What is a colonoscopy procedure?
Colonoscopy procedures involve using a colonoscope to examine or evaluate the colon’s inside (Large intestine or large bowel). A colonoscope is a four-foot-long instrument about a finger’s thickness with a camera and light source at its tip. A doctor inserts the colonoscope into the anus and then advances gradually, under visual control, into the rectum, and through the colon. Usually, it goes as far as the cecum, which is the first part of the colon. A doctor can also examine the last few inches of the small digestive tract.
The doctor performs diagnosis tests by using colonoscopy as it helps to prevent the need for surgery for the treatment of the following disease or issues.
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Colorectal cancer
When is a patient required or needed a colonoscopy?
A doctor may recommend colonoscopy for various reasons that may include -
• To screen for colon polyps (growths of tissue in the colon) or colon cancer
• Rectal bleeding
• A sudden change in bowel habits, like persistent diarrhea
• Iron deficiency anemia inpatient (a decrease in blood count due to loss of iron)
• A family history of colon cancer
• A person having a history of colon polyps or colon cancer
• Chronic, unexplained abdominal or rectal pain
• An abnormality found in an x-ray exam, like a barium enema or CT scan
Other than that, a person who is at age 50 and has a family history of colon cancer must go for colonoscopy screening to lower colon cancer risk.
What are the different steps followed during the Colonoscopy procedure?
Before the procedure doctor prescribes a patient about various things like what to do or not, like not eating anything before 8-9 hours, avoid blood-thinning medicine, and many more.
• Once you go for the procedure, the doctor will give you general anesthesia to make the patient more comfortable and relaxed. General anesthesia is a stronger sedative and will put you to sleep while you are closely monitored.
• Later on, the doctor will gently pump air or co2 and sterile water or saline through the colonoscope into the patient’s colon to inflate it, to see the entire lining. During the process, the patient may feel bloating or gas cramps, but this is normal.
• Once the patient is comfortable, the doctor might take a biopsy (a small sample of tissue) or remove polyps. Polyps are the development of tissue that may vary in size from small to larger. These polyps can be cancerous or not. Although, removal of these polyps is a painless process.
What are the alternative options a patient can choose instead of colonoscopy?
Colonoscopy is a safe and painless medical procedure that involves diagnosis and treatment for various issues of the entire colon or rectal. During the colonoscopy, precancerous and cancerous growth can be removed or biopsied. But if a patient is not willing to go for the procedure doctor due to some circumstances, it may suggest some alternative. These alternative options for diagnosis may include –
Fecal occult blood test (FOBT): FOBT helps a doctor check for hidden blood in fecal material or stool. FOBT can be performed in two ways, one is guaiac FOBT, and another is immunochemical FOBT.
• Guaiac FOBT - It includes the use of chemical guaiac to evaluate or detect heme in the stool. The iron-containing component of the blood protein hemoglobin is known as heme.
• Immunochemical FOBT – In this type of FOBT testing, the doctor uses antibodies to detect human hemoglobin protein in the stool.
FOBT test is an affordable and safe procedure but sometimes misses many polyps and cancers. A doctor can schedule a follow-up colonoscopy if the test result comes positive.
Stool DNA testing (Cologuard) – This test distinguishes DNA changes from colon cells discharged in stool tests. Additionally, as a feature of the stool DNA testing, a fecal immunochemical test is regularly performed. Stool DNA testing will recognize colorectal malignant growth roughly 92 percent of the time and progressed polyps around 42 percent of the time. A doctor might suggest a subsequent colonoscopy if the test yields a positive outcome. Stool DNA testing ought to be rehashed like clockwork.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy – The test procedure includes evolution or examines the rectum and lower colon using an instrument called a sigmoidoscope. During sigmoidoscopy procedures, precancerous and carcinogenic developments in the rectum and lower colon can be found and biopsied. And if the doctor finds a polyp, the patient should have a colonoscopy sometime in the future. Studies recommend that routine screening with sigmoidoscopy after age 50 can help lessen the growth of colorectal cancer. An exhaustive purifying of the lower colon is essential for this test. If the test yields a positive outcome, a subsequent colonoscopy will be planned.
What is the Colonoscopy cost in India?
India has various best diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy centers that offer the most accurate diagnosis of colon conditions and ensure the best treatment procedure for all the patients. Colonoscopy is a safe, painless, and cost-effective procedure. Cost estimates for colonoscopy may differ in different hospitals as every hospital has a different format of dealing with patients. Colonoscopy cost in India depends on components such as hospital fee, the experience of a surgeon, consultation fee, patient’s health and age, type of procedure, tests that are required and post-procedure complications, and many more. Typically, the colonoscopy cost in India may range from INR 2,000 to INR 9,000.
A patient can also look out for the insurance, cost estimate, and consent before choosing a hospital for a colonoscopy procedure.
How Credihealth can help find the Colonoscopy test in India –
Credihealth enables you to find the best hospital and doctor or surgeon for colonoscopy tests or procedures. You can pick the most suitable health specialist for the particular disease by viewing patient testimonials, cost comparison, credibility, location, anything as per your requirements. The online health portal, Credihealth, serves several purposes where You can even talk to our in-house health expert to get details of rough cost estimates for colonoscopy. However, the exact calculation is provided by the hospital and doctor that you opt for. Customer reviews available on the Credihealth portal present an accurate picture in front of customers. Be it a booking of an appointment with a doctor, hospital for laboratory tests, availing home attendance services, or buying online medicine, Credihealth is a complete solution to all healthcare-related problems. Consult our health expert or get a second opinion by calling @ 8010-994-994 to know more about available doctors and treatments available or write an email @ support@credihealth.com.