Colonoscopies a thing of the past?

Colonoscopies could be a thing of the past. Apparently there is a new procedure called a colonography which involves a CT scanner.

It is a "virtual colonoscopy"

It's NOT new.

It is more than ten years old.

If the virtual shows anything, you need the traditional to get the biopsy anyway.

My gastroenterologist does around thirty per day, at least two days a week. He doesn't seem to think they are going away any time soon. My wife just had one a couple weeks ago, and he wants her back in ten years.

It's funny how the pendulum swings.. ten years ago colonoscopes were larger diameter, heavier, and a colonoscopy was more uncomfortable than it is today.

A lot of people just couldn't or wouldn't deal with having a scope up their butt. A "virtual colonoscopy" still required a prep, and contrast material as well.

Oh, and the fine print: if they find anything at all on your "virtual colonoscopy" you get to repeat the prep and then get the real colonoscopy anyway.

In the mean time, newer scopes are smaller, lighter, go around twists and turns much better than older scopes, and have much sharper pictures than older ones.

They've done a couple of trials where they performed colonoscopies without any sedation, and about half the people in the study said it wasn't that bad and they'd have the procedure again without sedation.

I never get sedation, not even a just-in-case IV. It's mildly uncomfortable for about 20 minutes. The plus side is that you can be eating that much needed breakfast in about 10 minutes having driven yourself there. You can also remember anything the doctor told you.

The part about finding something is completely accurate. Even worse, if they THINK they saw something, you're back in a month to do a traditional colonoscopy. I'll just save a step, thanks.

Yes the prep is the same. You need to have the tissue diagnosis which requires the real thing anyway. CT virtual colonoscopy is another gimmicky X-ray procedure which I think is a waste of time, money and requires a significant X-ray exposure. It gives no information about the colonic mucosa which the traditional colonoscopy does. Many colonic lesions are removed at the time of the diagnostic procedure. In my opinion there is no indication for a CT study when the colonoscopy can be done.

There is even a newer test than a virtual colonoscopy It is called Cologuard. It consists of a kit that the lab mails to your home. It has all the necessary things needed to do the test. All you do is go to the bathroom in a container(included in the kit) and mail the container off.. The postage is already paid by the company. It takes about 2 weeks to get the results. It isn't cheap, ($500) but is covered by most insurance companies and Medicare. It sure beats having to do all the prep; having to go to the hospital/clinic and everything else that goes along with the normal colonoscopies. They say the resuls are 98% accurate. I just did the test myself and it was a breeze. Refer to the website for more information: www.cologuardtest.com I am not a salesman for the company. What I have stated here is from personal experience!

I'd be suspicious of a test that claims to be able to detect polyps via their shed cells...

As for the CT scan, I wonder if there are any studies as to the relative dangers of the radiation exposure of the CT to the invasive 'scope.

One of the things that makes colonoscopies easier now is that about a decade ago, they switched to using carbon dioxide to inflate the colon instead of ambient air. Much of the CO2 is absorbed by the system reducing the sense of bloating, and avoiding the half hour fart fest that used to follow.

I've never taken sedation. For me there is one uncomfortable spot where the scope rounds the corner from the transverse into the ascending. It usually takes some external pressure from the assistant to get it to navigate that bend for me. At my last one in December, it took a lot of external pressure and I was sore later, but no reason for sedation.

Cologuard has the same issues virtual colonoscopy had, minus the prep. The labs that do the test have been promoting the heck out of it, but it's just not all that great a test. If it finds something you still need to get a real colonoscopy. I would hate to be the guy who has the false negative test, only to find out later that I'd have been cured if my now cancerous polyp had been removed before it became cancerous, with a cold snare during a simple routine colonoscopy..

I do think eventually the technology will advance to the point to where you'll be able to swallow a capsule with micro 3D cameras to scan the colon. The images will probably download via cell tower or satellite to the physician's office as the capsule transits the digestive system. This has been tried for some time with limited success for upper GI, but the way gadgets are developing it's only a matter of time before they perfect the technology. Less invasive and risky, which is what the medical community is pushing these days.

Not for someone like me. I get scoped every 3 years and they always find new polyps to snip out. My first scoping years ago found a villous adenoma that was bleeding and malignant. I had a resection, chemo & radiation. My gastro. says that I am a "polyp manufacturing machine."

I do think eventually the technology will advance to the point to where you'll be able to swallow a capsule with micro 3D cameras to scan the colon. The images will probably download via cell tower or satellite to the physician's office as the capsule transits the digestive system. This has been tried for some time with limited success for upper GI, but the way gadgets are developing it's only a matter of time before they perfect the technology. Less invasive and risky, which is what the medical community is pushing these days.

They're doing this now.

Once again, the prep is the same but even longer as you have to wait for the camera to pass. Then, if there's anything seen, you get to go for a colonoscopy. I'll just save a step.

I guarantee they're still doing colonoscopies - I just had to schedule one to try to help diagnose my abdominal pain that's been a constant companion for over a month now. I will be sedated (and honestly I prefer that!), and they will be doing an upper GI endoscopy at the same appointment. Too bad it can't be virtual prep...

