What is better a virtual colonoscopy or a regular colonoscopy?

Virtual colonoscopy is less invasive and faster to perform than traditional colonoscopy and does not require conscious sedation. Even though virtual colonoscopy is less invasive than traditional colonoscopy, virtual colonoscopy still involves injecting air into the colon, which can be uncomfortable for some patients.

Are there different types of colonoscopy procedures?

There are two types of colonoscopy: screening and diagnostic. Talk to you doctor about which you may need and understand your benefits for both types before the procedure.

What is the current recommendation for colonoscopy?

Regular screening, beginning at age 45, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer and finding it early. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) recommends that adults age 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer. The Task Force recommends that adults age 76 to 85 talk to their doctor about screening.

Is a CT colonoscopy as good as a colonoscopy?

Colonoscopies have long been the standard screening procedure for detecting growths in the colon, but CT Colonography is a comparably accurate, non-invasive alternative.

What’s the difference between a screening colonoscopy and a diagnostic colonoscopy?

A screening colonoscopy will have no out-of-pocket costs for patients (such as co-pays or deductibles). A “diagnostic” colonoscopy is a colonoscopy that is done to investigate abnormal symptoms, tests, prior conditions or family history.

Why have a sigmoidoscopy instead of a colonoscopy?

Sigmoidoscopy has fewer side effects, requires less bowel preparation, and poses a lower risk of bowel perforation (an uncommon event, when the screening instrument pokes a hole in the intestine) than colonoscopy, in which a similarly flexible, but longer, tube is used to view the entire colon.

Can cologuard replace a colonoscopy?

The majority of large precancerous polyps cannot be detected with Cologuard. This may give patients a false sense that they are preventing colon cancer by taking the Cologuard test. In short, there is no true replacement for a colonoscopy.