cancer, then an alternative, stool-based testing method is certainly better than doing nothing. With any of the alternative screening methods, the goal will be to catch cancer early enough that we can treat it effectively.
In many cases, colonoscopy allows accurate diagnosis and treatment without the need for a major operation.
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 is a fairly safe procedure, with bleeding and perforation reported as the most common complications. Other, rare, complications include hepatic portal vein gas, pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and diverticulitis, among others. Mechanical small bowel obstruction has also been reported following colonoscopy.
Patients are encouraged to slowly integrate foods back into a daily routine immediately following a colonoscopy. But in some cases, people may be instructed to avoid food entirely the first day after the procedure. Typically, dietary restrictions are only suggested for the first day or two after the exam.
The vast majority of people feel back to normal quickly and don't suffer any pain or serious discomfort during or after a colonoscopy – and the test could save your life. If you're older than 45 or have a family history of colorectal cancer, talk to your doctor today about when you should schedule yours.
Pain after the colonoscopy
It is normal to experience some stomach pain after the procedure, usually because the air causes gas. This sensation may be mild or intense, but it typically only lasts an hour or two. Some people experience mild stomach pain for a day or two after the procedure.
A colonoscopy is very safe. Problems happen less than 1% of the time. It's rare, but you can bleed or have a tear in the intestine. Or you could have side effects from the medicine.
A colonoscopy is not your only option for screening for colon cancer. Other screening methods are sigmoidoscopy, virtual colonoscopy, a fecal immunochemical test, a fecal occult blood test, or a stool DNA test.
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In fact, patients are sedated prior to the procedure so no pain is felt during a colonoscopy. Patients have a range of options from a mild sedative to general anesthesia. During a colonoscopy, your doctor will use a tiny camera attached to a thin, flexible tube to identify any colorectal abnormalities.
By contrast, MRI colonography nearly always missed smaller polyps. While the results are encouraging, the researchers believe that conventional colonoscopy will remain the first choice screening method for colon cancer.
One of the causes of pain during insertion of the colonoscope is stretching of the mesenterium by loop formation of the instrument and the degree of the pain is different from types of looping formation.
Is a sedation-free colonoscopy painful or uncomfortable? Most patients report little or no discomfort during the procedure. You can request sedation during the procedure if you change your mind and feel you need it, although it has been my experience that this seldom occurs.
Some early colon cancers (stage 0 and some early stage I tumors) and most polyps can be removed during a colonoscopy. This is a procedure that uses a long flexible tube with a small video camera on the end that's put into the person's rectum and eased into the colon.