Colonoscopy

[BManna]

Does anyone have a doc to recommend or avoid for colonoscopy? Any relevant stories to share? Thanks!

[Roland Jacopetti]

If you have a choice between colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy, take the former, by all means. Sigmoidoscopy is one of the more uncomfortable ways medical science has devised to spend a few hours on a table. When I received my second siggy, I confessed to the attending physician that I'd found the first one highly unpleasant, and he assured me that he'd give me a bit more pain alleviation this time. Well, it took two doctors to administer that one, one to wield the sigmoidoscope and the other to hold me down while I had agonizing cramps. We then switched to colonization, which knocks you out and solves the discomfort problems. Good luck. This won't hurt a bit.

Does anyone have a doc to recommend or avoid for colonoscopy? Any relevant stories to share? Thanks!

[Shandi]

I've read that it's not necessary to have the traditional colonoscopy, because there are two other options. One involves using a tiny camera. I read this is AARP magazine several months ago, but a search would reveal the details. I've also read that there have been many problems, long after the procedure, so it would be beneficial to be informed about these. Doctors won't inform you of the potential dangers, only the potential benefits.

Does anyone have a doc to recommend or avoid for colonoscopy? Any relevant stories to share? Thanks!

[CSummer]

You might want to check out what Dr Mercola has to say about them. I've had two, and despite significant digestive issues, neither of them found anything of significance. One has to wonder if the benefits outweigh the risks - unless some other test or symptoms strongly implicate possible colon problems, in which case it might be very advisable. Otherwise, I'd tend to avoid routine colonoscopies. (Just my opinion, however, as I haven't looked up the stats.)

CSummer

Does anyone have a doc to recommend or avoid for colonoscopy? Any relevant stories to share? Thanks!

[deepresto]

I had first a sigmoidoscopy then a colonoscopy. I am a Kaiser Permanente member, and while I have some issues with Kaiser, in general I feel that I receive reasonable care. They have you do a sigmoidoscopy first, but if something is amiss, as it was in my case, they then refer you for a colonoscopy, which looks at the entire colon and not just part as the sigmoidoscopy does. The very nice doctor found a pre-cancerous polyp and excised it during the colonoscopy. All good and no issues in the 2 years since.

I did not find the sigmoidoscopy much less painful than the colonoscopy. In fact, I found them both really, really painful. At least if you get the colonoscopy you are knocked out and you feel less pain. In my situation though, I could still feel them working even though I was "out". The doctor heard me moaning and he asked the nurse to administer more anaesthesia; it helped a little.

If I had to do it again (and I will, in 8 years), I would go straight to the colonoscopy. Sorry if I've frightened anyone, but this is how it was for me. Maybe I'm just sensitive!!

[newdawn707]

Dr Hermans in Ukiah is very good.

Dr Burris, not so much.

Does anyone have a doc to recommend or avoid for colonoscopy? Any relevant stories to share? Thanks!