Colonoscopy: Screening, Procedure Details and Preparation
Many people are uncomfortable with the unknown, specifically when that unknown is a health screening or medical procedure. There are options when it comes to colon cancer screening and the best screening test is the one that gets done. Listen as Dr. Brian Matier discusses one of the more common screenings, a colonoscopy. Learn what you need to know about a colonoscopy and the details surrounding the procedure so you can feel confident the next time your doctor recommends this screening.
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Learn more about Brian Matier, MD
Brian Matier, MD
Dr. Brian Matier is board certified in general and colon and rectal surgery. He completed his undergraduate degree in biotechnology at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Matier then earned his Doctor of Medicine from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada. He continued his medical education by completing a general surgery residency at Danbury Hospital, and a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the University of Buffalo. Dr. Matier treats a wide range of colorectal diseases, with expertise in treating colorectal cancers, anorectal diseases, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis), diverticulitis, and pelvic floor disorders (fecal incontinence, constipation, rectal prolapse). Dr. Matier has a particular interest in minimally invasive and robotic surgery and uses the most advanced, up to date methods and technology for the benefit of his patients. He also performs diagnostic, therapeutic and screening colonoscopy. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, member of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and a diplomat or the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Dr. Matier is affiliated with St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.Learn more about Brian Matier, MD
Transcription:
Colonoscopy: Screening, Procedure Details and Preparation
Announcer: This is BayCare HealthChat, another podcast from BayCare Health System.
Deborah Howell (Host): Welcome to BayCare HealthChat. I'm Deborah Howell. And many people are uncomfortable with the unknown, specifically when that unknown is a health screening or a medical procedure. There are options when it comes to colon cancer screening. And the best screening test is the one that gets done, but today, we'll talk about one of the more common screenings, a colonoscopy. We will talk about what you need to know and details surrounding the procedure, so you can feel confident the next time your doctor recommends this screening. I'm joined today by Dr. Brian Matier, a colon and rectal Surgeon with BayCare Medical Group. Dr. Matier, it's a true pleasure to have you with us today. Welcome..
Brian Matier, MD (Guest): Oh, great. Thank you for having me. This is a topic that I'm very passionate about. I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to get this information out.
Host: Well, absolutely. Let’s jump right in. We're going to talk a little bit about some colon cancer statistics and give a little background about this disease. Can you help us?
Dr. Matier: Yeah, sure. Colorectal cancer is a very common disease in the United States and it's unfortunate, but it is the third most common cancer in both men and women. And it is the second, most common cause of cancer death. This is a really important disease that we have to keep aggressive to prevent. And just to give you some background here, it's anticipated that over 50,000 people will die of colorectal cancer this year, and about one in 23 to one in 25 people will get diagnosed with this over their lifetime. It’s a very common cancer and it's very preventable.
Host: Well, that's the good news. With regard to colon cancer prevention, is there much we can do?
Dr. Matier: There's a lot we can do. And that's really the most important question to be asking. As I mentioned, colon cancer is entirely preventable for most people with really good screening and attention to symptoms that people might develop, we can actually prevent this disease and in cases where people may already have it, it's mostly treatable. There’s a lot of different things that we can do, most important thing is colonoscopy.
Host: Who needs to get a colonoscopy, Doctor?
Brian Matier, MD (Guest): Essentially any person over the age of 45 should be screened for colorectal cancer with colonoscopy. It used to be that we would screen everybody over the age of 50. However, over the past decade, we've noticed an increasing incidence of colon cancer in people under the age of 55, which means that we need to start screening earlier.
Recently the guidelines changed and we start screening at age 45 in all individuals. There are some patients who should be screened even sooner than that. And that would be patients that have a strong family history, for example. If they had somebody in their family who was diagnosed with colon cancer at an early age, maybe in their forties, for example, those patients should actually be screened sooner, maybe in their thirties.
Host: Okay. Well, the guidelines change from time to time and we need to follow them. What exactly is a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: Well, a colonoscopy is basically a test. And what we're doing is we're taking a small camera and we're inserting it through the anal opening and into the colon. And basically what we're doing is looking for colon polyps. Now, polyps are little growths inside the colon, which by themselves are harmless. However, they are the cause of colon cancer. And we know that all colon cancers start as a polyp. And so the purpose of a colonoscopy is to go in and find those polyps if you have them, and we can remove those at the time of the colonoscopy. And that is how we actually prevent colon cancer. So essentially colonoscopy is a test that helps us identify if you have polyps and if you actually have them, we can remove them at the time of the procedure and actually prevent you from getting colon cancer.
