You should continue to take prescribed medications as you normally would. This procedure should not cause you to miss or skip doses of your daily-prescribed medications.
**Do NOT skip your blood pressure or heart medications**
If needed, you may take over the counter medications such as aspirin, Ibuprofen (Motrin), and Acetaminophen (Tylenol). Avoid taking your regular medications within 2 hours of your virtual colonoscopy prep medications to avoid absorption issues.
If you normally take pills orally for diabetes twice daily, on the day prior to your exam take the morning dose but skip the afternoon or evening dose. You will be on a strict clear liquid diet and you will not need to take the evening dose. On the morning of the exam, wait to take your morning dose again until after the exam is completed and after you begin eating regular solid food again. If you normally take a pill orally for diabetes once a day, on the day prior to your exam go ahead and take the dose in the morning. Then on the morning of your exam, wait to take your pill for diabetes until after the exam is completed and you are back on a regular diet again.
Please notify us if you have had any hip or other artificial implants in you abdomen or pelvis prior to your exam, if you have had a hip implant we will not be able to perform the exam.
Patients will need to undress completely before their exam. Patients are given 2 gowns to put on, the first will be open in the back, and the second will be open in front so that privacy is maintained throughout the exam.
Before the exam begins, patients will be asked to use the restroom one last time to evacuate any residual fluid from the colon.
The exam starts with the patient lying on their left side. A small rubber enema tip is inserted into the rectum and a small balloon is inflated to hold the tip in place throughout the exam. The inflated balloon is may make the patient feel like they have to use the bathroom. That is a normal sensation, and will dissipate as the body adjusts.
The technologist will then start adding air into the colon. The air will be added while the patient is lying on their left side. The patient will then roll onto their back and then onto their right side to help move the air throughout the colon. This may make the patient feel gassy, bloated and uncomfortable. We advise patients to take slow deep breaths in and out during this time to help stay relaxed.
After the colon is inflated with air, a series of five scans are performed. The first two scans will take place with the patient lying on their back. The first scan checks for the proper amount of air in the colon. If necessary additional air will be added and this scan repeated until colon inflation is sufficient. The second scan will be the images of the colon needed for the actual examination.
After these scans are complete the next three scans will be done with the patient lying on the stomach. Again, the first scan checks the amount of air in the colon. The second scan collects the images of the colon needed for the exam. The final scan obtains images of the rectum, and the tip will be removed before these images are done.
Once the images have been double checked, the exam is complete and the patient will then be able to use the restroom. The whole exam usually takes, approximately, 15-25 minutes.
There are no additional restrictions on the patients diet. The air will naturally work its way out of the colon. At any time the patient can call us with any concerns or questions, (949) 756-8200