It’s no secret that a colonoscopy isn’t the most pleasant way to pass the time: It’s embarrassing; the prep can be seen as unpleasant; a separate driver is required for the post-procedure commute; it involves sedation; the outcome may be bad news. Doylestown Health, however, confidently asserts that the procedure’s upsides eclipse all objections.

In short, a few semiconscious moments in a back-opened hospital gown (which professionals learned to ignore ages ago) can be a life saver.

For most people over age 45, it’s a yearly task, once and done. Additional attention, however, may be required by those with elevated risk factors:

• Personal or family history of cancer
• Diet high in red and processed meats
• Smoking
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity
• Diagnoses of:
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Cohn’s disease

Early stages of colorectal cancer usually present no symptoms, yet colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers when caught early. Colonoscopy screening can find abnormal growths, called polyps, in the colon or rectum and remove them before they turn life threatening.

About 90 percent of colorectal cancer deaths can be prevented through this early detection and treatment.

The prep is rigorous but necessary. Successful exams rely on a clean colon. That is obtained through a day-long fast of solid foods and the oral administration of a liquid laxative, whose dose has lessened recently, owing to advancements in imaging technology.

Upon arrival at a Doylestown Health site, the procedure begins with the administration of a mild sedative. The exam follows, during which images of the colon are taken via a flexible camera that a colorectal specialist guides gently from the rectum to the large intestine.

Questionable tissue can be sampled for biopsy later.  

Front to back, the entire procedure should last 30–60 minutes.

And the results, especially if they reveal a situation needing intervention, can last a (long and healthy) lifetime.

More colonoscopy information is available at Doylestown Health.