Host: Got it. Now how do we prepare for a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: That's a great question. Colonoscopy is a procedure that's done usually either in an operating room or an outpatient surgery center or a place like that. And essentially, it starts the day before the procedure, people need to clean out their colon. And so it's kind of like a colon cleanse where you have to drink some laxatives, or sometimes we have a pill form laxative, but you still need to drink lots of fluid.
And essentially what that does is it cleans out all the fecal matter from the colon. This tends to be the part that is the most unpleasant for most people. Most people actually get through it with no problems and they're perfectly fine. But you know, you do have diarrhea for a few hours and so that's not a pleasant experience, but once you get through that, the hard part is over.
The following day, you come in for the procedure, they take you into the procedure room, you'll meet with an anesthesiologist, and of course the doctor performing the procedure and any nurse or assistant that may be helping. And they generally will get you nice and comfortable. After you meet with the anesthesiologist, they'll usually give you sedation. So everybody is sleeping comfortable, pain-free and typically you don't even remember the procedure and most people will tell you the procedure itself was the easy part. And so you're sleeping throughout. When you wake up, you go to the recovery room and once you're awake and able to have something to drink, they typically will allow you to go home.
Host: Okay. And then what happens after a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: Most people will spend the day resting at home, although, with the current types of anesthesia that we use and sedation, people recover very quickly and most people are fairly alert and awake. Although we tell people to stay at home, don't go out making decisions or driving or doing any of those things.
So essentially it's a day of rest and you do need the day off to do the procedure. The following day, everybody should be really back to normal. People typically don't have any pain. They may feel a little gassy because we do put air into the colon during the procedure. But you just pass that air normally, and most people really, by the following day are totally back to normal.
Host: So you mentioned something, you really do need to have a driver with you, someone to take you to, and from your procedure, right?
Dr. Matier: Correct. And typically most people could actually take themselves to the procedure if they needed to because you're normal when you come in. But because of the sedation, you do need a driver to take you home afterwards.
Host: What about the follow up after a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: Well, that's a great question. If you have no family history of any cancer, colon cancer or any other high-risk history and your colonoscopy is normal, you can actually repeat it in 10 years. So for the normal person with a normal colonoscopy, 10 years is the recommended timeframe. If on the other hand, polyps are removed, it really depends on the type of polyps, the number of polyps and the size of the polyps that are removed. And in most cases, those patients will follow up in three to five years for their next colonoscopy. If polyps are removed, the doctor will look at them under the microscope and see what type of polyp they are. And that's how they determine when your next procedure should be done. And they will generally get results from that within a few days of the procedure.
Host: What actually is a polyp, Dr. Matier?
Dr. Matier: So a polyp is basically a growth that occurs in the lining of the colon. So normally the lining of the colon is smooth. And it's made up of a certain type of tissue and people who get polyps, the tissue starts to change. And as it starts to change, it grows basically what looks like a lump in the wall of the colon. And as I mentioned, these are typically harmless by themselves. However, over time as those polyps continue to grow and the tissues continue to change, at some point they can degenerate and turn into a cancer, and progress from there. And so that's why it's so important to find these polyps and remove them because we know that every colon cancer started out as a polyp. And if those polyps are removed, they will not become a cancer. And so that's why we know this is a really preventable disease.
Host: And Dr. Matier, you've been so, so precise and so wonderful about explaining all this, but I'm curious, why do you think people delay and procrastinate and maybe are even afraid of getting a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: Well, I think there's multiple reasons for that. The first one is fear of the procedure. I mean, it's normal for people to be nervous or afraid of having anesthesia, for example, and giving up that kind of control. You know, it's scary for some people to have a procedure done. And these are all normal things for any person to feel.
The other thing is the fear of finding out that they have a problem. You know, a lot of people are afraid of getting a diagnosis of cancer or something like that. I think the most important thing to think about, is for the most part, people are generally not diagnosed with cancer at the time of a colonoscopy.
While that does happen, occasionally, the vast majority of people, it's really that you're looking for and finding polyps. And so, I think it's healthy to balance that normal fear, with an understanding that, this is really beneficial and it's really designed to help you.
And it's very safe. The risk of a problem or a complication from a colonoscopy is quite rare, less than 1%. And really the reason we recommend everybody over the age of 45 gets a procedure like this done is because we know it's helpful and beneficial, with very little risk.
Host: Well, Dr. Matier, this has been so enlightening. Thank you so much for all the good information you've given us today. We really do appreciate it.
