Colonoscopy Procedure, Colonoscopy Pictures & View A Colonoscopy
Are you going to have a colonoscopy procedure or have you had one before? If so, we would love to hear from you!
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When you enter the endoscopy room you will have a needle placed in your hand through which a sedative will be given. You will be asked to lie on your left hand side and have oxygen administered to you through a nasal cannula (tube close to your nostrils). The colonoscopist will do a PR examination by passing their right index finger through your anus or ‘back passage’ into your rectum or lowest part of your colon. They can feel for lumps and also check the prostate gland in a male. It is a good way of defining the quality of your bowel preparation as well as checking for blood and assessing the strength of your anus muscles. The colonoscope is then passed through the anus into the rectum and air or carbon dioxide is used to inflate the bowel. During your colonoscopy procedure, your colonoscopist will pass the colonoscope around the large bowel to the first part of the colon, called the cecum. This is where your small bowel connects to the large bowel. The colonoscope can sometimes be pushed through into the small bowel, but this can be technically difficult sometimes. If achieved it is called an Ileocolonoscopy.During the procedure for colonoscopy, pieces of tissue or biopsies can be taken to analyse in the laboratory. Sometimes polyps (a cherry-like protuberance in the bowel) can be removed too. In IBS, the results of biopsies should be normal. To do this biopsy forceps are passed through the colonoscope or a snare if polyps are present. To remove polyps, a current is passed through the snare wire to cut the polyp off through burning or 'cauterising'. To do this a pad will be placed, usually on your thigh first to make this procedure as safe as possible for you. Colonoscopy in IBS is usually done as an outpatient or day case and involves sedation. This is usually with a drug called a benzodiazepine plus a strong pain killer, normally Pethidine or Fentany, as the test can sometimes be uncomfortable (particularly in people with IBS). This is usually given by an injection into a vein on the back of your hand. The sedative usually makes you drowsy but it does not 'put you to sleep' (i.e. It is not a general anaesthetic). The test normally takes about 20-30 minutes to perform, but you will feel the effects of the sedation for up to 24 hours, so you can’t drive, operate machinery or sign any legal documents in that time. You should also be accompanied. You may also feel a bit ‘gassy’ from the air that has been put in your bowel, but this normally settles fairly quickly. Fortunately, complications from colonoscopy are rare. The main colonoscopy procedure risks are perforation or putting a ‘hole’ in the bowel during the test. This can make you quite sick, give you a fever plus worsening abdominal pain and normally would need repair by an operation. Other complications include bleeding (although rarely requires a blood transfusion) and reaction to the sedation. This is normally monitored closely during your investigation by an assistant or endoscopy nurse who will be taking regular observations (pulse, blood pressure and oxygen levels during the test). For more information, click on the link to colonoscopy procedure risks and side effects. The procedure for colonoscopy is a common investigation in determining cause of your bowel symptoms.
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