Gateway Gastroenterology has seven gastroenterologists and hepatologists on our team. We offer this procedure to check for colon cancer and other issues like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
A colonoscopy is a test every at-risk adult should have after a certain age to check for colon cancer. You may have heard from others that preparing for a colonoscopy can seem daunting, especially if this is your first time having one. The Gateway Gastroenterology team wants you to understand the procedure by giving you tips and tricks to make the prep go smoothly.
A colonoscopy preparation involves getting ready ahead of time so that your doctor can see into every part of your large intestine. Ideally, your bowels need to be clean of stools for the test to be accurate and complete.
Please refer to the detailed instructions sent to you or refer to our prep instructions found under the Patient Resources/Patient Forms section of our website. Please READ these instructions as soon as possible or when you have received them in the mail.
Changing your diet a few days before the procedure is helpful to make the clean-out aspect easier. Please refer to the instructions sent to you or on our website.
It’s essential to be near a bathroom. As soon as the laxative begins to work, you will have frequent watery diarrhea. Initially, the diarrhea may contain clumps of soft stool but towards the end, the diarrhea will be essentially all liquid, to the point that you can see through the liquid in the toilet.
Colonoscopy prep can be a taxing experience. Please assess your ability to safely access the toilet. Be sure that you are close to the toilet and have a clear and safe passage to the bathroom. Consider buying some soft and comfortable toilet paper or wet wipes to ease irritation around your bottom from repeated wiping. Feel free to review the FAQ section on our website to answer additional questions and concerns about colonoscopy preparations.
Please call Gateway Gastroenterology today to schedule a colonoscopy appointment, or request a consultation on our website. We have offices in St. Louis, Chesterfield, and Ballwin, Missouri.