Bowel disease is difficult to detect in the body. Until recently, the only diagnostic method was directly the doctor’s hands and his knowledge in this area.
With the development of science and technology in medicine, endoscopy gained its popularity, which made it possible to initially investigate only the rectum (rectoscopy), and later the entire large intestine (colonoscopy), since the length of the research tube is more than 1.5 meters.
Nowadays, the procedure is often prescribed, especially for people over 50 years old, in order to detect cancerous tumors in the colon in the early stages. It takes time no more than an hour, but you have to prepare for it in advance. Let's look at what intestinal colonoscopy shows and how this study is conducted, and also find out the opinions of patients who have already encountered this.
Features of the structure of the intestine
The small intestine reaches more than 6 meters in length, while it is quite narrow throughout, making it difficult to examine.
But the thick one is much shorter (about 1.5 meters) and larger in diameter (from 5 to 45 centimeters). It consists of the cecum, colon and rectum. Over its length, it has a sufficient number of bends. It is clear that a metal tool will not be able to help in the diagnosis, but rather only harm the patient (rectoscopy is not applicable). Endoscopes can help us with this.
Colonoscopy - what is it?
The procedure consists of inserting a probe into the anal opening to examine the mucous membrane of the large intestine. This type of diagnosis is carried out using fibrocolonoscopes, invented in the second half of the 20th century.
The device is a long, thin and flexible tube, on one end of which there is an eyepiece with a bulb and special levers for controlling the device, and on the other - optics for examining the colon (camera). The structure of the tube is fiber, which provides complete internal reflection of the light beam and prevents its scattering. And the location of the ends of the fibers at the input and output is similar, which avoids distortion in the results. The fibrocolonoscope is connected to a monitor, to which the received information is transmitted with sufficient magnification to consider all the details.
It is important to note that in modern devices only cold light is used, so there can be no burns.
How is the study going?
As a rule, a colonoscopy is performed under general anesthesia, and local anesthesia is also sometimes used, and a sedative is injected. The patient lies on his side on the table and pulls his knees closer to his chest. The doctor inserts the device through the anus into the rectum. Due to the folding of the mucosa, it has a high ability to stretch and straighten. Then the doctor gradually pushes him further into the cecum and colon. The light element in the colonoscope allows you to pump air, thereby expanding the lumen of the intestine.
If necessary, a colonoscopy can not only make it possible to diagnose a particular disease, but also remove neoplasms and polyps with the help of electrocoagulation or make a biopsy to examine the tissue later to exclude malignancy.
This diagnostic technique can refine the data obtained by x-ray or ultrasound studies. The research method allows to study the anatomical features of the structure of the large intestine, assess the condition of the mucous membranes, and also expand the lumen when it is narrowed. For example, there is such a feature as the presence of additional loops in the colon in the patient, called dolichosigma.
Answering the question, with an additional loop of the segmented intestine, colonoscopy is shown or not, we can definitely say: yes. Of course, there are other methods, such as ultrasound, radiography, but they are auxiliary in this case.
Indications
In what cases is a colonoscopy indicated? If a person complains for a long time of intestinal dysfunction in the form of chronic constipation or diarrhea, and also observes bleeding from the anus or pain, then you should definitely consult a doctor. In the case of blood in the stool, as a rule, a colonoscopy shows hemorrhoids. The presence of mucus in the feces may indicate a beginning pathology that requires urgent diagnosis.
A sharp loss in weight is also a dangerous symptom, you should consult a specialist to diagnose the condition of the intestine.
Is colonoscopy indicated for everyone? With age, the risk of oncology increases, therefore, over the age of 50 years, all people are shown a colonoscopy, as well as patients who have already had cases of this kind of disease in their families. The danger of intestinal cancer is also that it is almost asymptomatic. They recommend re-testing every 7-10 years.
If in the process of this type of diagnosis the patient revealed such structural features of the intestinal wall, which is characterized by an increased formation of polyps, then the study must be repeated more often and immediately remove the resulting neoplasms.
