How long endoscopy colonoscopy

Error: This is required. Error: Not a valid value. This page will give you information about an upper GI endoscopy and colonoscopy. If you have any questions, you should ask your GP or other relevant health professional. An upper gastrointestinal GI endoscopy is a procedure to look at the inside of your oesophagus gullet , stomach and duodenum using a flexible telescope.

A colonoscopy is a procedure to look at the inside of your large bowel colon using a flexible telescope. If the endoscopist the person doing the endoscopy and colonoscopy finds a problem, they can perform biopsies removing small pieces of tissue to help make the diagnosis. Sometimes a polyp small growth is the cause of the problem and the endoscopist may be able to remove it during the procedure.

A barium meal is an x-ray test of your upper digestive system. Alternatives to a colonoscopy include a CT colography a CT scan of your large bowel. If appropriate, the endoscopist may offer you a sedative or painkiller which they can give you through a small needle in your arm or the back of your hand.

The endoscopist will be able to look for problems such as inflammation, ulcers or polyps small growths. They will be able to perform biopsies and take photographs to help make the diagnosis. If they find a polyp, it may be possible to remove it during the procedure.

If you were given a sedative, you will usually recover in about 2 hours but this depends on how much sedative you were given. The healthcare team will tell you what was found during the procedure and discuss with you any treatment or follow-up you need. Regular exercise should improve your long-term health. Before you start exercising, ask the healthcare team or your GP for advice.

An upper GI endoscopy and colonoscopy is usually a safe and effective way of finding out if there is a problem with your digestive system. The operation and treatment information on this page is published under license by Healthdirect Australia from EIDO Healthcare Australia and is protected by copyright laws. Other than for your personal, non-commercial use, you may not copy, print out, download or otherwise reproduce any of the information.

The information should not replace advice that your relevant health professional would give you. Here are the facts regarding the steps of a colonoscopy and why each step is important:. Staying colon cancer-free requires some work on your part, and that is the bowel preparation, also referred to as colonoscopy prep.

Proper bowel prep is essential for an effective colonoscopy. For a full colon cleanse, you will need to follow the detailed instructions included in your bowel prep kit. You can have some approved treats with specific restrictions. And there are ways you can make colonoscopy prep easier. You should plan on spending two to three hours at your outpatient GI center on the day of your colonoscopy.

You will need to arrive early for your appointment so you can check in and fill out paperwork. Once the nurse calls you back, the procedure will move along quickly. While under anesthesia, your GI doctor will examine the length of your colon for any signs of colon cancer or other diseases of the digestive system. At that time, the doctor will remove suspicious polyps to reduce your risk of cancer.

Patients will need the remainder of the day to rest and recover at home; those who work should plan to take the day off. About minutes prior to the colonoscopy, the patient changes into a gown, and a nurse will get an IV started.

The doctor or a nurse will go over what will happen during the procedure and any risks associated with it. Then, the patient is usually administered light sedation via pill or IV.

Due to the sedation, it is unlikely the patient will remember the colonoscopy itself. Once the procedure is over, the patient will need about minutes to recover from the sedation before getting dressed and leaving the building.

As a last step before leaving, the doctor will review what he or she found during the colonoscopy and discuss next steps, if there are any. If the doctor removed polyps or took tissue samples biopsies , those will be sent to a lab to determine if they are benign, precancerous, or cancerous.

In cases where a polyp or growth is too big to be removed during a colonoscopy, the doctor will recommend seeing a specialist or surgeon who can do so.

In these cases, the doctor may advise following a low residue diet for a period of time. Because the residual effects of sedation can last for up to a day, patients cannot drive themselves home and should not make any important decisions until the effects have completely worn off.