"Virtual" Colonoscopy

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Dec 3, 2003

If I have to go through the prep, I might as well get the 100mg Demerol and 2-4mg Versed for the scope.

As they cannot do biopsies via "virtual" scoping, I still have no alternative (ulcerative colitis x15years)

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Dec 3, 2003

I think the prep is bad enough, but if they are going to pump in a bunch of air, I too want the conscious sedation...

Maybe it's just me, but sticking something up back there would be my issue....

hbscott · Dec 3, 2003

Virtual Colonoscopy was a project started by Dr Picard here at the National Naval Medical Center. I have been the supporting that project as the advanced imaging (PACS) engineer. Dr. Picard has now taken his work to a University Medical Center in Wisconsin to "launch" this new diagnostic modality in mainstream medicine. We here at Navy are now building a multi-million dollar VC clinic with the enthusiastic support of some congressional members.

Keep watching this folks. VC is on the verge of rapid development and deployment everywhere.

Thanks for posting NRSKarenRN. It has been neat seeing the media attention on this for several days now. I guess our baby (VC) was just born so to speak.

-HBS

sharann, BSN, RN · Dec 3, 2003

Originally posted by caroladybelle
If I have to go through the prep, I might as well get the 100mg Demerol and 2-4mg Versed for the scope.

As they cannot do biopsies via "virtual" scoping, I still have no alternative (ulcerative colitis x15years)

Same here. Also have UC. If they could find a way to do a colonoscopy without the prep though....I would pay extra for that!

I think that the only problem I see here(besides the discomfort of no sedation)is that if the test yeilds a positive result, then the poor patient has to go through ANOTHER prep, which is worse than the test, and has added expense and loss of time from home/work....

Just my opinion.

FlyingED · Dec 3, 2003

I googled "Virtual Colonoscopy" a couple weeks ago and found a web page with examples that played on the played on Windows Media Player. It was very interesting, I emailed a copy of one as joke to a friend of mine who was going in for a normal colonoscopy. "This is your colon. This is your colon with Polyps!":D

hbscott · Dec 3, 2003

"Neither procedure is a walk in the park, but virtual colonoscopy is significantly better tolerated,"

VC is designed to be a screening tool which in theory would require fewer patients to be scoped. In time better procedures and methods will be developed but we usually get there on step at a time rather than leaps.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 3, 2003

I have to admit that I've hesitated to push my over-50 husband and sister to have a baseline colonoscopy for this very reason.........the prep is worse than the actual test, and having a garden hose snaked up your rectum isn't exactly a picnic, even under C/Sed. I've put enough people through the process that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy! I won't even go through it myself, even though my own digestive problems have gotten worse with time and I SHOULD have it checked out.

Now, if this virtual colonoscopy becomes widely available, I think attitudes will change (including mine) and more people will be willing to be checked.....but they're still going to have to do something to eliminate the prep (oops, no pun intended), or compliance will still be less than it should be.

:stone

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Dec 5, 2003

Definitely second the emotion that the prep is worse than the procedure.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Dec 6, 2003

My last and ONLY colonoscopy was so painful I couldn't let them proceed. I have adhesions like crazy from all the gyn surgery I have had.

This sounds like what I need....along with a little demerol too :)

LydiaGreen · Dec 6, 2003

Colonoscopy is way too painful for me. I have a lot of twists/turns/adhesions. Last time, they had to force the tube in and it felt like I had been ripped in half. They had only gotten the tube in six inches when I told them to stop. I had bleeding for three days afterward. That was my second attempt at having it done. I won't do it again without general anesthesia. What I can't figure out is why my family physician is insisting on the colonoscopy when the gastroenterologist (four hours away) felt the problem was definitely in the small intestine... not the large. Go figure. I have explained this three times and am still getting nowhere.

Also, my opinion is that there is something wrong elsewhere... that it has nothing to do with my intestines. I have used several different antidiarrheals. The only thing that works is cholestyramine (my cholesterol levels are fine) and it works by binding to bile salts, thus preventing them from irritating the intestinal mucosa. If I don't take my meds, my BM's are almost entirely mucous and bile. Have explained that to me, this would mean that for some reason I am producing either too much bile, or bile of a vicious pH. Pancreatic enzymes all came back normal (GE had thought perhaps pancreatic tumour), I have no gall bladder problems and no hepatomegaly. Should I pursue liver funtion study with the family physician? I'm at a loss. The GE did say that if it was a small intestine problem, I would likely be on the meds for the rest of my life. Yay! (Being very sarcastic here).

I would do the prep three times if it meant a painless exam, and that includes the cleansing enema required despite the thorough prep because the mucous continues to be produced whether there is stool present or not. The prep doesn't bother me at all because it is no different than the average day without my meds.

Katnip, RN · Dec 6, 2003

Think of all the perforations this could prevent.