Colonoscopy
A colonoscopy examines the whole large bowel with a flexible camera. It is the test that settles rectal bleeding and a change in bowel habit, and it is the only one that can remove a polyp at the same time it finds it. That is bowel cancer prevented rather than treated.
- Polyps removed during the same procedure
- Done under sedation
- Home the same day
- Findings explained before discharge
Stay
Day care
Duration
About 20 to 30 minutes
Anaesthesia
Sedation
About Colonoscopy
The bowel has to be completely empty for the lining to be seen, which is why the preparation matters more than the procedure. You are sedated, and most people remember little of it. If polyps are found they are removed there and then, which is significant: most bowel cancers begin as a polyp, so removing them is genuine prevention rather than early detection.
- The bowel preparation is the demanding part, not the test
- Polyps are removed as they are found
- Most bowel cancers begin as a polyp
- Done under sedation, so most people remember little
Before you read on
Everything here is general information about colonoscopy. Whether it suits you, and how it would be done in your case, is a decision for your doctor after examining you.
Your consultant's instructions always take precedence over anything written on this page.
When is it recommended?
Situations in which a doctor may suggest colonoscopy.
- Rectal bleeding, particularly over the age of 45
- A persistent change in bowel habit
- Unexplained anaemia or weight loss
- Chronic diarrhoea or suspected inflammatory bowel disease
- Family history of bowel cancer
- Follow-up after previous polyps
Procedure details
The usual sequence, from first consultation through to follow-up.
Bowel preparation
The day before, you take a laxative preparation and clear fluids only. This empties the bowel so the lining can be seen.
Sedation
On arrival a cannula is placed and sedation is given. You become drowsy and comfortable within a minute or two.
The examination
A flexible scope is passed through the back passage and around the large bowel, examining the lining as it is withdrawn.
Polyp removal and recovery
Any polyps found are removed and sent for testing. You rest until the sedation wears off and go home the same day.
How to prepare
What to sort out before you come in.
- Follow the bowel preparation instructions exactly, as an incomplete prep means repeating the test
- Clear fluids only from the day before, as instructed
- Tell the team about blood thinners well in advance, as they may need stopping
- Diabetic medication usually needs adjusting on the day of the prep
- Somebody must accompany you home, as you cannot drive after sedation
Recovery
What to expect afterwards, and roughly when.
- Bloating and wind for a few hours afterwards is normal and expected
- Eat lightly for the rest of the day
- Do not drive, operate machinery or sign documents for 24 hours after sedation
- A small amount of blood after polyp removal is common, but heavy bleeding or severe pain needs immediate attention
- Polyp results are usually available in about a week
Why choose Humayun for colonoscopy
Bleeding should never be assumed to be piles without looking, and a colonoscopy is where that gets settled.
- Rectal bleeding investigated rather than attributed to piles without looking, because the two often coexist
- Polyps removed at the same sitting, so prevention happens during the diagnosis
- Sedation as standard, which makes the test straightforward for most people
- Colorectal surgery in the same hospital if the findings need it
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More in Gastroenterology
Upper GI Endoscopy
A thin camera passed through the mouth to look directly at the food pipe, stomach and first part of the intestine.
Endoscopic Biopsy
Small tissue samples taken during an endoscopy so the diagnosis can be confirmed under a microscope.
Polypectomy
Removal of a polyp during colonoscopy, which prevents most bowel cancers rather than treating them.
Endoscopic Management of GI Disorders
Treatment delivered through the endoscope itself, including stopping bleeding, widening narrowings and removing foreign bodies.