Required Steps in Preparing for a Colonoscopy

Bowel Preparation, Limiting of Food, Liquids Part of Undergoing Test

Sep 12, 2009 John Seidenberg

Few welcome a colonoscopy. But putting one off much beyond age 50 can mean failure to detect colorectal cancer. The procedure requires following preparation instructions.

Most adults might prefer delaying tests for colorectal cancer as long as possible. But when their patients reach age 50 or older, many primary care physicians start to recommend, if not urge, that they undergo the most common detection procedure for doing this—a colonoscopy.

According to the Everyday Health network, an online consumer health information site, age, family history, and genetics can be related to the incidence of colorectal cancer. Some studies suggest a high-fat diet that doesn’t include a lot of fruits and vegetables could also be a contributing factor to the disease.

In a colonoscopy, a lighted tube with a small camera is inserted into the rectum to examine the large intestine for possibly pre-cancerous colonic polyps. Beforehand, the patient receives a sedative and pain medication to minimize any discomfort. If any polyps are found, a doctor can remove them as part of the procedure and then do a biopsy on the polyps.

Essential Steps to Follow in Cleaning Out Bowels for Successful Colonoscopy Exam

“Screening advocates point out that the unpleasantness is a small price to pay to avoid a painful and deadly disease, and most people who have had the tests say they are no big deal,” Denise Gray wrote in “How to Halve the Death Rate From Colon Cancer,” in the May 1, 2007 New York Times. “The worst part of a colonoscopy, many people find, is not the test itself, which is usually done under sedation, but the ‘prep,’ which requires a day at home to take supercharged laxatives to empty the intestines.”

The required cleansing of the bowels in preparation for the colonoscopy means specific steps the patient will have to follow. These include (subject to an individual doctor's advice):

Starting three days before the exam, reducing fiber in the diet (e.g., whole wheat, bran, flaxseed, lentils, beans, brown rice, raw vegetables) and stopping all fiber supplements (e.g., Metamucil)
Discontinuing iron preparations a few weeks before the test
Having no food starting the day before the exam that contains seeds, or fruits with seeds (e.g., raspberries) or putting milk, cream, powdered creamers into coffee or tea (only tea, no coffee, later in the day)
Taking Dulcolax laxative tablets along with drinking a dissolved bowel preparation powder solution (which may be mixed with a flavor packet or non-sugar sweetener such as Crystal Light) the day before the procedure
Starting the remainder of the day before the test to drink plenty of clear liquids such as fruit juices (e.g., apple or white grape, but not orange juice) and consomme/broth soups, Jell-O (but not that which is red, purple, or orange), ginger ale or 7-Up, popsicles (not red or orange), soda water, or sports drinks such as Gatorade (no red, purple, or orange)
Not eating any solid food the day before or the day of until after the procedure is complete
No liquids (even water) can be consumed starting three hours before the exam.

Bowel Preparation Solution Designed to Evacuate Entire System Before Procedure

Once the bowel preparation solution has been consumed the day before the colonoscopy, the liquid will necessitate the patient spending time in the bathroom in order to evacuate everything out of the system so that the bowel is as clean as possible.

Patients can expect to spend approximately two hours at the medical facility on the day of the exam. The procedure itself usually takes 30-45 minutes with an additional 45 minutes to an hour spent in the recovery area before being released.

Due to the use of sedation, patients are not permitted to drive for 12 hours and must make arrangements in advance to be driven home. Someone from the clinic ordinarily will call the patient the next day to see if any discomfort is being experienced. Under most circumstances, a doctor will tell the patient to resume a regular diet afterward and that it’s possible to return to work the following day.

Some Studies Say Other Growths may be Harder to Find in Colonoscopies Than Polyps

Despite the minimal risks involved in the procedure and the strong recommendations to have it done, some findings have reported that colonoscopies may miss certain cancers. A Canadian study found the procedure did not detect some cancers on the right and left side of the colon.

Aside from polyps, a 2008 study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, noted that another kind of growth which is a flat or indented lesion, and may even resemble healthy tissue, is more difficult to spot. However, a major caution that emerged from this study for patients is ensuring that the bowels are clean for the colonoscopy. Failure to do so can make it all but impossible to discover these lesions.

By far, though, medical authorities contend that the greatest danger with colonoscopies remains that too few people still undergo them.

The copyright of the article Required Steps in Preparing for a Colonoscopy in Health Field is owned by John Seidenberg. Permission to republish Required Steps in Preparing for a Colonoscopy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Colonoscopy performed on a patient	X-ray of cancerous colon area shown in red	Colonic Polyp
Wire loop removes polyps during colonoscopy	Study on colonoscopies