What to expect during and after colonoscopy

What to expect during and after the colonoscopy procedure:

1. The nurse will review your health history, your current health status and your blood pressure and cardiac rhythm
2. An intravenous needle will be placed in your arm to give you medication during the procedure to make you sleepy and relaxed
3. You will be asked to lie on your left side during the procedure
4. The doctor inserts the scope through your rectum. You may experience some cramping or bloating during the procedure due to the air the doctor is putting into your colon
5. A biopsy (tiny bit of tissue) can be taken during the procedure for microscopic exam
6. If you have a polyp, it can be removed during the colonoscopy for microscopic exam
7. If a biopsy is taken or a polyp removed, the results of the microscopic exam can be reviewed with your physician. He usually has those results in 3 to 5 days.
8. Many people do not recall any of the procedure because of the effect of the medication. You will probably feel drowsy or sleepy for several hours. You will stay at the hospital until most of the effect of the medication has worn off. You will then be released to go home. You must have a driver. You will not be permitted to drive.
9. You may have some cramping or bloating because of the air introduced into the colon during the examination. This should feel better as you pass "gas".
10. The doctor will review his findings with you and your family or friend before you leave the hospital and you will be given written instructions.

Reference - http://www.waynehospital.com/colonoscopy.shtml

What to do before a colonoscopy?

Here are some helpful tips that I found at http://www.waynehospital.com/colonoscopy.shtml


Pre-procedure preparation for a colonoscopy

1. The colon must be completely clean for the procedure to be accurate and complete
2. Follow your doctor’s detailed instructions for dietary restrictions and bowel cleansing routine prior to your procedure
3. You may drink small amounts of clear liquids up to two hours before your scheduled procedure
4. Do not drink any alcoholic beverages for 24 hours before or after the procedure
5. Do not use tobacco products for 24 hours before or after the procedure
6. Arrive one hour before your scheduled procedure time. Bring your Medicare/Insurance cards with you
7. Register at the registration desk outside the Emergency Department
8. Bring someone to drive you home and stay with you for 24 hours after the procedure. If you so not have a driver, your procedure may have to be cancelled.
9. A nurse from Ambulatory Care will call you prior to the procedure to review your health history, to review your current medications and advise you on what medication to take on the morning of the procedure and to answer any questions you may have.

A new way to prep your self for colonoscopy

It has been known that before you take a colonoscopy you have to drink a laxative to cleanse your colon for better viewing purposes. Now there is a pill called OSMOPREP made by Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Here is an excerpt from their website : http://www.tabletprep.com/

"OsmoPrep
The colonoscopy prep that's a pill. Not a liquid.

OsmoPrep Tablets change the way you experience a colonoscopy preparation. A colonoscopy prep previously meant drinking a lot of bad-tasting liquid. OsmoPrep makes your prep easier by allowing you to take virtually tasteless tablets with your choice of clear liquids.

Discovering a colonoscopy prep with a difference.

Most people dread getting a colonoscopy and taking the prep—in fact, the bowel prep process is the top reason people avoid getting colonoscopies.1

However, an effective prep is necessary to get accurate results. When the colon is prepared adequately, a colonoscopy may detect the early signs of colon cancer. Research reports that more than 50% of colon cancer deaths can be prevented with regular screening combined with a healthy lifestyle.2

What makes OsmoPrep different from liquid bowel preps, is the fact that it is a pill prep. This gives you the choice of what clear liquid you take it with—many people seem to enjoy this freedom of choice. In clinical trials, 95% of people who took OsmoPrep said they would choose it again.3"

References

1. Harewood GC, Wiersema MJ, Melton LJ III. A prospective, controlled assessment of factors influencing acceptance of screening colonoscopy. Am J Gastroenterol. 2002;97:3186-3194.
2. Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention. Colon Cancer. Available at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cancer/cancers/colon/riskfactors/prevent_crc.htm. Accessed May 11, 2007.
3. Rex DK, Schwartz H, Goldstein M, et al. Safety and colon-cleansing efficacy of a new residue-free formulation of sodium phosphate tablets. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101:2594-2604.

4. Osmoprep website, http://www.tabletprep.com/