A colonoscopy is a safe and quick test to see the lining of your large intestine. It can also help find and remove polyps, which are clusters of abnormal cell growth that may eventually become cancerous.

A doctor usually performs a colonoscopy in a procedure room at your health care provider’s office or hospital. You will need to drink only clear liquids the day before the exam and take a laxative that causes diarrhoea. Contact Copper Mountain Surgical for professional help.
A colonoscopy is an examination of the rectum and colon with a long, narrow, flexible tube that has an HD camera attached (the colonoscope). The procedure helps doctors detect abnormalities in the bowel such as polyps, colorectal cancer and unexplained pain or bleeding. It also allows them to remove tissue samples for testing.
Aside from being an important tool for detecting colon cancer, a colonoscopy can also help identify other health issues such as diverticulosis and inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases can cause serious complications such as intestinal blockages that require surgery, malnourishment, painful cramping and colon bleeding. By identifying these issues early, your doctor can make recommendations for simple dietary changes that will prevent them from becoming serious in the future.
During a colonoscopy, you will be sedated so you won’t feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure. You will be given the medication through a small tube that goes into your vein (called an intravenous, or IV) or, for some patients, you may breathe a combination of pain relievers and air (Entonox) through a mouthpiece. You will have nurses in the room to monitor your oxygen levels, blood pressure and heart rate throughout the procedure.
After your procedure, you will be brought to a recovery area for 30 to 45 minutes while the sedation wears off. You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home, as the sedatives or anesthesia can interfere with your ability to safely operate a vehicle.
You may have some pain or tenderness in your tummy after the test, which is caused by the carbon dioxide or air they put into your bowel. You might also have some bleeding, which is usually a small amount and stops on its own within a few days. Rarely, the sedation or anesthesia can cause a tear in your bowel wall (called a perforation), which requires surgery to treat. For this reason, you should never try to drive after a colonoscopy. You should also plan to stay at home for 24 hours after your colonoscopy to ensure the sedative or anesthesia has fully worn off.
How is a colonoscopy performed?
Colonoscopy is most often done in the procedure room at your health care provider’s office or a hospital/medical center. You will be asked to change out of your street clothes into a gown before the test begins. You will also be given medicine into a vein (IV) to help you relax. This isn’t general anesthesia like you would have for a major surgery, but it will make you drowsy and you won’t feel any pain or remember anything about the procedure.
After you are sedated a specialist called an endoscopist will put a tube with a camera at the end of it (the colonoscope) into your back passage through your anus. The camera will send a picture of your colon back to a monitor so the health professional can look at it closely for any abnormal areas. They can then take small tissue biopsies or remove polyps as needed.
It is important to empty your bowel for this procedure. The day before the test you will drink a solution that will help you to do this. You will need to drink this in two rounds – half on the night before the procedure and then the rest the morning of your colonoscopy.
When it is time for your colonoscopy you will lie on a table. The doctor will insert the colonoscope through your anus and then into your rectum and colon. The doctor will move you on the table several times to get a good view of the lining of your rectum and colon. The doctor may also inflate the colon with air for a better view. Once the doctor has examined the lining of your colon and rectum they will slowly remove the scope.
Once the scope is removed you will be taken to a recovery area where nurses will monitor you until you are ready to go home. You may feel bloated or have stomach cramps for a couple of hours after the colonoscopy. This is due to the sedation that you received and should not last more than a few hours.
What are the risks of a colonoscopy?
Although a colonoscopy is very effective and safe, it does not come without some risks. The most common risks are bleeding and perforation (a tear in the intestine). You may also experience some discomfort or bloating after your procedure, but this is normal and usually passes quickly. If you notice severe stomach pain, blood in your stool, or a fever after the test, call your doctor right away.
You will receive a light sedative during the procedure, so you won’t feel any pain or awareness of what is happening. Depending on your health condition and your tolerance for medication, you might need to stay in the hospital for a few hours afterward to allow the sedative to wear off.
A gastroenterologist — a specialist in the digestive tract — will perform the colonoscopy. It’s important to choose a gastroenterologist who has received special training for this procedure and is certified by the American Board of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
During the procedure, the doctor inserts a thin tube called a colonoscope into your anus, then into your rectum and colon. This tube has a camera on the end, which sends video images to a screen. The doctor can then examine the colon lining and take tissue samples. They can also remove polyps, which are small growths that might be precancerous or cancerous.
Your doctor may recommend that you follow a low-fiber diet for several days before the test. This means no solid food, but you can drink clear liquids, such as broth, lemon or lime gelatin, tea, and water. You may also need to use a laxative or enema before your appointment.
If you do experience complications after a colonoscopy, it is likely that the problem was not identified during the examination. This may be due to inadequate bowel preparation or an error in the handling of instruments. It is also possible for polyps to be mistaken for cancerous tumors and removed, which could lead to unnecessary surgery.
Another risk of a colonoscopy is that you might develop a tear in the lining of your intestine (colon perforation). This can be serious and requires surgical repair. You might also have some minor bleeding from the biopsy or from removing polyps.
How can I prepare for a colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy lets your doctor see inside your large intestine. It may be used to find and remove polyps or other abnormal tissue for testing. It also can be used to diagnose and treat colorectal cancer or other diseases. You may get a colonoscopy to screen for disease, such as colorectal cancer, before you have symptoms. Your doctor may recommend getting screened starting at age 45 or earlier depending on your risk for developing colon polyps and other diseases. You can also be screened for these conditions with stool tests.
To prepare for a colonoscopy, you need to follow a liquid diet the day before your procedure. You also must drink a special laxative to empty your bowels before the test. These preparations help your doctor get clear pictures of your colon. If your bowel is full of stool (poop), your doctor might not be able to do the test or might have trouble finding and removing a biopsy sample.
The laxative you take may be pills, a powder that dissolves in liquid, an at-home enema, or a combination of these. The day of the test, you must start drinking the laxative early and stay close to a toilet. If you have trouble following the instructions on the colonoscopy prep, talk to your doctor.
You may be given sedatives or anesthesia during a colonoscopy to make you relax and not feel pain during the test. You’ll need someone to drive you home after the test because the sedatives or anesthesia might take a while to wear off.
After the test, you might feel bloated or have stomach cramps for a few hours. You might also have blood in your stools the first time you have a bowel movement after the procedure. This is common and usually not a cause for concern.
You’ll get results of the biopsy and any polyps removed during the colonoscopy in about seven days. Your doctor will call or send you a letter with the results. If they found a colon polyp, your doctor will give you advice on when to come back for a follow-up test.