Are colonoscopies a thing of the past? On the contrary. The procedure that is becoming obscure these days it seems, is the barium enema, with, or without air insufflation.

I guarantee they're still doing colonoscopies - I just had to schedule one to try to help diagnose my abdominal pain that's been a constant companion for over a month now. I will be sedated (and honestly I prefer that!), and they will be doing an upper GI endoscopy at the same appointment. Too bad it can't be virtual prep...

I hope you're joking. There is no VIRTUAL prep. The prep is the same for conventional and virtual colonoscopies.

I hope you're joking. There is no VIRTUAL prep. The prep is the same for conventional and virtual colonoscopies.

Would be nice if Scotty could beam your alimentary contents to deep space.

Would be nice if Scotty could beam your alimentary contents to deep space.

Stewie did that for Brian in the Multiverse episode! 😁 😁 😁

Stewie did that for Brian in the Multiverse episode! 😁 😁 😁

Yea, but that's just a cartoon. 😜

Yeah, and Star Trek is just a sci-fi show!

I don't think that colonoscopies are going anywhere in the near future. No matter what they come up with, the prep needs to be done. Colonoscopies are less expensive for hospitals to do than all the other whiz-bang tech on the horizon, and GI doctors do them so regularly, they are old pros at it. If a new method comes along, they would all have to be retrained.

I should be due for one next year. I always am sedated, but even so, as the scope reaches juncture of the sigmoid and decending colon, It causes such discomfort that I have had to be held down, even while sedated. Apparently, it's a very tight turn. They usually find a few benign polyps and some internal hemorrhoids, but I have always been told that I have nothing to worry about. The VA still wants me to have one every 5 years.

I'm currently dealing with rectal cancer. Was asymptomatic. Nothing but a colonoscopy would have caught it. Walking through hell right now, but alive because I got the old fashioned colonoscopy with all the nasty prep involved.

So, if they do come up with a "virtual" test (tiny cameras, CT scan etc) - what will they do if the find a Polyp? They will have to go in with a scope to cut it out. Maybe (a BIG maybe) something like a Gamma Knife could be invented/adapted to cut them out - but I suspect that would be very expensive and take a lot of training.

I just had my second colonoscopy in January. In October ... during routine physical exam ... I asked my doctor about Cologuard in an attempt to avoid another colonoscopy. It had been 10 years since my first colonoscopy; however, I just wanted to avoid the procedure completely. My internal medicine doctor ordered the test and much to my surprise in two weeks I was informed that the result was POSITIVE! Needless to say ... I FREAKED!

In January, I had my second colonoscopy done ... this time I decided to have the exam done unsedated. However, I did agree upon having a saline IV inserted just in case that I became too uncomfortable. The anesthesiologist had the propofol on hand and was waiting on my command to administer the sedation. Much to my surprise, the procedure lasted about 10 minutes and I only felt intense pressure ... not pain ... at two different points.

No polyps were found and I am good to go for another ten years. What a relief!!! The prep was not half as bad as I remembered from 10 years earlier. This time I was prescribed Suprep ... instead of "drink a gallon of this then that" ... first procedure ... and although it was not a pleasant taste it was very doable. I drove myself to the procedure and drove myself home within an hour. I did have to sign a release stating that I had a driver to call and take me home in case the propofol was injected.

I have a co-worker that experienced the same result with the Cologuard testing. Fortunately, he too, was given the "go" for another ten years. Since the colonoscopy, I have shared my experience with as many as I can in hopes that they forgo the Cologuard testing and encourage them to "bite the bullet" and proceed with the actual colonoscopy. The ugliness of the prepping and procedure is so worth the piece of mind. This is just my two cents worth ... and my experience.

I hope they do phase them out for something less invasive.

My childhood friend was killed by a colonoscopy. As a baby his ureters were diverted to his colon so he peed out of his bottom. This procedure is estimated to cause a lifetime 500-fold increase in bowel cancer. When having a routine colonoscopy they shoved the device through the side of his colon. Carried on unaware and sent him home. He died in intensive care 5 days later.

If they find something you will have to get a regular one so another round of prep. As for cologuard they have a good rate of false positives. just my opinion

The absolute worst part of a colonoscopy is paying your deductible (unless you are on Medicare). My last colonoscopy was done unsedated. I got to watch the video as the dr was feeding the scope through my colon. I would definitely do it again that way. It’s really not anymore uncomfortable than taking a large volume enema.

@quincy I don't know I'd they gave me CO2 or not. They still had to deflate me with a colon tube when it was over because I couldn't fart. That took about 10 min to get it in far enough to finally release. It was funny because I could see and feel my belly deflate.

I don't think colonoscopies are a thing of the past at all.

Due to multiple deaths of family members from colon cancer, I underwent 3 coloniscopies so far.

By the end of next year I have to make another appointment.

The first time, 2 pollipes were actually discovered and removed from me.

I didn't notice anything about the actual examination because I was under anesthesia.

It was more the preparation the 2 days before that was very annoying.

I am not at all looking forward to my next colonoscopy but happy that this procedure is here.

Otherwise I might have suffered the same fatal road of my lamented relatives.