Dr. Matier: Yeah, thank you very much for having me. I would like to leave on one final note of that again, I urge everybody to get screened for colorectal cancer. It's an entirely preventable disease and as a surgeon who treats and cures people of colon cancer, I really do hope that one day, there won't be a much of a need for that because people will get screened and actually prevent the cancers to begin with.
Host: I'm with you on that hope and to learn more about colonoscopies and all the services at BayCare, please visit BayCareColonoscopy.org. And that wraps up this episode at BayCare HealthChat. Always remember to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and all the other BayCare podcasts, so we can share the wealth of information from our experts together. This is Deborah Howell. Have yourself a terrific day.
Colonoscopy: Screening, Procedure Details and Preparation
Announcer: This is BayCare HealthChat, another podcast from BayCare Health System.
Deborah Howell (Host): Welcome to BayCare HealthChat. I'm Deborah Howell. And many people are uncomfortable with the unknown, specifically when that unknown is a health screening or a medical procedure. There are options when it comes to colon cancer screening. And the best screening test is the one that gets done, but today, we'll talk about one of the more common screenings, a colonoscopy. We will talk about what you need to know and details surrounding the procedure, so you can feel confident the next time your doctor recommends this screening. I'm joined today by Dr. Brian Matier, a colon and rectal Surgeon with BayCare Medical Group. Dr. Matier, it's a true pleasure to have you with us today. Welcome..
Brian Matier, MD (Guest): Oh, great. Thank you for having me. This is a topic that I'm very passionate about. I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to get this information out.
Host: Well, absolutely. Let’s jump right in. We're going to talk a little bit about some colon cancer statistics and give a little background about this disease. Can you help us?
Dr. Matier: Yeah, sure. Colorectal cancer is a very common disease in the United States and it's unfortunate, but it is the third most common cancer in both men and women. And it is the second, most common cause of cancer death. This is a really important disease that we have to keep aggressive to prevent. And just to give you some background here, it's anticipated that over 50,000 people will die of colorectal cancer this year, and about one in 23 to one in 25 people will get diagnosed with this over their lifetime. It’s a very common cancer and it's very preventable.
Host: Well, that's the good news. With regard to colon cancer prevention, is there much we can do?
Dr. Matier: There's a lot we can do. And that's really the most important question to be asking. As I mentioned, colon cancer is entirely preventable for most people with really good screening and attention to symptoms that people might develop, we can actually prevent this disease and in cases where people may already have it, it's mostly treatable. There’s a lot of different things that we can do, most important thing is colonoscopy.
Host: Who needs to get a colonoscopy, Doctor?
Brian Matier, MD (Guest): Essentially any person over the age of 45 should be screened for colorectal cancer with colonoscopy. It used to be that we would screen everybody over the age of 50. However, over the past decade, we've noticed an increasing incidence of colon cancer in people under the age of 55, which means that we need to start screening earlier.
Recently the guidelines changed and we start screening at age 45 in all individuals. There are some patients who should be screened even sooner than that. And that would be patients that have a strong family history, for example. If they had somebody in their family who was diagnosed with colon cancer at an early age, maybe in their forties, for example, those patients should actually be screened sooner, maybe in their thirties.
Host: Okay. Well, the guidelines change from time to time and we need to follow them. What exactly is a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: Well, a colonoscopy is basically a test. And what we're doing is we're taking a small camera and we're inserting it through the anal opening and into the colon. And basically what we're doing is looking for colon polyps. Now, polyps are little growths inside the colon, which by themselves are harmless. However, they are the cause of colon cancer. And we know that all colon cancers start as a polyp. And so the purpose of a colonoscopy is to go in and find those polyps if you have them, and we can remove those at the time of the colonoscopy. And that is how we actually prevent colon cancer. So essentially colonoscopy is a test that helps us identify if you have polyps and if you actually have them, we can remove them at the time of the procedure and actually prevent you from getting colon cancer.
Host: Got it. Now how do we prepare for a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: That's a great question. Colonoscopy is a procedure that's done usually either in an operating room or an outpatient surgery center or a place like that. And essentially, it starts the day before the procedure, people need to clean out their colon. And so it's kind of like a colon cleanse where you have to drink some laxatives, or sometimes we have a pill form laxative, but you still need to drink lots of fluid.
And essentially what that does is it cleans out all the fecal matter from the colon. This tends to be the part that is the most unpleasant for most people. Most people actually get through it with no problems and they're perfectly fine. But you know, you do have diarrhea for a few hours and so that's not a pleasant experience, but once you get through that, the hard part is over.
