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I'm scheduled for my second on Monday. And I'm only 44.
They've got me on an every-3-year plan for the foreseeable future.. They WANT it to be every other year.
First one, I had a single 1cm polyp removed. But, my brother who is 48 has had his second round of surgery and is going through a second round of chemo. He had a tumor that grew enough to block his intestines.
If insurance wasn't covering at 100%.. I wouldn't be doing it so often.
yeah because of my insurance change I have them once every two years , the other insurance we had did them once a year . I think insurance plays a lot into how often you can have them done .
I am scheduling my 5th (waiting for call back right now)
They found pre-cancerous polyps on the first 4. Still every 3 years per MD
Because of ulcers, I make them schedule endoscopy at the same time. (Dr doesn't like to do both at same time, because of lower reimbursement, but I don't want to go back twice. They reluctantly agee)
All I ask is, if they do the colonoscopy first, they wipe the tube real good
I know many people who had precancerous lesions removed at the first colonoscopy at 50 yrs old. And if there is a family history, you need to start having screening colonoscopies at least ten years younger than the age at which the person was diagnosed.
Although insurance covers colonoscopies, some insurances will put the anesthesia charges (which can be 4 times what the colonoscopist gets - in other words, a THOUSAND DOLLARS for the anesthesiologist, who does NOTHING other than push a little propofol) to your deductible, which means most people would get stuck with a huge bill.
I'm here to tell you, having it done without anesthesia is very possible! I had it done without anesthesia last time because I was so furious that they had completely put me out the first time around, when they had pushed me to take "just a little Versed". And it was gonna cost me a thousand dollars for the anesthesiologist. So this time, I had both top and bottom done with NOTHING. And it was not that bad! The worst pain I felt during the colonoscopy was when she had to "go around the bend" to get at the farthest part of the colon. And that pain was no worse than the kind of cramping you have with diarrhea - in fact, I've had far worse pain with cramping with diarrhea. As for the upper endoscopy, just have them numb the back of your throat with viscous lidocaine, to suppress the gag reflex, and it's a piece of cake. If you think you're gonna have terrible anxiety, take an oral anxiolytic, like Valium, beforehand (I did not). Sure, if you want to be put out, and it's covered, go ahead and take the propofol. But for the rest of us, you really do NOT need anesthesia for colonoscopy and upper endoscopy.
I know many people who had precancerous lesions removed at the first colonoscopy at 50 yrs old. And if there is a family history, you need to start having screening colonoscopies at least ten years younger than the age at which the person was diagnosed.
Although insurance covers colonoscopies, some insurances will put the anesthesia charges (which can be 4 times what the colonoscopist gets - in other words, a THOUSAND DOLLARS for the anesthesiologist, who does NOTHING other than push a little propofol) to your deductible, which means most people would get stuck with a huge bill.
I'm here to tell you, having it done without anesthesia is very possible! I had it done without anesthesia last time because I was so furious that they had completely put me out the first time around, when they had pushed me to take "just a little Versed". And it was gonna cost me a thousand dollars for the anesthesiologist. So this time, I had both top and bottom done with NOTHING. And it was not that bad! The worst pain I felt during the colonoscopy was when she had to "go around the bend" to get at the farthest part of the colon. And that pain was no worse than the kind of cramping you have with diarrhea - in fact, I've had far worse pain with cramping with diarrhea. As for the upper endoscopy, just have them numb the back of your throat with viscous lidocaine, to suppress the gag reflex, and it's a piece of cake. If you think you're gonna have terrible anxiety, take an oral anxiolytic, like Valium, beforehand (I did not). Sure, if you want to be put out, and it's covered, go ahead and take the propofol. But for the rest of us, you really do NOT need anesthesia for colonoscopy and upper endoscopy.
You are a brave soul indeed I could never do that without anesthesia . I'm a high anxiety person and shrek at the thought of having a procedure without anesthesia . my insurance pays for anesthesia so I will do it with that thanks .
OP you're exactly what the Montana Attorney General talked about. He himself had colon cancer but they caught it early because of the colonoscopy. Now he's telling everyone to get a colonoscopy after age 50.
I am scheduling my 5th (waiting for call back right now)
They found pre-cancerous polyps on the first 4. Still every 3 years per MD
Because of ulcers, I make them schedule endoscopy at the same time. (Dr doesn't like to do both at same time, because of lower reimbursement, but I don't want to go back twice. They reluctantly agee)
All I ask is, if they do the colonoscopy first, they wipe the tube real good
You think they use the same tube for both the EGD and colonoscopy? I've wondered, figured if they did the EGD first it might work, but I don't know what they do.
Interesting, as I saw the GI doc today that I was referred to by my primary, and while the primary only mentioned a colonoscopy, the GI doc encouraged me to have the EGD done the same day. They're looking for a source of GI bleeding, and he said if they didn't find it in the colonoscopy, they'd most likely want to look for it via endoscopy, to look for ulcers or whatever, and I'd have to go back for that. He left the decision up to me, but he strongly encouraged having both done at the same time.
You think they use the same tube for both the EGD and colonoscopy? I've wondered, figured if they did the EGD first it might work, but I don't know what they do.
Interesting, as I saw the GI doc today that I was referred to by my primary, and while the primary only mentioned a colonoscopy, the GI doc encouraged me to have the EGD done the same day. They're looking for a source of GI bleeding, and he said if they didn't find it in the colonoscopy, they'd most likely want to look for it via endoscopy, to look for ulcers or whatever, and I'd have to go back for that. He left the decision up to me, but he strongly encouraged having both done at the same time.
I had both done at the same time. I was having serious GERD issues. I had a polyp that was removed. May as well do them together and save on money and time.
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