A colonoscopy is a routine, outpatient procedure. Your doctor uses a long, thin, flexible tube with a camera on the tip to look at the inner lining of your large intestine. To prepare for this procedure, patients drink a special solution to clean out the colon. Your physician will provide you with more information on this preparation.
During the procedure itself, you’ll be under mild sedation. When the procedure is finished, you’ll be taken to a recovery room for a few hours before being discharged home. Because of the sedation medication, you will need to have a friend or family member drive you home.
When to Schedule a Colonoscopy:
- You are 50 or older
- You have a family history of colon cancer
- You have chronic bowel and digestive diseases
- You have had a previous abnormal colonoscopy finding
- You are over the age 50 and have not had a colonoscopy in the last 10 years
Learn more about the risk factors of colon cancer.