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A colonoscopy is a very simple procedure. You come into a surgery center or in a hospital setting the day of your procedure, a nurse takes your vitals and puts an IV line for you. Then if an anesthesiologist is involved or if the physician is giving the anesthesia themselves, they speak to you, they talk to you about the risks and benefits of the procedure, and then you go into the examination room. At that point, medication is given to you that allows you to go to sleep and be comfortable. And then the camera, which is the width of my finger, goes through the rectum, takes a look at the entire colon, and if there’s anything that needs to be removed or biopsied it’s done at that time. During the procedure. A colonoscopy on average can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 40 minutes. It could be sooner if everything looks fine and the prep is excellent, it could be a little bit longer if your prep is not good and the doctor has to clean things and wash things in order to be able to see properly, or if any manipulation is done such as removal of polyps or biopsies. You’re relatively asleep during the procedure and you shouldn’t feel anything. The procedure should not hurt. Some patients feel a little bit bloated and gassy after the procedure, but they’re able to pass gas and they feel better almost immediately.
