Doctors recommend colonoscopies for people over the age of 50, and those with a family history of cancer or who show symptoms that might indicate an illness. The procedure itself is not complicated, but what happens during and after the exam depends on what doctors find while they are exploring the large intestine and rectum.  Abnormalities may result in the removal of polyps for further testing, and can affect when you need to follow up with another exam.

Results Are Negative

If doctors don’t find anything abnormal during colonoscopies, they consider the results to be negative. This does not mean you never have to have the procedure again. If your only risk factor is age, you should visit your colonoscopy doctor Los Angeles in 10 years. If your preparation for the procedure did not remove all the stool in your colon, your doctor may recommend and earlier visit to repeat the procedure so he has a full picture. If you have risk factors such as a family history, or if you start to show symptoms of colorectal problems, your doctor may recommend a followup visit sooner.

Results Are Positive

If doctors find any abnormal tissues or polyps during a colonoscopy procedure winder ga, they consider the results to be positive. They can remove polyps during the procedure, in which case they will send them to a lab to determine whether they are cancerous or benign. The number and size of polyps the doctor finds also determines when you follow up again with your

A small number of smaller polyps may mean followup in five to ten years, while larger numbers of polyps or those whose cells show certain characteristics might result in a recommendation of three to five years. If a doctor removes polyps that come back from the lab as cancerous, he may recommend follow up in as soon as three months, to ensure that the cancerous cells haven’t returned. In some cases, doctors can’t remove polyps during a colonoscopy. In this case, you may have to repeat the procedure with a gastroenterologist who specializes in the removal of polyps. 

Exam Problems

If your preparation did not remove all of the stool from your intestine, the doctor will have trouble viewing your colon properly. You may have to repeat the procedure sooner, or your doctor may recommend a shorter time until your next visit. He may recommend a barium enema or a virtual colonoscopy if he was unable to move the scope all the way through your colon, so that he can complete a full examination and identify any problematic areas.

http://www.surgerygroupofla.com/procedures/colorectal-surgery/colonoscopy.aspx

http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/colonoscopy/basics/results/prc-20013624