The colonoscopy is widely considered one of the most dreaded procedures in medicine. In some ways, the reputation is warranted: nobody wants to spend 30-60 minutes curled up on their side while a medical device explores their lower intestine.
Yet colonoscopies also save lives, and are increasingly considered an essential preventive tool for cancer screening. As one physician at the Cleveland Clinic said:
“If you have your colonoscopy and have the polyps removed, your likelihood of developing colorectal cancer is substantially reduced.”
The experience of undergoing a colonoscopy has been improved in recent years, and the preparation isn’t nearly as arduous as you may have heard. Low volume preparations have entered the market, making the prep somewhat easier. More recent colonoscopy recipients report important changes in the process:
Arian can attest to the change for the better. “The prep has gotten much better in the 14 years I’ve been having these,” he says. “The taste is much better. It’s no longer incredibly salty and vile, or hard to finish. It tastes more like water.”
On the day of your procedure, you can expect some minor discomfort without serious pain due to the air that is used during the procedure to inflate the colon to allow for the colonoscope to pass. At the end of your procedure, your doctor should be able to provide you with rapid answers about your prognosis and followup care. If polyps are discovered, your proctologist will remove them at the time of your procedure. The polyps will then be sent to pathology for a final diagnosis.
To schedule your own colonoscopy with the best proctologist in Los Angeles, please don’t hesitate to contact the LA and OC Proctology Institute today.
