Colonoscopies

If you are above the age of 45, or have a positive family history, it is important to consider a colonoscopy as part of your routine health screening. This is because colorectal cancer is the number 1 cancer in Singapore and more often than not begins as a polyp. Polyps are small and have no symptoms. The only way to remove polyps is through a colonoscopy.

A colonoscope is washed with a special cleaning fluid either manually or by a machine. All channels of the scope are scrubbed and cleaned and frequent audits are mandated where the scopes are cultured to check their level of sterility and to ensure that proper cleaning procedures are adhered to. To understand more about getting a colonoscopy in Singapore, read this to get complete breakdown of what happens during your colonoscopy.

Hi Bing Qi, A colonoscopy often begins with the administration of a mild sedative which renders the patient unconscious or drowsy for the duration of the procedure. After which, the colonoscope is inserted into the anus, gas is pumped into the colon and the scope is advanced to the caecum. This is done by a series of maneuvers executed by the endoscopist’s right hand which twists, pulls and pushes the scope, while the left hand manipulates the up-down-left-right controls on the scope handle. This allows the scope to wriggle its way through the bends and corners of the colon.

It depends greatly on what bowel preparation regime is used for the colonoscopy. Different centres and endoscopists have their own regimes, which can range from just 3 small cups of laxative fluid, to over 3 Litres of a bowel cleansing agent. Speak to your endoscopist on their advice regarding mitigating the experience of bowel preparation with respect to the chosen preparation regime. You can also find out more about colonoscopies in Singapore here.

Hi Adorra, My advice is to gather direct feedback from trusted friends and relatives who have undergone a successful colonoscopy on whom to consider as your endoscopist. In this era of fake news and social media marketing, it is even more important now to distil reviews accurately. When you speak to your endoscopist, remember that you are not obliged to undergo the procedure unless you are comfortable with the doctor and accept the risks involved with the procedure. Finding a good doctor for your colonoscopy in Singapore should not be that complicated!

It is not uncommon for doctors to miss polyps during a colonoscopy. There are no figures locally on how often this happens but these can be due to three main factors: Poor bowel preparation causing the polyp to be obscured by stools Small polyps behind the corners or folds of the colon, which are not visualized well during the colonoscopy Inexperienced endoscopist To find out more about getting a colonoscopy in Singapore, you can read my Complete Guide To Colonoscopies In Singapore (2018).

To find out more about getting a colonscopy in Singapore, you can read my Complete Guide To Colonoscopies In Singapore (2018). A standard colonoscopy’s sensitivity is in the range of 95 – 98% accurate, while a CT Colonography’s sensitivity can range from 90 – 95%. However, it is imperative to note that the sensitivity and accuracy of either investigation is highly dependent on the quality of the bowel preparation before the procedure. The poorer the bowel preparation, the lower the accuracy.

Hi Cai Shum, A colonoscopy is one of the investigative tools we have to examine the colon, rectum and in some cases the terminal ileum. The alternatives are a computed tomography scan of the colon (also known as a CT Colonography) and a barium enema. The key benefit of performing a colonoscopy is the ability to directly visualize the colonic lumen through a high definition lens and biopsy the lesion if necessary. This cannot be done with the other imaging options.