Are you currently searching for a Cinco Ranch TX Colonoscopy Near Me? If so, you should definitely get in touch with the digestive system physician, James Maher. He has performed countless procedures of the sort and always does so with the utmost efficiency and effectiveness. Read on to learn more about what a colonoscopy is and what to expect from this procedure.
What Is a Colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is an exam that doctors use when there’s a possibility of abnormalities in the large intestine (colon) and rectum. During the procedure, a long flexible tube is inserted into the rectum. This tube is equipped with a tiny video camera at the tip of it. This tiny camera allows doctors to view the insides of the entire colon.
Doctors will request that you have a colonoscopy whenever they feel the need to:
Investigate intestinal signs and symptoms
Colonoscopies are ways in which doctors explore causes of abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, chronic constipation, chronic diarrhea, along with other types of intestinal problems.
Screening or colon cancer
Your doctor may recommend a colonoscopy even if there are no risk factors if you are over the age of 50. From this point forward, the doctor could very well request a colonoscopy every 10 years or sometimes sooner to screen for colon cancer. One thing to remember is that a colonoscopy is only one option that doctors screen for colon cancer. To learn about the other options available, make sure you talk to your doctor
Look for more polyps
For those who have suffered from polyps before, doctors could very well recommend a follow-up colonoscopy. This is done to look for any additional polyps and treat them appropriately. In cases like these, a colonoscopy is the best way to reduce the risk of colon cancer.
How to Prepare
When preparing for the procedure, you’ll have to clean out your colon. Any residue in the colon could very well obscure the view of your colon and rectum during the exam. In order to empty the colon effectively, your doctor will ask you to:
Follow a special diet
Your doctor will put you on a liquids diet one day prior to the colonoscopy. You’ll be able to drink clear or opaque liquids unless they are red. A doctor can easily misinterpret red liquid in your colon as blood, so this rule is critical.
Take a laxative
Cleaning out your colon means emptying your colon. So, your doctor will give you a strong laxative the day before your colonoscopy. You’ll likely need to start taking the laxative around noon and continue taking it throughout the day. Many patients have lower energy after taking the laxative. So, you may want to plan on taking the day before the procedure off of work.
Adjust your medications
Your doctor may request that you adjust or even stop your medicines at least a week prior to the procedure. For example, it’s dangerous to take blood thinners and heart medicines too close to your scheduled colonoscopy. If your gastroenterologist needs to take a biopsy, your body must be able to clot the cut. However, blood will slow or even prevent this process.
You should also let your doctor know if you take any medications that thin the blood, such as aspirin, warfarin. Other medications you should let your doctor know you take are new anticoagulants, such as dabigatran (Pradaxa) or rivaroxaban (Xarelto), which are used to reduce the risk of blood clots or stroke. More medication to be careful with includes heart medications that have effects on platelets, such as clopidogrel (Plavix).
What to Expect During
Once you arrive at your procedure center, you’ll be asked to change into a hospital gown. To prevent discomfort, you’ll be sedated with IV sedation or general anesthesia. During colonoscopies, patients lay their side on an exam table. The doctor will draw the patient’s knees to their chest. Then, the doctor will then insert the scope into the rectum.
The scope is long enough to reach the entire length of the colon, containing a light and a tube. These tools allow doctors to pump air or carbon dioxide into the colon. The air inflates the colon, which helps provide the medic a greater view of the lining of the colon. In certain cases, doctors may use the procedure to take tissue samples (biopsies). They do so through inserting instruments through the channel and can also remove polyps along with other areas of abnormal tissue.
After the Procedure
Once the colonoscopy is completed, it will take about an hour to begin to recover from the sedative. Further, you’ll experience gas for several hours after the procedure, as your body eliminates the carbon dioxide the doctor pumped into your rectum. You won’t be able to drive home as it can take up to an entire day for the full effects of the sedatives to wear off.
In addition to not driving, you shouldn’t make any major decisions or go back to work. When a polyp is removed during the procedure, doctors may very well recommend that you eat a special diet temporarily.
Patients should expect to feel a bit bloated. In addition, it’s likely that patients will pass gas for several hours after the completion of the exam. This is the way to clear the air from the colon. To assist in the recovery try walking to relieve the discomfort.
Cinco Ranch TX Colonoscopy Near Me
Contact Dr. Maher today to make him your Cinco Ranch TX Colonoscopy Near Me. You can contact the clinic at (281) 945-5190. Our services webpages have great information, and our online patient forms can save you time on your visit. Your “Cinco Ranch TX Colonoscopy Near Me” search led you here, so set an appointment today.
Cinco Ranch TX Fun Facts
- Located in Fort Bend and Harris County
- The population is 18,274
- Home to 11 community pools
- Learn more about Cinco Ranch TX here