The following day, you come in for the procedure, they take you into the procedure room, you'll meet with an anesthesiologist, and of course the doctor performing the procedure and any nurse or assistant that may be helping. And they generally will get you nice and comfortable. After you meet with the anesthesiologist, they'll usually give you sedation. So everybody is sleeping comfortable, pain-free and typically you don't even remember the procedure and most people will tell you the procedure itself was the easy part. And so you're sleeping throughout. When you wake up, you go to the recovery room and once you're awake and able to have something to drink, they typically will allow you to go home.
Host: Okay. And then what happens after a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: Most people will spend the day resting at home, although, with the current types of anesthesia that we use and sedation, people recover very quickly and most people are fairly alert and awake. Although we tell people to stay at home, don't go out making decisions or driving or doing any of those things.
So essentially it's a day of rest and you do need the day off to do the procedure. The following day, everybody should be really back to normal. People typically don't have any pain. They may feel a little gassy because we do put air into the colon during the procedure. But you just pass that air normally, and most people really, by the following day are totally back to normal.
Host: So you mentioned something, you really do need to have a driver with you, someone to take you to, and from your procedure, right?
Dr. Matier: Correct. And typically most people could actually take themselves to the procedure if they needed to because you're normal when you come in. But because of the sedation, you do need a driver to take you home afterwards.
Host: What about the follow up after a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: Well, that's a great question. If you have no family history of any cancer, colon cancer or any other high-risk history and your colonoscopy is normal, you can actually repeat it in 10 years. So for the normal person with a normal colonoscopy, 10 years is the recommended timeframe. If on the other hand, polyps are removed, it really depends on the type of polyps, the number of polyps and the size of the polyps that are removed. And in most cases, those patients will follow up in three to five years for their next colonoscopy. If polyps are removed, the doctor will look at them under the microscope and see what type of polyp they are. And that's how they determine when your next procedure should be done. And they will generally get results from that within a few days of the procedure.
Host: What actually is a polyp, Dr. Matier?
Dr. Matier: So a polyp is basically a growth that occurs in the lining of the colon. So normally the lining of the colon is smooth. And it's made up of a certain type of tissue and people who get polyps, the tissue starts to change. And as it starts to change, it grows basically what looks like a lump in the wall of the colon. And as I mentioned, these are typically harmless by themselves. However, over time as those polyps continue to grow and the tissues continue to change, at some point they can degenerate and turn into a cancer, and progress from there. And so that's why it's so important to find these polyps and remove them because we know that every colon cancer started out as a polyp. And if those polyps are removed, they will not become a cancer. And so that's why we know this is a really preventable disease.
Host: And Dr. Matier, you've been so, so precise and so wonderful about explaining all this, but I'm curious, why do you think people delay and procrastinate and maybe are even afraid of getting a colonoscopy?
Dr. Matier: Well, I think there's multiple reasons for that. The first one is fear of the procedure. I mean, it's normal for people to be nervous or afraid of having anesthesia, for example, and giving up that kind of control. You know, it's scary for some people to have a procedure done. And these are all normal things for any person to feel.
The other thing is the fear of finding out that they have a problem. You know, a lot of people are afraid of getting a diagnosis of cancer or something like that. I think the most important thing to think about, is for the most part, people are generally not diagnosed with cancer at the time of a colonoscopy.
While that does happen, occasionally, the vast majority of people, it's really that you're looking for and finding polyps. And so, I think it's healthy to balance that normal fear, with an understanding that, this is really beneficial and it's really designed to help you.
And it's very safe. The risk of a problem or a complication from a colonoscopy is quite rare, less than 1%. And really the reason we recommend everybody over the age of 45 gets a procedure like this done is because we know it's helpful and beneficial, with very little risk.
Host: Well, Dr. Matier, this has been so enlightening. Thank you so much for all the good information you've given us today. We really do appreciate it.
Dr. Matier: Yeah, thank you very much for having me. I would like to leave on one final note of that again, I urge everybody to get screened for colorectal cancer. It's an entirely preventable disease and as a surgeon who treats and cures people of colon cancer, I really do hope that one day, there won't be a much of a need for that because people will get screened and actually prevent the cancers to begin with.
Host: I'm with you on that hope and to learn more about colonoscopies and all the services at BayCare, please visit BayCareColonoscopy.org. And that wraps up this episode at BayCare HealthChat. Always remember to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and all the other BayCare podcasts, so we can share the wealth of information from our experts together. This is Deborah Howell. Have yourself a terrific day.