What intestinal colonoscopy shows
A negative result is the best the doctor can tell the patient. This indicates that pathologies and neoplasms were not detected. But if nothing was found, but at the same time the lumen of the intestine was not completely cleared of feces or other residues of undigested food, then the doctor may prescribe a re-examination.
Normally, the large intestine has smooth pink shiny shells with a folded structure with a small amount of mucus and a moderate vascular network. If the doctor found the presence of narrowings and adhesions, a large amount of mucus or uncharacteristic neoplasms, then he can take a tissue sample for histological examination.
Answering the question that colonoscopy shows, it is necessary to note a number of diseases, such as colitis, tumors, Crohn's disease, coronary bowel disease, amyloidosis. You can also find polyps, which in themselves do not threaten health, but over time can degenerate into malignant tumors, and therefore require removal.
Many children suffer from various parasites in the intestines, in particular worms. Dirty vegetables, insufficient heat treatment of meat and fish, poor hygiene - all this contributes to the development of parasites. To quickly eliminate them from the body, it is important to quickly and accurately diagnose their presence. Will colonoscopy show the presence of worms? As a rule, they pass feces and blood tests for antibodies. If parasites have not been detected, it is recommended to repeat the study several more times to increase accuracy. Note: colonoscopy will show worms with high accuracy.
Colonoscopy preparation
The study itself takes less than an hour in time, and the recovery period is short-lived, but the preparation for it is serious. It consists not only in adjusting the diet, the most important thing is not to be afraid, because if all the indicators are normal, then the next test for your body will come no earlier than seven years later.
Specialists strongly recommend a couple of weeks before the examination to buy all the necessary medicines and personal hygiene products.
Five days before a colonoscopy, the patient should begin to follow a diet by eating only those foods that are easily digested. It is recommended to eat lean meat or fish, vegetables without skins, fresh fruits without seeds, rice, pasta, light bread. And in the last two days it is recommended to switch exclusively to soft texture foods (omelets, cereals), as well as vegetable and fruit purees and low-fat soups.
It is important to notify the doctor if the patient is taking certain medications or if he has any allergies. This may affect the dose of medication taken during the procedure. You also need to notify a specialist when taking dietary supplements and vitamins.
The day before the procedure, the patient switches completely to liquid nutrition, so that all undigested residues of solid food come out from the large intestine. You need to drink a lot. Both tea and broth, coffee will do. Do not drink juices of red shades, so that there is no confusion when examining blood.
On the last day, the patient twice takes a strong laxative according to the schedule prescribed by the doctor. At this time, there may be cramping, and diarrhea, and even vomiting. You can only sympathize with those who, in addition, suffer from hemorrhoids. Soft toilet paper and wet wipes should be purchased in advance. It will also be beneficial to use moisturizers and soothing lotions to reduce skin irritation and redness. Think about the comfort in the toilet, you can take a book, a tablet, and also substitute stools for the legs. In the last day a lot of time will have to spend here. But then what relief will there be if the patient turns out to be healthy, which is shown accurately by a colonoscopy of the intestine.
If the doctor has not prescribed a specific laxative, you can use castor oil or a solution of magnesium sulfate. In some cases, you can resort to an enema. It is done either before bedtime, or a few hours before the procedure itself.
What does virtual colon colonoscopy show?
This is a new stage in medicine, allowing you to explore the condition of the large intestine without the use of endoscopes. And information with such diagnostics will be obtained using a multispiral computed tomograph.
At the beginning of such a study, air is pumped into the rectum through a special tube to stretch it. After this, the patient is asked to hold his breath and take pictures of his abdominal cavity in a supine and then abdominal position. Using special programs, the doctor builds three-dimensional images of the abdominal organs and analyzes their condition.
Polyps and neoplasms can lead to malignancies during growth, as virtual colonoscopy of the intestine accurately shows and will allow them to be eliminated at an early stage.
The main advantage of this method is that it allows you to distinguish the folded structure of the intestine from neoplasms and intestinal contents. In addition, with the help of optical colonoscopy or irrigoscopy, it is not always possible to cover all parts of the large intestine, some remain outside our vision. After colon surgery, patients are also prescribed a virtual colonoscopy. A doctor will be able to show a photo of the state of the colon immediately after the procedure to the patient.
