Colonoscopy is a nightmare for many patients. The reason for this is inadequate information. Colonoscopy is an examination of the entire large intestine and the end of the small intestine, using a tool just like endoscopy. Colonoscopy is a painful procedure. The cause of this pain is the air given during the procedure and the device applying pressure to some intestinal points for a better view of the intestine.
Interestingly, our stomach and intestines do not feel things such as cutting, touching, or tearing. Therefore, when a biopsy is taken from the stomach or intestine, the patient does not feel it. However, these organs are very sensitive to movements such as stretching and swelling. Inflating with air causes severe pain.
Colonoscopy must be performed with propofol today. Colonoscopy can be performed with a sleeping pill, which we call sedation, but for this the patient must be compliant and the medicine must have sufficient effect. It should not be forgotten that sleeping pills do not cause complete loss of consciousness and do not have pain-relieving properties. Therefore, while it gives good results in some patients, it is not effective enough in some patients and causes them to feel pain. Therefore, to get the best results, my choice is “propofol”anesthesia. With this anesthesia, the patient does not feel the procedure completely.
Colonoscopy is a proven method and recommended in medical guidelines, especially in the diagnosis of early colon cancer. Every person should have a colonoscopy at least once after the age of 45-50. The formations we call polyps detected during colonoscopy can rarely turn into cancer. It is possible to be completely protected from cancer by removing these polyps during colonoscopy. Again, the points to consider here are as follows:
1. Experience of the doctor performing the colonoscopy: In studies, the polyp detection rate is higher in experienced doctors, and also at least 7 minutes during colonoscopy. The entire colon should be examined carefully for a period of time. If your doctor does not pay enough attention to this issue, he may miss polyps.
2. Bowel cleansing before colonoscopy: Before colonoscopy, a fiber-free diet should be followed for a few days and an effective bowel cleansing protocol should be applied the night before. A colonoscopy performed on an insufficiently clean bowel cannot be perfect. For this reason, there should be a doctor, nurse or staff member who spends enough time explaining this issue to you. Cleanliness is one of the first conditions for colonoscopy success.
3. Colonoscopy device:Everything we explained above for endoscopy devices is also valid for colonoscopy devices. There have been important developments in the world regarding these devices. In high-tech devices, functions such as HDmonitor, FICE, methods that change the light wavelength called NBI, staining methods and magnification have been added.
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