Colonoscopy
Colonoscopies are common, safe, and painless procedures. They are done for routine colon cancer screening – or they can be a diagnostic tool to examine possible sources for a patient’s abdominal pain, internal bleeding, chronic diarrhea, or other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Diagnostic & Therapeutic Colonoscopies
Your gastroenterologist may want to examine your lower GI tract to look for potential causes of GI symptoms, and can perform certain treatments at the same time. These therapies include:
- Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) – EMR is an important technique to remove abnormal lesions – typically, larger and flatter polyps – in the GI tract. In this technique, a wire loop snares the polyp and separates it from the intestinal wall. Precancerous changes and early stage cancers can be removed during a colonoscopy, provided the cancer has not spread beyond the surface layers of the tract lining.
- Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) – This treatment applies radio waves to the target cells to heat and destroy specific tissues while minimizing injury to surrounding healthy tissue. During a colonoscopy, RFA may be used on hemorrhoids to coagulate bleeding and shrink the mass to alleviate a patient’s symptoms.
- Luminal Stenting – This involves the placement of stents to expand the inner space (lumen) of the GI tract. This may be done in the event of strictures (narrowed passageways) or obstructions.
There’s no dispute: colonoscopies save lives. Make sure you’ve had yours by calling the gastrointestinal experts at Oceana Gastroenterology Associates at (951) 934-0505. Or use our convenient appointment request form to schedule your consultation with Dr. M. Mazen Jamal.
