Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is a test to check inside your bowel. This test can help find what's causing your bowel symptoms.

Colonoscopy has the advantage of being both a diagnostic and therapeutic test, as it can detect polyps, and then, often allows these to be removed colonoscopically, reducing the chance of them progressing to become bowel cancer.

A long, thin, flexible tube with a small camera inside it is passed into your bottom. You'll be given some bowel preparation ( strong laxatives ) and follow a special diet for a couple of days before the test, so your bowel is clean.

You will be sedated and monitored for the test. This is not a full anaesthetic, you will be breathing for yourself throughout the procedure.

This involves either the surgeon or an anaethetist giving you both pain killers and sedation.

The use of sedation will mean that you must have someone to take you home and stay with you that night.