Colonoscopy is an examination to detect abnormalities in the large intestine and anus, such as colon cancer. If not treated immediately, colon cancer can be life threatening. To detect colon cancer early, patients are generally advised to undergo colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy is done by inserting a special instrument or colonoscope that has a camera at the end, into the rectum. The doctor can then look into the large intestine through a video camera that displays images on the screen. This procedure can also be used to take tissue samples from the large intestine, as well as remove polyps or abnormal tissue in the large intestine.
Colonoscopy is very instrumental in screening and initial examination of colon cancer. Your doctor may recommend this procedure to be done every 10 years. Colonoscopy is also recommended for the elderly aged 50 years or older, because age is one of the main risk factors for colon cancer.
For those of you who have a high risk of developing colon cancer, such as: a history of colon cancer or intestinal polyps in the family, and suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, a colonoscopy examination may be recommended to be carried out from the age of 40 years and carried out every 3-5 years depending on doctor's advice .
In addition, this procedure can also be a guide for doctors to determine the cause of intestinal disorders, such as chronic constipation, diarrhea, or lower gastrointestinal bleeding. However, there are also other screening options that you can discuss with your doctor.
What Conditions Require Colonoscopy?
Generally a person feels the need to undergo a colonoscopy for the following reasons:
- There is blood in the stool.
- Unbearable stomach pain.
- Diarrhea that does not go away.
- Weight loss of unknown cause.
- Abnormalities in intestinal CT scan results.
- There is a history of bowel cancer in family members so that their risk of developing colon cancer becomes greater.
Go to a doctor if you experience one or more of the above conditions. If indeed the doctor recommends this procedure, there are a number of things that need attention.
Clean large intestine is needed to support the success of a colonoscopy, because feces can block the appearance of the large intestine during examination. In addition, there are several things that need to be done before a colonoscopy procedure is carried out, namely:
- Inform your doctor if you are taking certain medications, such as medications for high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, any supplements containing iron, aspirin, or medications for stroke. You may be advised to stop taking it for some time.
- Take laxatives the night before a colonoscopy, as the doctor recommends.
- In general, you are advised not to eat solid food one day before undergoing a colonoscopy.
- Shortly before the colonoscopy, you may only be allowed to consume only water.
Ask and consult all information that you want to know to the doctor first, including hospital facilities with adequate colonoscopy procedures.
Possible Outcomes and Risks of Colonoscopy
Before the colonoscopy procedure is performed, the patient will be given an anesthetic. A colonoscopy procedure will last for at least 30-60 minutes. After that the patient needs approximately 60 minutes to recover from the anesthetic. The patient will feel bloated and often fart for several hours after this procedure, to expel gas in the intestine.
If a colonoscopy is intended to remove polyps, then after the procedure, the patient needs to undergo a special diet for some time.
Generally patients also need to stay for 30 minutes for observation purposes in the hospital before being allowed to go home. During this time, patients are advised to consume enough water. In some cases, patients may experience stomach cramps. The doctor will advise patients not to take certain drugs, such as aspirin and vitamins for a certain period of time after undergoing a colonoscopy procedure.
Tissue in the colon that has been removed will be examined in the laboratory to detect whether it is cancerous, precancerous, or benign. Only a small proportion of polyps are cancerous.
If in the large intestine a polyp is found to be less than 1 cm in diameter, then the patient may be asked to repeat a colonoscopy 10 years later. However, examinations need to be carried out every 3-5 years if polyps with larger diameters or more numbers are found.
Like other procedures, colonoscopy also has risks. In certain cases, colonoscopy can cause complications as follows:
- Injury to the anal wall or large intestine.
- Reaction of side effects of sedatives that are used when the procedure is undertaken.
- Bleeding in the area of biopsy or from the location of abnormal tissue removed.
If only a little blood comes out after the procedure, it is still considered normal. However, patients need to see a doctor immediately if they experience high fever, severe abdominal pain and severe bleeding from the anus after a colonoscopy procedure.
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