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Health & Fitness

Colon Cancer Screening: Do or Die?

Colon cancer screening can save your life.

In our modern era of medicine and healthcare we find ourselves able to diagnose and treat many previously life-threatening diseases. Just as important, if not more so, is our ability and responsibility to pursue preventive healthcare. There really is no reason anyone over the age of 50 should die from colon cancer.

The generally accepted recommendation for colon cancer screening is that everyone, men and women, undergo a full evaluation of the colon starting at age 50. If there are high risk factors present then screening should start earlier. 

These risk factors primarily are focused on family members, a single parent, brother or sister or two aunts, uncles or cousins diagnosed younger that 60 years of age. If this is your situation, you need to start your colon cancer screening 10 years younger than your relative was diagnosed with colon cancer or colon polyps.

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Colon cancer screening is covered by most health insurance companies to the extent of your insurance deductibles and co-pays. 

The preparation consists of drinking a purgative to clean the colon the day prior to the procedure. The day of the procedure you need to have someone with you as sedation is typically given for the procedure. In Georgia, the use of Propofol administered by certified nurse anesthetists has become the de facto standard of care. 

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This developed due to improved patient tolerance of the procedure and the added safety provided by having dedicated anesthesia specialists provide the sedation, thereby allowing the gastroenterologist to concentrate on the colonoscopy rather than on sedating the paitent.

The procedure is generally painless due to the sedatives given. After the procedure, some gas and bloating can be expected. As we say in the endoscopy center, "this to shall pass."  Patients are discharged to home from our facility 15-20 minutes after completing the procedure.

For additional information, please call our office at 678-475-1606, and schedule a pre-procedure visit with one of our board-certified gastroenterologists.

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