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COLONOSCOPY & SIGMOIDOSCOPY PATIENT INFORMATION
Colonoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the large colon and the distal part of the
small bowel with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through
the anus. It may provide a visual diagnosis (e.g. ulceration, polyps) and grants the
opportunity for biopsy or removal of suspected lesions.
Colonoscopy can remove polyps as small as one millimeter or less. Once polyps are
removed, they can be studied with the aid of a microscope to determine if they are
precancerous or not.
Colonoscopy is similar to but not the same as sigmoidoscopy, the difference being related
to which parts of the colon each can examine. While colonoscopy allows an examination
of the entire colon (measuring four to five feet in length), sigmoidoscopy allows doctors
to view only the final two feet of the colon. A sigmoidoscopy is often used as a screening
procedure for a full colonoscopy, in many instances in conjunction with a fecal occult
blood test (FOBT), which can detect the formation of cancerous cells throughout the
colon. Other times, a sigmoidoscopy is preferred to a full colonoscopy in patients having
an active flare of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease to avoid perforation of the colon.
Additionally, surgeons have lately been using the term pouchoscopy to refer to a
colonoscopy of the ileo-anal pouch.
The colonoscopy is performed by a doctor experienced in the procedure and lasts
approximately 30-60 minutes. Medications will be given into your vein to make you feel
relaxed and drowsy. You will be asked to lie on your left side on the examining table.
During a colonoscopy, the doctor uses a colonoscope, a long, flexible, tubular instrument
about 1/2 inch in diameter that transmits an image of the lining of the colon so the doctor
can examine it for any abnormalities. The colonoscope is inserted through the rectum and
advanced to the other end of the large intestine.
The scope bends, so the doctor can move it around the curves of your colon. You may be
asked to change position occasionally to help the doctor move the scope. The scope also
blows air into your colon, which expands the colon and helps the doctor see better.
You may feel mild cramping during the procedure. You can reduce the cramping by
taking several slow, deep breaths during the procedure. When the doctor has finished, the
colonoscope is slowly withdrawn while the lining of your bowel is carefully examined.
During the colonoscopy, if the doctor sees something that may be abnormal, small
amounts of tissue can be removed for analysis (called a biopsy), and abnormal growths,
or polyps, can be identified and removed. In many cases, colonoscopy allows accurate
diagnosis and treatment without the need for a major operation.