Posted by Have you ever felt bloated or have a weird gut or stool? A colonoscopy is a very useful tool that may tell you why. The course objective I am addressing is “know the order of organ function and path of food during digestion”. A colonoscopy is a camera (scope) with a light that goes inside of your large intestine (colon) and is connected by a flexible tube. The tube may spray water or air to keep the colon inflated since the colon naturally collapses in the absence of material (like food). The patient is normally sedated in this procedure.
Since the aim for this procedure is to see the colon, which is at the end of the digestive system, the camera is inserted via the anus, rather than the mouth. It also requires a longer preparation before the procedure to make sure the colon is empty; typically this means 5-10 days of no fibrous foods, 1-2 days of clear liquids, and a laxative the night before and morning of (Colonoscopy: Prep and procedure details, n.d.). Upper endoscopies. which go through the mouth. usually require only a 10 hour fast since it is looking at the upper digestive system which takes only a few hours to clear.
Most people will not undergo a colonoscopy till they are age 45 in the United States which is the current screening age for colorectal cancer (CRC). If you have a higher risk factor such as jobs like firefighting, have a higher incident rate, such as Alaska Natives which have a CRC mortality twice that of other races, or have a family history, it may be at age 40 or younger. This is because statistically the risk for CRC are higher as you age, so at these recommended ages for screening CRC is more likely to develop or have benign polyps that may later become cancerous. The screening allows for pictures, biopsy, potential removal of polyps, and is the most likely to detect early cancer or precancerous conditions in the colon.
However, if someone has an undiagnosed gastrointestinal (GI) issue it is also very useful. Usually patients with symptoms such as unexplained bleeding of the rectum, bowel changes, abdominal pain, weight loss or gain will have a doctor refer them for a colonoscopy. These patients may later be diagnosed with colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, and other diseases or conditions.
In my video I’ve edited, the patient has no GI issues and came in for just a screening colonoscopy. For reference the colonoscopy actually included the small intestine but that is not usual and was a special request because I wanted to see the villi and the differentiation between the small and large intestine. During the procedure there were a few polyps found that were removed with a snare, which uses a metal loop to tighten around the growth and squeeze it off like a lasso. Unfortunately there was not good footage so it is not included in the video and the patient did not properly prep so there was some stool floating around in the colon. This not clear colon could mean other polyps may have been missed. In the procedure the scope saw that there were lots of diverticula but no diverticulitis yet and there is video footage of that.
Both CRC and diverticulitis have increased risk from lifestyle factors. Certain dietary patterns like diets high in red meat, fat, and refined grains will increase the likelihood of developing both. Obesity and smoking can also increase risk. Regular movement (about 30 minutes a day especially vigorous) and higher dietary fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can decrease risk. Colonoscopies remain one of the best tools to see and even treat diseases like CRC and diverticulitis (Redwood et al, 2023; Strate and Morris, 2019).
References
Colonoscopy: Prep & procedure details. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved April 17, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/4949-colonoscopy
Redwood DG, Prewitt JJ, Holt MC, Gerrish SS. (2023). Elevated Adenomatous Polyp Detection Rate Among Alaska Native and American Indian People in Interior Alaska, 2018-2022. Public Health Reports®. 2023;138(2_suppl):56S-60S.
doi:10.1177/0022254922114324
Strate, L. L., & Morris, A. M. (2019). Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Treatment of Diverticulitis. Gastroenterology, 156(5), 1282–1298.e1. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2018.12.033
Video for Art Piece, wouldn’t upload due to file type and size so have linked it:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1o79052m8aBnwrdgiRxuzRqkyRa-UI0Ma?usp=share_link
This project efficiently and engagingly explains the process and purpose of a colonoscopy. The information and language are straightforward, the cited sources meet the requirements, are current (newer than 10 years), and are applicable to the data. The project explains the purpose of fasting and laxative use prior to a colonoscopy, assesses the patient case presented, and points out evidence of a mildly ill-prepared patient in their video (presence of diverticula but no diverticulitis).
The project explains that colonoscopies are used to look for benign polyps in the colon which may develop into colon cancer if not removed with a snare. Though regular screening after the age of 40 is commonplace, colonoscopies can also be used to assess the symptoms of other gastrointestinal issues and can be used to diagnose problems such as Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, and colitis.
The project addresses risk factors and assessment of precancerous conditions for colorectal cancer (CRC).
The only issue is that source material was cited sparingly. If more of the information was directly cited, the project would hold up better to scrutiny.
Overall, this project does an excellent job of meeting course requirements. It is engaging, educational, and helped me understand the process of a colonoscopy much better than I did before. Great job!