Things You Need To Know About A Colonoscopy Procedure

A colonoscopy is a medical procedure that allows your doctor to examine the inner lining of your large intestine and rectum. It's an important tool for diagnosing, preventing and treating many gastrointestinal conditions. During this procedure, a long, flexible tube is inserted into the rectum and advanced through the entire colon.

To learn more about the procedure, here are two things you need to know.

What Should You Expect After the Procedure?

After the procedure, you may experience cramping, bloating, and gas as a result of the air introduced into your colon during the exam. This should pass quickly and can be helped by passing gas or using an over-the-counter product to reduce any abdominal discomfort.

If you were sedated during the procedure, you might feel drowsy or a bit disoriented for a few hours afterwards. You can arrange for a friend or family member to drive you home and stay with you until the effects of the medication have worn off.

In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you take it easy for a day or two. This could include avoiding strenuous activities and lifting heavy objects until you fully recover from the procedure.

Your doctor will also review the results of your colonoscopy with you and provide you with any additional information or recommendations based on the findings.

What Happens If an Abnormality is Detected?

If an abnormality is detected during a colonoscopy procedure, the doctor will take biopsies of the abnormal tissue to help make a diagnosis.

A biopsy is a sample of tissue taken from an area in the body for examination under a microscope. The tissue collected will be sent to a lab and examined by a pathologist who will report on the findings and determine whether or not there are any abnormal cells present.

Depending on the results, further tests may be ordered, such as blood work or imaging studies, to confirm the diagnosis. If the biopsy results show that cancer cells are present, treatment options will depend on the type and stage of cancer detected.

Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, depending on what is appropriate for each case. Also, your doctors may discuss lifestyle modifications that could help reduce your risk of recurrence or spread of cancer if it has been detected.

In some cases where a precancerous lesion has been identified, monitoring may be recommended without any additional treatment required at this time. In these cases, regular colonoscopies are important to monitor for changes over time. That way, if changes are detected early enough, treatment can start before further damage occurs.

For more information, contact a company such as Gastro Health.

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