If you’ve been told you need a colonoscopy, you may be wondering why. Our blog discusses reasons to have this procedure and what happens after.
Colonoscopy
A colonoscopy is a diagnostic test for potential problems in your lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The areas we look at during this procedure include the ileum (lower part of the small intestine), colon (large intestine), rectum and anus (bottom). We pass an endoscope through your anus to examine these areas.
An endoscope is a thin, flexible tube with a small light and camera on one end to see your lower GI tract clearly. We can use the endoscope to take a biopsy (a small sample of tissue or cells), which we look at through a microscope. The biopsy can tell us how severe your condition is, such as inflammation, an infection or cancer.
You will alter your diet slightly before the procedure and take laxatives to clear your bowel. This process may seem daunting, but it’s quite simple. Read our blog to learn more: How do I prepare for a colonoscopy?
Are you scared of colonoscopy?
While fear beforehand is completely normal, there is nothing to worry about. Here are some quick facts about the procedure to address common concerns and ease your worries.
- It can prevent bowel cancer and long-term damage from other conditions
- It is the most effective tool for diagnosing bowel cancer, despite alternatives
- The bowel prep can improve your overall gastrointestinal health
- Every year in the UK, over 900,000 people have a colonoscopy
- It’s a quick and relatively painless procedure in our expert hands
Dr Sami explains why your colonoscopy should not hurt in our video below. We also use sedation to prevent pain.
[answerpacktv video=”does-a-colonoscopy-hurt” header-only=”yes” single-view-mode=”yes” view-playlist-label=”View more videos by Dr Sami” header-link=”/videos/answerpack/colonoscopy/colonoscopy-faq/” landing-page-header-text=” ” landing-page-header-title=”Does a colonoscopy hurt?”]
Why might you have a colonoscopy?
There are many reasons to have a colonoscopy; we can identify the cause of uncomfortable symptoms and recommend the best solution to prevent them. Signs you might need a colonoscopy include blood in your poo or bleeding from your bottom, unexplained weight loss, persistent diarrhoea or constipation and abdominal pain.
There are many causes of abdominal pain. Learn more about the conditions that may cause this symptom here.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
The two main conditions associated with IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both cause inflammation in your gastrointestinal tract, which we can find with a colonoscopy.
If you have IBD, you might experience abdominal pain or cramps, bloating, and frequent diarrhoea. It can also cause weight loss and blood in your poo. Many worry they might have bowel cancer with these symptoms, but there are often less serious causes. IBD is likely if you are between 15 and 40 years old or have a family history of the condition.
Bowel polyps
A bowel polyp is an abnormal growth of cells on the inner lining of your colon or rectum. They are very common and usually benign (non-cancerous). One type of polyp called an adenoma may become cancerous after some time if we don’t remove it.
Small polyps often cause no symptoms and are found during routine bowel cancer screening or while looking for something else. Large polyps may cause a small amount of bleeding, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea or constipation. If we find a polyp during a colonoscopy, we may remove it and check for cancerous cells. We may also recommend a follow-up procedure to look for more polyps.
Bowel cancer
Screening for bowel cancer is the most common reason to have a colonoscopy; it is highly effective at finding and preventing cancer. Cancer can occur anywhere in the large bowel, including the colon and rectum. Alongside a colonoscopy, we may recommend a faecal immunochemical test (stool test).
Symptoms include bowel changes, blood in your poo, iron deficiency anaemia and narrow, ribbon-like poo. You may also experience unintentional weight loss, nausea or vomiting, and bloating. Book a consultation with one of our specialists if you experience these symptoms.
Treatment
In addition to using it as a diagnostic test, we can use a colonoscopy to perform various treatments. These include placing a colonic stent and removing a polyp or tumour. We use a colonic stent to treat a partial or complete blockage in the large bowel.
Having an endoscopy and colonoscopy at the same time
Depending on the symptoms you are experiencing, we may recommend a combined gastroscopy and colonoscopy. A gastroscopy is an upper endoscopy, meaning we pass the endoscope through the upper GI tract via the mouth. We have many blogs discussing the endoscopy procedure on our website.
Read our infographic to learn why you might need an endoscopy: Gastroscopy vs colonoscopy: Which do you need? To find out more about the differences between an endoscopy and a colonoscopy, watch our video: Endoscopy: All you need to know.
Colonoscopy results
Usually, you talk to two people after the procedure: the recovery nurse and the specialist who performed your colonoscopy. Our recovery nurse will check on you regularly, monitor your vital signs, serve you food and drinks, and answer any questions.
We can usually discuss whether we found any abnormalities on the same day. The results can take 1-2 weeks to return from the pathology lab if we take tissue samples or remove polyps, depending on the necessary tests. We always recommend a follow-up consultation 2-3 weeks after the colonoscopy to discuss all the results and make further plans if needed. For example, we may recommend further tests or specific treatments.
Book a private colonoscopy
If you experience unusual symptoms, you should speak to a specialist called a gastroenterologist. We can recommend the most appropriate diagnostic tests, such as a colonoscopy. Once we have the results, we will discuss which treatments or lifestyle changes may help you manage your condition. Prioritise your gastrointestinal health today and book an appointment with our private specialist.
