Before the test a nurse will take history of your current health and past medical problems. Please also bring in a list of all the medications you are taking. If you desire you will be shown a video about the colonoscopy.
A colonoscopy is performed in a fully equipped theatre. Colonoscopy generally is well-tolerated and only very unusually causes significant pain. You are likely to feel pressure, bloating or cramping during the procedure but these should be minor and short-lived. At MacMurray we use C02 to inflate the bowel which dramatically reduces this risk.
Your doctor will give you intravenous sedative to help you relax and better tolerate any discomfort. You will be given additional oxygen into your nostrils throughout the procedure and a probe will be placed on your finger to monitor your blood oxygen levels and your heart rate. You will lie on your side or back. Your specialist will perform a digital examination of your rectum (back passage) and then will slowly advance the colonoscope along the length of the colon. The entire lining of your colon is visualised during the procedure, often including the end of the small bowel (terminal ileum) depending upon the indication of the procedure. The lining of the bowel once again is carefully examined on withdrawal of the colonoscope.
The colonoscopy procedure itself usually takes between 15 - 45 minutes, although generally no longer than one hour. You should plan on a total of 1.5 hours for the whole procedure and recovery.
