Screening helps prevent gastrointestinal and colorectal cancer by finding precancerous polyps (abnormal growths) so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.
Don’t wait for symptoms to be checked. If you’re 45 or older or at average risk of colon cancer, see your doctor and get screened! We provide a first-class colonoscopy service to investigate problems in the bowel and diagnose conditions affecting the colon.
We provide a first-class colonoscopy service to investigate problems in the bowel and diagnose conditions affecting the colon. Our experienced gastroenterologists and specialized nurses ensure a safe and comfortable experience. Patients can recover and return to their homes on the same day!
Endoscopy is the insertion of a long, thin tube directly into the body to observe an internal organ or tissue in detail. It can also be used to carry out other tasks including imaging and minor surgery. Endoscopes are minimally invasive and can be inserted into the openings of the body such as the mouth or anus. Alternatively, they can be inserted into small incisions, for instance, in the knee or abdomen.
A colonoscopy is an examination of the lining of the large bowel (bowel) using a thin flexible, tube-like telescope called a colonoscope, which is carefully passed through your back passage and into the colon. It is useful for finding out what is causing certain symptoms like abdominal, or as a check-up for some bowel conditions.
At FirstMed, your comfort and health are our utmost priorities. You may be sedated during a colonoscopy to ensure the procedure is as comfortable as possible.
Our highly-trained healthcare professional gently navigates through the colon using a specialized colonoscope instrument.
This thin, flexible device has a tiny camera that transmits images to a monitor, allowing us to inspect the colon. During the procedure, we can spot and even remove polyps, growths, or other abnormalities. A typical process in an outpatient setting only takes 30-60 minutes.
Ensuring your health through this crucial screening tool is our utmost concern at FirstMed.
Before the procedure, you will consult with a FirstMed primary care physician to discuss:
• your current health condition
• regular medications
• family & medical history
• potential symptoms.
Further diagnostic tests, such as scans or blood tests, may be necessary prior to the colonoscopy. We will discuss with you any additional costs before further tests are carried out.
Following the colonoscopy, you will spend about 30 minutes in our comfortable recovery room before leaving the clinic.
If you have had a biopsy or any polyps removed, we will send the samples to an external lab for examination and return them to your primary care doctor to review the results.
If you have received sedation for the procedure, you will require assistance in getting home.
Occasionally, complications such as fever, bloating, slight rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain may occur. If you experience such symptoms, please call us right away.
Medical professionals recommend that patients over the age of 45 be screened for colorectal cancer every 10 years, earlier and more frequently, with a family history of colorectal cancer.
It is important to screen for colorectal cancer, because pre-cancerous lesions, or polyps, can be removed if identified early — as opposed to other cancers where screening simply looks for early-stage development.
Using a colonoscopy, a doctor can identify diseases of the colon (ulcer, tumor, inflammation, diverticulum, and other abnormalities) based on complaints (stool disorder, abdominal pain, bleeding).
A colonoscopy is the single best procedure for detecting colorectal cancer, as polyps can be identified and completely removed before developing into something more serious.
If necessary, the doctor can perform histological sampling of the area considered abnormal (biopsy) or conduct certain therapeutic measures – sometimes as a substitute for surgery – with devices introduced through the working canal of the colonoscope (such as suppression of bleeding, foreign body removal, polyp removal, etc.).
A colonoscopy may also be used to diagnose conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease, etc.
Endoscopy is the insertion of a long, thin tube directly into the body to observe an internal organ or tissue in detail. It can also be used to carry out other tasks including imaging and minor surgery.
Endoscopes are minimally invasive and can be inserted into the openings of the body such as the mouth or anus.
Alternatively, they can be inserted into small incisions, for instance, in the knee or abdomen.
The procedure usually only takes around 1 hour to complete. The doctor will provide instructions about the preparation for the procedure.
For many types of endoscopy, the individual needs to fast for around 12 hours, though this varies based on the type.
For procedures investigating the gut, laxatives may be taken the night before to clear the system.
A doctor will carry out an examination before the endoscopy. It is important to mention all current medications (including supplements) and any previous procedures.
Recovery will depend on the type of procedure. For an upper endoscopy, which is used to enable a doctor to examine the upper gastrointestinal tract, you will be observed for some time after the procedure, usually around one hour, while any sedative medication wears off.
You should not usually work or drive for the rest of the day because of the sedative effect of the medication used to prevent the pain.
You may experience some soreness. With this type of endoscopy, there may be bloating and a sore throat, but these usually resolve quickly.
Endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure typically recommended to find the cause of digestive issues and symptoms. Special tools passed through the endoscope to treat various problems in the digestive system, such as:
