On the day of the procedure, you will likely be given an anaesthetic so you don't feel any pain or discomfort. As you may feel drowsy or weak prior to and after the colonoscopy it is best to arrange someone to drop you off at the hospital before the procedure and take you home afterwards.
You won't be completely unconscious, but you'll sleep through the procedure and probably have no memory of it. The medication commonly used for deep sedation is propofol, which is not an opioid. It acts fast, wears off quickly, and is safe for most patients.
A typical screening colonoscopy for a generally healthy adult will take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. Since the entire colonoscopy (from start to finish) is performed with sedation from the anesthesia physician or CRNA/CAA, this means you will be asleep for 15 to 45 minutes.
Sedation-free colonoscopy brings other benefits as well, including avoiding side effects from medicine given and being able to resume normal activities, including driving, almost immediately after the procedure.
The procedure itself takes about 20 to 30 minutes and you will usually be able to go home about two hours later, after the effect of the sedation wears off.
Recovery from a colonoscopy , an examination of the large intestine used to screen for colon cancer, takes about a day. While the procedure itself takes only around an hour to complete, you'll need an hour after to recover from the sedative and the remainder of the day to rest and replenish fluids and nutrition.
You can start eating regular foods the next day. Keep eating light meals if you are not able to pass gas and still feel bloated. For the first 24 hours after your procedure: Do not drink alcohol.
Most colonoscopies are associated with little or no pain (66%) and are easy or only mildly difficult to perform (58%). Patients who have had sigmoid resection are especially easy and painless to examine while women, especially after hysterectomy, are at higher risk of having a painful experience.
After the procedure
You may feel bloated or pass gas for a few hours after the exam, as you clear the air from your colon. Walking may help relieve any discomfort. You may also notice a small amount of blood with your first bowel movement after the exam. Usually this isn't cause for alarm.
After the test, you may be bloated or have gas pains. You may need to pass gas. If a biopsy was done or a polyp was removed, you may have streaks of blood in your stool (feces) for a few days. Problems such as heavy rectal bleeding may not occur until several weeks after the test.
Is it normal to have pain a week after a colonoscopy? No, any pain or discomfort after a colonoscopy should resolve in a day. If you are still in pain beyond a day after your procedure, contact your care team.
Thinner and more flexible endoscopes may cause less stretching of the mesentery, which is one of the principal sources of pain during colonoscopy.
Due to the sedation, it is unlikely the patient will remember the colonoscopy itself. Once the procedure is over, the patient will need about 30-60 minutes to recover from the sedation before getting dressed and leaving the building.
The discomfort of the procedure can make it difficult to pass urine and empty the bladder. It is important that your bladder does not seize up completely. If you cannot get the urine flowing properly after six hours, contact the nurses or your doctor.
Most colonoscopies take only 15-30 minutes to complete. As a reminder, most patients recall feeling minimal to no pain or discomfort during the procedure. After the colonoscopy is done, you will be observed in a recovery area until the effects of the anesthesia wear off.
Propofol sedation is nothing at all like sleep. Sleep is reversible with external stimulation - if you shake somebody, they wake up.
Is a sedation-free colonoscopy painful or uncomfortable? Most patients report little or no discomfort during the procedure. You can request sedation during the procedure if you change your mind and feel you need it, although it has been my experience that this seldom occurs.
You might not have a bowel movement for a couple days after the procedure. When you do have your first bowel movement, you may notice a bit of blood. This is likely normal and isn't cause for concern.
Loops or angulation in the colon are possibly the most common patient-related source of difficulty. Some bends require additional skill to navigate. Loops, particularly in the sigmoid colon, can result in loss of control of the endoscope as well as patient discomfort.
During the procedure itself, your colonoscopy will not be painful at all. Most patients cannot even feel the tube when it is inside of them, and there is no pain during the post-procedure process. There are a few side effects that may occur after the procedure, which include: Distention.
However, there's no need to fear a colonoscopy procedure. Anxiety over the unknown is often the scariest part of a colon screening. Although caring for your gastrointestinal health isn't the most pleasant task on your to-do list, prioritizing wellness is one of the best ways you can practice self-care and prevention.
Background. Colonoscopies performed in the afternoon (PM) have been shown to have lower adenoma detection rates (ADR) compared to those in the morning (AM). Endoscopist fatigue has been suggested as a possible reason. Colonoscopies tend to be technically more challenging in female patients.
Generally, you may need to take a maximum of one day to recover from the procedure. You should follow the post-procedure instructions to get a quick recovery. It can be anything from taking a rest, to drinking lots of water and not consuming alcohol within 24 hours.