Colonoscopy Surgery Abroad
$5,000
94%
The colon (or large bowel) is the last portion of the digestive tract and the storage tube for solid wastes: it extracts water and salt from feces before the waste is eliminated as stool. Colonoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the large colon and the distal part of the small bowel.
It is often used to look for causes of gastrointestinal disorders (hemorrhage, unexplained changes in bowel habits) or to evaluate symptoms like abdominal pain or rectal bleeding. Colonoscopy aims at diagnosing colon cancer or inflammatory diseases.
Procedure information
The procedure requires preparation as the colon must be completely empty for the colonoscopy to be thorough and safe. Therefore a liquid diet has to be followed for one to three days beforehand. To thoroughly cleanse the bowel, the patient must take a laxative the night before the procedure.
For the duration of the colonoscopy the patient lays on his or her left side on the examining table. The patient is given pain medication and a moderate sedative. A long, flexible tube (colonoscope) is inserted by the doctor through the anus up the rectum and is slightly guided into the colon. The tube is equipped with a CDD or a fiber optic camera to transmit an image of the inside of the colon.
The doctor checks on a video screen the lining of the colon and looks for abnormal growths. Therapeutic interventions can be performed during the test, such as removing polyps (growth of excess tissue), and biopsies (small tissue samples) are frequently taken for further examination. At the end of the procedure, which usually takes 30 to 60 minutes, the colonoscope is slowly withdrawn.
Recovery time
After the procedure, some recovery time is necessary (from one to two hours) so that the sedative can wear off. Most facilities require the patient to be driven home, as the sedative might affect driving abilities.
Common after-effects are cramping or flatulence, but this usually stops within an hour. Full recovery by the next day is normal and expected.
$5,000
94%
Gastrointestinal Surgery
