Colonoscopy

What is a colonoscopy?

A colonoscopy gives your doctor a detailed view of your rectum and colon from the inside. The colonoscope they use is a long, flexible tube fitted with a light and a miniaturized camera. It goes into your rectum and along the length of your colon (large bowel) to the point where it joins your small intestine.

The colonoscope’s camera sends images of the tissues lining your rectum and colon to a monitor for your Bayou City Surgical Specialists provider to view. They can identify any signs of disease and perform specific treatments using specialized instruments that fit into the colonoscope.

 Why would I need a colonoscopy?

You might require a colonoscopy if you develop symptoms of a condition like colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease (including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis). Symptoms of these disorders include:

• Rectal bleeding
• Chronic constipation
• Bloody diarrhea
• Pus and mucus in the stool
• Lower abdominal pain
• Rectal pain
• Frequent bowel movements
• Fecal incontinence

By viewing the tissues directly, your provider can locate abnormalities like areas of inflammation and the presence of polyps. Polyps are small, generally harmless growths but occasionally change into cancerous tumors. 

How does colonoscopy prevent cancer?

Removing polyps from the colon and rectum before they mutate effectively prevents colorectal cancer from developing. During a colorectal cancer screening colonoscopy, your Bayou City Surgical Specialists provider can locate any polyps and remove them.

Screening for colorectal cancer using colonoscopies saves thousands of lives because colorectal cancer doesn’t cause any symptoms in its earlier stages.

By the time you start experiencing symptoms, your cancer will likely be at an advanced stage when it’s much harder to treat. It could already have spread beyond the colon and rectum, significantly reducing your chances of survival. 

What does a colonoscopy involve?

Before your colonoscopy, you need to clear out your colon and rectum to ensure your doctor has a clear view of your bowel lining. To achieve this, you take strong medication that flushes out your bowels before your procedure.

Colonoscopy is safe and usually painless. Your Bayou City Surgical Specialists provider administers light sedation to help you stay relaxed, but you won’t need general anesthesia. They insert the colonoscope into your body and carefully guide it along the colon, checking the video feed for any abnormalities.

Your provider can remove polyps if they find any and take biopsies of any growths or inflamed tissues for lab analysis.

To learn more about colonoscopies and how the procedure benefits your health, call Bayou City Surgical Specialists today or book an appointment online.