Preparing for a virtual colonoscopy
The key to a successful result after the procedure is a prepared intestine. It is important to eliminate feces, so as not to distort the picture. To do this, 2-3 days before the expected study, the patient should begin to follow a strict diet. You can not eat wheat and grain bread, foods rich in fiber (legumes, mushrooms, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables). On the contrary, they recommend drinking more water, broths, unsweetened tea, so that the total amount of liquid per day is about two liters.
Overeating should be avoided the day before the procedure, and dinner should be no later than 8 hours. At the same time, a special laxative drug "Fortrans" is taken. Immediately after it, the contrast drug Ultravist is taken. On the day of the study, you can only drink. Do not worry, the examination is carried out in the morning, you are not very hungry.
Individuals with bowel obstruction need an individual approach with the appointment of special laxatives.
Irrigoscopy as an alternative to colonoscopy. Advantages and disadvantages
This is another method of examining the large intestine with x-rays. One of its shortcomings is precisely this, radiation is not harmless to humans, but it should be noted that the dose is not greater than with any other x-ray of bones and other organs.
During irrigoscopy through a special tube, the colon is filled with a contrast medium (1.5-2 liters). At this point, the doctor takes a few x-rays. After emptying the intestine, it is filled with air to straighten the walls, and the doctor again takes pictures.
The difference between irrigoscopy and colonoscopy is that the first is performed without anesthesia. If a person is difficult to tolerate anesthesia, then it is worth thinking about conducting the first. They are similar in preparation of the procedure, both suggest a diet and taking laxatives the day before.
Diagnosis of inflammation of the appendix (appendicitis) is quite difficult due to vague symptoms. Experts say that colonoscopy and irrigoscopy will show appendicitis. But blood and urine tests, as a rule, will not show pathological processes in the large intestine.
Should I be afraid of colonoscopy?
Many people are wary of this procedure. There is an opinion that the procedure can lead to rupture of the colon or fecal incontinence, but this is nothing more than delusions. There is no scientific justification for these rumors, the study is safe for the patient.
It has already been said above that colonoscopy of the intestine shows. Many patients share feedback on such a procedure. They say that this is not the most pleasant pastime in your life, but it is better to undergo an examination and know that everything is in order with you than to risk your life and health in order to avoid some discomfort.
After colonoscopy
After colonoscopy, doctors recommend staying at home for several days and not especially stressing yourself at first. Still, the intestines suffered stress, and the whole body, too. It is necessary to abstain from food for the first hour and, in general, follow a diet for several days, eating semi-liquid cereals, broths to facilitate the work of the intestines.
After the examination, sensations of bloating and slight pain may persist for some time. This is normal. If you are very worried, you can take an analgesic.
Patient opinions on the procedure
As you know, how many people, so many opinions. Someone says good, someone not so, everyone can be understood, and they are all right in their own way. Someone got to an unqualified specialist, or he was simply deceived, and this happens. Someone, on the contrary, easily underwent the procedure under the strict supervision of a doctor. However, most agree on one thing - to undergo the procedure only under general anesthesia. Almost everyone who dared to do this without anesthesia speaks of unpleasant and even painful sensations. Choosing an anesthetic option is easier for both the patient and the doctor conducting the study. He will not be distracted by noise from the patient, and he will be able to concentrate on observing and determining what a colonoscopy shows. Reviews in this case will be more positive, and the patient himself will forget about the procedure and will not worry.
For some, the fear is not the procedure itself, but the preparation for it. It will be especially difficult for those who are not eating well and are used to eating a lot. A few days will have to be limited. But this food can be made balanced and tasty, the main thing is to cook everything correctly.
To reduce irritation from frequent urge to the toilet, patients recommend waiting a bit and not going there right away, so there will be less pain.
The consequences and sensations of the procedure depend on the individual structural features of your intestines, so no one can say exactly what sensations you have. Do not be afraid of this procedure, because what the colonoscopy shows will definitely not show any analysis. It’s worth going through and living a quiet life further.