Endoscopy Procedure Center in Columbus, GA

A colonoscopy is a crucial procedure that evaluates the health of the colon and checks for colon polyps, colon cancer, and other changes or abnormalities.

It’s important for men and women 45 years or older, as well as younger patients at risk of colon cancer, to undergo routine colonoscopies every 10 years, or more frequently if directed by their doctors.

Patients in need of a colonoscopy can skip the hospital visit and schedule their procedure right here with Southeastern Gastroenterology!

What Does a Colonoscopy Entail?

A colonoscopy is not a difficult or complex procedure, but it does require some preparation first.

• Preparation: Your GI doctor will give you specific instructions to prepare your bowels for the procedure. On the day before your procedure, you will start a clear liquid diet (water, broth, clear sodas, white grape juice, tea, coffee without cream or milk, etc.) and avoid solid foods of any kind. You will also be prescribed a laxative to be taken at certain times to clear out your bowels completely. Follow all instructions carefully. You can access prep instructions here [link to forms page].
• Procedure: At your procedure, you will some amount of sedation for a more comfortable experience. You will lie on your side of the examination table. Your doctor will insert a colonoscope into the rectum. Air or carbon dioxide may be pumped into the rectum to inflate it for a better look at your colon’s wall and structures. Your doctor will look for signs of trouble, including polyps, cancer, or other structural issues. If there are polyps, your doctor will take a biopsy or remove the polyps completely. Once completed, the colonoscope is removed, and the procedure is over.

What Happens After a Colonoscopy?

After your colonoscopy, you will be sent to a comfortable recovery room for observation until you are released.

Every colonoscopy patient will require a driver after being released from our Endoscopy Center.

Patients who have experienced narrowing in their esophagus may require an esophageal dilation to widen the esophagus and allow for better swallowing again.

Whether caused by chronic acid reflux or GERD, injury, a hiatal hernia, or even esophageal scarring from radiation therapy, a narrowed esophagus must be widened to allow for better eating, drinking, and overall well-being.

What Does an Esophageal Dilation Entail?

An esophageal dilation is a minimally invasive procedure that requires your doctor to insert an endoscope into the mouth and down to the narrowed part of the esophagus. Using either a balloon catheter, dilator, or weighted and cone-shaped tube called a bougie, your doctor will inflate the narrowed section with the balloon or pass the dilator or bougie through the narrowed section to gently re-widen the esophageal wall. X-ray imaging is used to help guide the instrument(s) used.

What Happens After an Esophageal Dilation?

Patients will receive sedation for a more comfortable experience. Following dilation, they will be monitored for some time in a comfortable recovery room following the procedure and prior to being released.

All esophageal dilation patients will require a driver after being released from the Endoscopy Center.

Patients suffering from various esophageal conditions or complications may need an esophagogastroduodenoscopy so their GI doctor can inspect the condition of the upper GI tract.

What Does an EGD Entail?

An EGD is an endoscopic procedure in which a thin, flexible tube, complete with a camera and a light, is inserted into the mouth and through the esophagus. This gives your doctor a first-hand look at your upper digestive tract, from the esophagus to the stomach and duodenum, or the first section of the small intestines.

Based on what they observe through the EGD, your GI doctor can better determine the causes or conditions of your esophageal problems or symptoms.

What Happens After an EGD?

Patients will receive sedation for a more comfortable experience, so they will be monitored in a recovery room for some time following the procedure and prior to being released.

All EGD patients will require a driver after being released from the Endoscopy Center.

Patients with issues related to the rectum or colon may require a flexible sigmoidoscopy to inspect part of the colon and diagnose conditions. Not quite as involved as a colonoscopy, a sigmoidoscopy only observes the lower part of the large intestine (the sigmoid). A colonoscopy observes the entire colon.

What Does a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Entail?

A flexible sigmoidoscopy is not a difficult or complex procedure, but it does require some preparation first.

• Preparation: Your GI doctor will give you specific instructions to clear your bowels before the procedure. This typically involves some fasting and taking prescribed laxatives according to your doctor’s instructions.
• Procedure: At your procedure, you will lie on your side on the exam table with your knees pulled up to your chest. Your doctor will insert the sigmoidoscope into your rectum and gently guide it to the lower colon (the sigmoid colon). Your doctor will examine the structures of your colon and look for any abnormalities. During a sigmoidoscopy, your doctor may take a biopsy or remove a polyp if necessary. Once completed, the sigmoidoscope is removed, and the procedure is over.

What Happens After a Sigmoidoscopy?

If sedation is used, you will be required to recover in the Endoscopy Center for some time before being released, and you will need a driver before being discharged. If sedation is not used, you can drive home shortly after the procedure has ended.