Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is an endoscopic procedure which uses a flexible tube with a light and camera at the end in order to examine the anal canal, rectum, colon and sometimes the end of the small intestine as well.

Colonoscopy is used to evaluate symptoms such as diarrhea, GI bleeding, hemorrhoids, abdominal pain, as well as to screen for colon cancer. This procedure is performed by Dr. DeMeo and Dr. Hingorani at the 76th street ambulatory endoscopic surgery center, and requires sedation which is administered by a board certified anesthesiologist.

The American Cancer Society recommends that everyone begin colon cancer screening at the age of 45, and for those with a family history of colon cancer to begin screening earlier.

The measure that best reflects how carefully a colonoscopy is being performed is the “adenoma detection rate,” which is the rate at which a gastroenterologist detects and removes pre-cancerous polyps during colonoscopy. A high adenoma detection rate is linked to lower risk of patients developing colon cancer. Both Dr. DeMeo and Dr. Hingorani have adenoma detection rates which greatly exceed the recommended rate of detection by the American College of Gastroenterology.

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