by Linda Shrigley

Created on: September 22, 2008   Last Updated: October 07, 2008

How to prep for a Colonoscopy?

A Colonoscopy is a procedure in which the Doctor's will be able to check out the inside of your colon, and bowels. This procedure is usually done on people whom are having troubled, or painful areas of the abdomen, blood showing in bowel movements, constipation, or diarrhea, for longer periods of time than is usual for that patient, and significant weight loss. This procedure is done as a precaution for any type of dysfunction occurring in the area of the colon, and bowel; they use a camera to check the inside of the areas where the doctor can't see if there is a problem that needs treatment for bowel disease.

This procedure will be conducted after the Doctor has done other screening procedures, such as a manual rectal examination, and a hemoccult, and has not shown the results in which the Doctor had hoped for. A colonoscopy will be preformed to find further information as to why the patient is having problems with their bowels or bowel movements. A colonoscopy is also performed to detect the early onset of colon cancer.

The day before the colonoscopy, you will be required to have a Barium Enema. This procedure is done in two steps, and is done so your bowels, and colon, is cleansed of all feces, and any other matter that is attached to the colon. You will be required to have only liquids the day or two, before the procedure, and use a cleansing medication which will clear the bowel of all unwanted debris. This medication will include, polyethylene glycol, 3350 (GoLYTELY, NULYTELY), magnesium citrate (Citroma), and (X-Prep).

You are required to report to the hospital, clinic, or doctor's office, around an hour, to an hour and a half, before the procedure. The nurse will insert an IV into your arm so the Doctor can administer a sedative just before the procedure. Before you enter the surgical area, the nurse will give you the first sedative (usually Adavan), which will enable you to relax before the procedure. When you enter the exam room, the Doctor will then administer another sedative, (usually Demerol). This will usually put you to sleep for a short period of time, so that you will not move during the colonoscopy itself. It is imperative that you do not move during the colonoscopy.

The procedure is conducted by using a cyclonoscope, which is a three foot long, thin fiberoptic camera (about one inch in diameter). During the colonoscopy, the Doctor will insert this camera tubing into the rectum, and along the large intestine and the last part of your digestive system.

The colon is about three feet long, and starts from the lower right corner of your abdomen, and travels to the upper left corner, and then on down to form your rectum, and anus. While the Doctor is performing the colonoscopy, he will remove any polyps that are found along the colon, which will be sent for testing for cancerous cells.

After the procedure is done, you will be sent to recovery where you will rest until the sedatives wear off, (usually about an hour) and then you are able to return home. It is advised to rest after you leave the hospital, clinic or Doctors office, and not to drive until all the sedatives have worn off completely. This type of medication keeps working usually throughout the full day. At different points in time during that day, the medication will creep up on you and make you drowsy.

An appointment will be made with your Doctor to find the results of your colonoscopy; about four to six week after the colonoscopy has been done. The results of this test will determine what the next step is going to be in your treatment process.

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