Colonoscopy
A camera look at the large bowel, with biopsies if needed.
What is Colonoscopy?
A thin flexible camera is passed through the back passage to examine the large bowel. Biopsies can be taken and polyps removed during the same procedure.
- Normal
Why It Is Asked For
This test is requested only when the answer would change what we do next.
- Blood in the stool where a cause has not been found
- Suspected polyps
- Suspected inflammatory bowel disease
- Chronic diarrhoea or unexplained weight loss
Before the Day
- Bowel preparation the day before — this is the part families find hardest, and doing it properly is what makes the test worthwhile
- Clear fluids only for a period beforehand, as instructed
- Fasting before the anaesthetic
On the Day
- General anaesthetic in children
- The camera is passed through the back passage; there is no cut
- Biopsies are taken and any polyp can be removed
- Usually 30 to 45 minutes
What the Results Show
- Visual findings are usually explained on the day
- Biopsy results take several days
- If a polyp was removed, follow-up advice is given
Is It Safe?
- Wind and cramping for a few hours afterwards is normal
- Bleeding after removing a polyp is uncommon and usually settles
- Perforation is rare
Common Questions
If your question is not here, send it on WhatsApp and the hospital team will answer.
Dr. Pratheep Samraj
Consultant Paediatric & Neonatal Surgeon · Palliyadi, Kanyakumari
Super-specialist surgical care for newborns, infants and children, with expertise in paediatric urology, congenital anomalies, gastro-intestinal surgery and minimally invasive surgery.
Related Pages
Blood, weight loss or diarrhoea that will not settle deserves a look.
Biopsies can be taken and polyps removed during the same procedure. Bring the stool and blood reports so the examination is targeted.
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In an emergency — green vomiting in a baby, a groin swelling that will not go back, severe tummy pain, or a newborn not passing urine or meconium — come straight to the hospital or to your nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a reply to a message.