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Center For Health and Cancer Prevention

Center for Health and Cancer Prevention

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    • Dr. Beth Jaklic
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Colonoscopy Procedure

Colonoscopy Procedure Video

What is a Colonoscopy?

A Colonoscopy is a specialized examination of the large bowel done with a thin, flexible electronic camera (colonoscope). The purpose of a colonoscopy is to detect polyps or other findings in the colon. Colonoscopy is considered to be the best and most accurate way to detect and prevent colon cancer.

At the Center for Health & Cancer Prevention, colonoscopy is done under a light anesthesia administered by a Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).  This makes the procedure painless, and virtually all patients awake from the procedure without any memory of the colonoscopy.

A colonoscopy in our office takes an average of about 10 minutes.

One of the most common reasons for performing a colonoscopy is preventative. Colon cancers almost always arise from an initially benign polyp (known as an adenoma).  These small growths are easily and painlessly removed at the time of your colonoscopy, thus eliminating or greatly reducing your risk of colon cancer.

Other reasons colonoscopy might be required are:

  • You have experienced rectal bleeding or seen blood in your bowel movement
  • You have had a recent change in your bowel habits
  • You have unexplained abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation
  • You have unexplained pain in the rectal or anal area
  • You are anemic
  • Your primary physician found a trace of blood on a chemical test of your stool

It is important to note that you are at higher risk of developing colorectal cancer if you have any of the following:

  1. You have a family history of polyps or colon cancer
  2. You yourself have had breast cancer
  3. You are significantly overweight i.e. your BMI is 35 or greater
  4. You have had prostate cancer
  5. You are a smoker

Colonoscopy is an extremely safe procedure.  Rare complications include bowel injury, bleeding, or an anesthetic problem but are very rare (between 1 in 1,000 and 1 in 5,000).  On the other hand, colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the US affecting 1 in 19 of all men and 1 in 20 women. Therefore, the minimal risk of a colonoscopy is usually greatly overshadowed by the risk of colon cancer.

Colonoscopy is performed after a 1 day preparation of the colon using lavage or laxative solutions to eliminate any waste material from the colon.  Most people find that preparation is the most challenging aspect of having a colonoscopy, compared to the procedure itself, where you are completely asleep.  The quality of the examination depends on a good ‘clean-out,’ so preparation is very important.

More information on how to prepare for a colonoscopy can be found HERE.

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Do you have a question? Ask the Doctors today! Dr. Berger and Dr. Jaklic’s staff will answer you personally!

  • Please note: we provide the opportunity to ask questions as a service and for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied upon as such. If you have a concern about your health, we strongly recommend you schedule an appointment to see us. If you have a medical emergency, please go to the nearest emergency medical facility or dial 911.

Thank you so much for the kind and tender treatment I received on my recent visit. . . I hope 10 years from now I’ll remember how easy this was! You are a top notch group of people and I appreciate each one of you – from the front desk to everyone in the back! I know the Lord sent me to the right place!

Donna J.

PLEASE tell Dr. Berger how much I appreciated his efficiency and painless procedure.  And tell his IV nurse that that was the most painless IV that I ever had.  I was so impressed with all of you.

Buck H., M.D.

A sincere thanks to all of you for being so nice when I had my upper endoscopy. Words can’t express my appreciation to Dr. Berger for his understanding and patience. . .    I delayed having this procedure for a long time, knowing this would be a problem – maybe insurmountable.  I was so embarrassed at my difficulty, but you . . .solved the problem. You’re terrific and I am grateful.

Sylvia B.

A few weeks ago I visited your office for a long overdue ‘routine’ colonoscopy.  I was surprised how painless and unembarrassing it was.  To my surprise, Dr. Berger told me he found a large polyp that he was able to remove.  Yikes!  Thank God everything turned out okay, but I am extremely grateful to you and your fantastic team (thanks Linda!) for helping me through this!  You are all wonderful!

June M.

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Center for Health and Cancer Prevention

1301 First Colonial Road, Suite 201, Virginia Beach, VA 23454 · Phone: (757) 412-4919 · Fax: (757) 412-4898

Colon Cancer Screenings, Colonoscopy, GI consultation and evaluation, covering the Hampton Roads, VA cities of: Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Yorktown, Poquoson and Williamsburg, Virginia.

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