A colonoscopy allows doctors to examine the lining of your large intestine. The success of this examination relies heavily on a thorough bowel cleaning, known as colonoscopy prep. While challenging, completing this preparation as instructed is crucial for an effective procedure.
Why Complete Prep is Essential
The primary goal of colonoscopy preparation is to completely clear the colon of all stool and residue. Bowel preps typically involve laxatives that draw large amounts of water into the colon, stimulating watery bowel movements to flush out waste.
A clean colon allows the gastroenterologist to have an unobstructed view of the bowel lining. This clear visualization is necessary to accurately detect small polyps, precancerous growths, or other abnormalities. Even small amounts of residual stool can obscure significant findings, potentially leading to missed diagnoses.
Immediate Outcomes of Incomplete Preparation
When colonoscopy prep is not fully completed, the colon will not be sufficiently clean, leading to poor visibility for the doctor. This significantly increases the risk of missing polyps or other abnormalities, which could have serious health implications if left undetected. The diagnostic yield of the colonoscopy is reduced when bowel preparation is inadequate.
An incomplete prep can also prevent the doctor from advancing the colonoscope fully, resulting in an incomplete examination of the entire colon. In such cases, the procedure may not achieve its diagnostic goal.
Incomplete preparation often necessitates rescheduling and repeating the entire colonoscopy, including the demanding prep process. This incurs additional time, cost, and inconvenience for the patient, and can also place a significant burden on healthcare resources.
Actions to Take for Incomplete Prep
If your colonoscopy preparation is incomplete, contact your gastroenterologist’s office or the endoscopy unit immediately. This is important even on the morning of the procedure, as they may offer last-minute advice or discuss rescheduling. Being truthful about the extent of the incomplete prep allows the medical team to make an informed decision about the next steps.
Avoid attempting to “catch up” by taking excessive prep doses or additional laxatives without medical guidance, as this could lead to dehydration or electrolyte imbalances. The medical team will provide specific instructions, which might include proceeding with the procedure, adjusting it, or rescheduling it entirely.
If bowel movements have not begun after several hours, or if you vomited most of the prep, your doctor might suggest an additional laxative or an enema, depending on the time remaining before the procedure. For future procedures, carefully follow all instructions for dietary changes and medication intake.