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Since my first 'scope is coming up, I am curious if it is still the most common method for this exam.
What little I know about the procedure is there have been some instances of incompletely sterilized equipment causing infections. There is a design defect in a certain brand that allows bugs to survive through an ethylene oxide process.
That is a little scary. And in 2018, it seems like miniaturization and technology would give doctors another way to examine lower intestinal walls without filling you with gas. I would pay extra for a sterile, disposable camera.
Never heard of such a thing, myself. I've had three of them. For me the only problem has been "the prep" (putrid stuff I had to drink), because I was knocked out for all of mine.
Since my first 'scope is coming up, I am curious if it is still the most common method for this exam.
What little I know about the procedure is there have been some instances of incompletely sterilized equipment causing infections. There is a design defect in a certain brand that allows bugs to survive through an ethylene oxide process.
That is a little scary. And in 2018, it seems like miniaturization and technology would give doctors another way to examine lower intestinal walls without filling you with gas. I would pay extra for a sterile, disposable camera.
Is colonoscopy the only way to go?
I’ve been seeing a commercial for this: https://www.cologuardtest.com. I’m overdue for my first colonoscopy and plan on asking my doctor about this.
I've never had one and have no plans at 79. Now a friend and I think it was her first at 66 I think is her age, had a Virtual. Everything was fine she said.
Since my first 'scope is coming up, I am curious if it is still the most common method for this exam.
What little I know about the procedure is there have been some instances of incompletely sterilized equipment causing infections. There is a design defect in a certain brand that allows bugs to survive through an ethylene oxide process.
That is a little scary. And in 2018, it seems like miniaturization and technology would give doctors another way to examine lower intestinal walls without filling you with gas. I would pay extra for a sterile, disposable camera.
Is colonoscopy the only way to go?
There are DNA colon screenings as well as Pass-Through video capsules you swallow. Everyone would rather an alternative until they see the full cost or realize the alternatives are not as accurate as the camera up the keister. Cameras are only a part of the scope, there are many other components and attachments incorporated in the scope. The camera is not the source of these few incidents. In most cases it's the snipper and associated connections that is the most vulnerable to sterilization errors. Imagine the cost of an entire disposable scope!
I’ve been seeing a commercial for this: https://www.cologuardtest.com. I’m overdue for my first colonoscopy and plan on asking my doctor about this.
I had this, got a false positive, and got the colonoscopy anyway (which was negative). I still think it's a good idea if you have no family history or risk factors for colon cancer.
So this last one was my second, I don't find them that bad. The reason they use gas has nothing to do with miniaturization. The inside of your colon is full of wrinkles, as it were, rather than explore each wrinkle, they use gas to stretch everything out so they can see every surface more easily.
The prep the day before is the unpleasant part of the process. The actual colonoscopy is not a big deal. It doesn't take long nor (for me at least) is there any pain. I don't get sedated for it so when it is done I get dressed and go about my day. The other advantage to not being sedated is I get to watch the whole exam on the screen, and if there are polyps (as occurs in my case) it is kind of neat watching them get removed. That removal is also painless.
The other issue, mentioned by a couple posters, is that in the event the Cologuard, virtual colonoscopy, or swallowed camera yields a positive, or questionable result, the patient has to undergo a colonoscopy to find, and biopsy, the source of that result.
Because the quack medical industry can get your insurance to pay for it. Colonoscopies are often dangerous and unnecessary.
What's your source on this? How do you define "often"?
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