Colonoscopy in Burari, North Delhi

What is a colonoscopy?

A colonoscopy uses a long, thin, flexible tube with a light and camera (a colonoscope). It is passed gently through the anus to examine the whole large intestine and often the end of the small intestine. A little air or carbon dioxide opens the bowel so the lining can be seen clearly.

During the test, the doctor can take biopsies, remove polyps and treat some bleeding points. A shorter version that looks only at the lower part of the bowel is called a sigmoidoscopy.

Symptoms it investigates

• Blood in the stool, or dark red / maroon stools
• A change in bowel habits lasting more than a few weeks (new constipation, diarrhoea or thin stools)
• Long-lasting diarrhoea, with or without mucus
• Unexplained anaemia or weight loss
• Abdominal pain with bowel changes
• A positive stool test for hidden blood

Conditions it can find

• Polyps, which can be removed to lower future cancer risk
• Bowel (colorectal) cancer, often at an early, more treatable stage
• Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease)
• Intestinal tuberculosis, important in India (see abdominal TB)
• Diverticular disease, infections and bleeding vessels
• Internal piles, seen on the way out

Risk factors for polyps and bowel cancer include age, a family history of bowel cancer or polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, smoking, obesity, and a diet high in red and processed meat and low in fibre.

When to see a doctor

Seek prompt care if you have:

• Heavy rectal bleeding, or bleeding with dizziness
• Bleeding with weight loss, anaemia or a change in bowel habits
• Severe abdominal pain, fever and bloody diarrhoea
• A strong family history of bowel cancer, if you have never been checked

Colonoscopy at Samrijo

You will first meet the doctor to review your symptoms, medicines and reports. Blood tests are done at the in-house laboratory. You'll receive written bowel preparation instructions.

Bowel preparation: the key to a good test

• 2–3 days before: a low-fibre diet. Avoid seeds, whole grains, raw salads, fruits with skin and nuts.
• The day before: clear liquids only (water, clear soup, coconut water, clear juice without pulp, tea without milk).
• Preparation medicine: a bowel-cleansing solution, taken exactly as instructed, usually split between the evening before and the morning of the test. You will pass frequent watery stools, so stay near a toilet.
• Medicines: tell the team about blood thinners, iron tablets and diabetes medicines. Some may need adjusting.
• You are ready when your stool is clear or light yellow liquid.

Diagnostic and therapeutic uses

What to expect

Who should think about a check-up colonoscopy?

You don't need symptoms to benefit from a colonoscopy. It is worth discussing with a doctor if you have a parent, brother or sister who had bowel cancer or advanced polyps (especially at a young age), long-standing ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, or previous polyps. Guidelines differ on the age to start routine screening in India, so the doctor will advise based on your personal risk.

Tips to make preparation easier

• Chill the preparation solution and drink it through a straw; sucking on a lemon slice in between helps some people.
• Drink it steadily over the recommended time rather than all at once, and keep walking around between glasses.
• Use soft tissue or wet wipes and apply a little petroleum jelly around the anus to prevent soreness.
• Plan to stay at home, near a toilet, from the time you start the preparation.
• If you feel very unwell, vomit repeatedly or can't finish the solution, call the hospital for advice. Don't just skip it.

Myths and facts

• "Colonoscopy is only for cancer." No. It is used to find the cause of bleeding, diarrhoea, anaemia and pain, and many findings are harmless or easily treated.
• "Bleeding from the back passage is always piles." Piles are common, but bleeding can come from polyps, inflammation or cancer. Colonoscopy helps rule these out when your doctor thinks it's needed.
• "If I feel fine, nothing can be wrong." Polyps and early bowel cancer often cause no symptoms. That is why people at higher risk are advised to be checked.
• "I will be awake and in pain." Sedation is usually offered, and most people find the test far easier than they expected.

Why choose Samrijo Hospital

• Close to home in Burari, with lab tests in the same building.
• Linked care: if piles, fissure or a surgical problem is found, the same team can treat it.
• 24×7 hospital for any concern after the test.

Cost of colonoscopy

Cost depends on whether the test is diagnostic or therapeutic, biopsies, polyp removal, sedation and preparation. Call 93196 62944 for the current price.

कोलोनोस्कोपी, बुराड़ी, उत्तरी दिल्ली

कोलोनोस्कोपी बड़ी आँत की कैमरे से होने वाली जाँच है। इसमें एक पतली, लचीली ट्यूब गुदा के रास्ते अंदर डाली जाती है। मल में खून आना, लंबे समय तक दस्त या कब्ज़, मल की बनावट में बदलाव, खून की कमी या बिना वजह वज़न घटने पर डॉक्टर यह जाँच करवाने की सलाह देते हैं। जाँच के दौरान पॉलिप (छोटी गाँठ) निकाले जा सकते हैं और बायोप्सी ली जा सकती है।

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समय लेने के लिए कॉल करें: 93196 62944।