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I recently had a colonoscopy, and my doctor said they removed
an adenoma during the procedure. Please explain what an adenoma is, as I’m
very worried.
An adenoma is a benign, or non-cancerous polyp or growth in
the lining of the large intestine. Adenomas are considered to be precursors (the
first stage) of colon and rectal cancer.
All cancers of the colon and rectum begin as adenomas, but
few adenomas (only one or two out of 100) ever become malignant (cancerous). This
process takes several years. When polyps are discovered during an examination of
the colon (such as the colonoscopy), doctors sometimes find it hard to tell
which are precancerous and which are not. Even among adenomas, it is impossible
to tell which ones will become malignant. For these reasons, all polyps in the
colon and rectum are removed.
You should follow your doctor’s recommendations on how often
to have colonoscopies in the future. Fortunately, through regular colorectal
cancer screenings, colorectal cancer is preventable, and curable, if detected
early.
My doctor said that my colonoscopy will only take 10 to 12
minutes. Shouldn’t it take longer?
In general, the colonoscopy procedure lasts from 20 to 45
minutes, depending on whether or not a biopsy was taken or polyps were removed
during the procedure. After the procedure, the patient stays in a recovery room
for about 30 minutes for observation.
Here’s what happens during a colonoscopy procedure:
- You are given a pain reliever and a sedative intravenously
(in your vein). You will feel relaxed and drowsy.
- You will lie on your left side, with your knees drawn up.
- The colonoscope is inserted through the rectum and advanced
to the large intestine.
- A small amount of air is used to expand the colon so the
doctor can see the colon walls.
- You might feel mild cramping during the procedure. Cramping
can be reduced by taking slow, deep breaths.
- The colonoscope is slowly withdrawn while the lining of
your bowel is carefully examined.
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