Colonoscopy is a procedure that examines the colon by inserting a tube or a colonoscopy through one's rectum.
This medical procedure is required by doctors for patients with adenomas and polyps growth in the colon that are said to lead to eventually cause colon cancer if left untreated.
This test is also one way for doctors to diagnose patients with suspected of suffering from colon cancer.
In line with this screening are colonoscopy risks.
Colonoscopy risks are the possible threats that can occur because of a patient undergoing the procedure.
Risks include bleeding heavily, intestinal tear, infection, allergic reaction to the sedatives and bowel infection.
But the risks are higher for colonoscopies that include the removal of polyps growth in the colon.
If you or a loved one has been advised by a doctor to undergo a colonoscopy, there are few pieces of advice that can help you minimize the risks of colonoscopy.
Before going through with the medical process, make sure that the bowel is properly cleaned.
This will help the physician administering the procedure to get a good look of the colon wall.
One common risk of colonoscopy is a perforation in the intestine.
Although relatively low, the risk is only increased when a polyp is removed during the colonoscopy when the instrument accidentally punctures a hole in the thin lining of the colon.
Though when this complication occurs, the perforation can be repaired through an emergency surgery particularly when the tear is visibly large.
Smaller tears can be cured through resting the bowels, antibiotics and regular monitoring.
Another possible colonoscopy risk is bleeding.
This risk happens 1 out of 1,000 procedures of colonoscopy and may be treated instantly during the test or may be resolved on its own for minor cases.
Bleeding can occur within a period of 7 days after the colonoscopy, so patients are advised to be constantly monitored.
Postpolypectomy syndrome is a risk from colonoscopy when a polyp is removed during the procedure.
A symptom of the syndrome includes fever, pain in the abdomen and a sudden increase in the patient's white blood cell count particularly from 12 hours to a few days after the colonoscopy.
For treatment, patients are advised to rest, along with antibiotics and intravenous fluids.
Two other known effects of colonoscopy are infections and allergic reactions to the sedatives administered to the patient during the procedure.
The former is very rare and is commonly caused by unsterile endoscope.
The latter risk however, can occur during the procedure when the patient suddenly experiences nausea vomiting, low blood pressure and a reaction at the site where the drug has been injected.
Colonoscopy risks are very low at approximately 0.
35%.
The risk is however elevated to 2.
3% when a polypectomy procedure is made during the colonoscopy.
But overall, with the proper equipment and diagnosis of a medical professional and specialist, the risks can be largely reduced to a minimum.
This medical procedure is required by doctors for patients with adenomas and polyps growth in the colon that are said to lead to eventually cause colon cancer if left untreated.
This test is also one way for doctors to diagnose patients with suspected of suffering from colon cancer.
In line with this screening are colonoscopy risks.
Colonoscopy risks are the possible threats that can occur because of a patient undergoing the procedure.
Risks include bleeding heavily, intestinal tear, infection, allergic reaction to the sedatives and bowel infection.
But the risks are higher for colonoscopies that include the removal of polyps growth in the colon.
If you or a loved one has been advised by a doctor to undergo a colonoscopy, there are few pieces of advice that can help you minimize the risks of colonoscopy.
Before going through with the medical process, make sure that the bowel is properly cleaned.
This will help the physician administering the procedure to get a good look of the colon wall.
One common risk of colonoscopy is a perforation in the intestine.
Although relatively low, the risk is only increased when a polyp is removed during the colonoscopy when the instrument accidentally punctures a hole in the thin lining of the colon.
Though when this complication occurs, the perforation can be repaired through an emergency surgery particularly when the tear is visibly large.
Smaller tears can be cured through resting the bowels, antibiotics and regular monitoring.
Another possible colonoscopy risk is bleeding.
This risk happens 1 out of 1,000 procedures of colonoscopy and may be treated instantly during the test or may be resolved on its own for minor cases.
Bleeding can occur within a period of 7 days after the colonoscopy, so patients are advised to be constantly monitored.
Postpolypectomy syndrome is a risk from colonoscopy when a polyp is removed during the procedure.
A symptom of the syndrome includes fever, pain in the abdomen and a sudden increase in the patient's white blood cell count particularly from 12 hours to a few days after the colonoscopy.
For treatment, patients are advised to rest, along with antibiotics and intravenous fluids.
Two other known effects of colonoscopy are infections and allergic reactions to the sedatives administered to the patient during the procedure.
The former is very rare and is commonly caused by unsterile endoscope.
The latter risk however, can occur during the procedure when the patient suddenly experiences nausea vomiting, low blood pressure and a reaction at the site where the drug has been injected.
Colonoscopy risks are very low at approximately 0.
35%.
The risk is however elevated to 2.
3% when a polypectomy procedure is made during the colonoscopy.
But overall, with the proper equipment and diagnosis of a medical professional and specialist, the risks can be largely reduced to a minimum.