A colonoscopy lets your clinician view the lining of your large intestine and remove polyps before they become a problem. Most patients go home the same day with a driver.
A thin, flexible camera is guided through the colon while you’re comfortably sedated. If polyps are found, they can often be removed during the same exam. The procedure commonly takes about 20–45 minutes.
You’ll be monitored throughout and most people do not remember the exam. Risks are uncommon but can include bleeding (especially after polyp removal), perforation, or medication reactions. Your team reviews benefits and risks with you beforehand.
A clean colon is essential for an accurate colonoscopy. For several days before your procedure, you’ll adjust your diet and stop certain supplements. The day before, you’ll follow clear diet and prep instructions, and you’ll drink a bowel prep solution that causes frequent, watery bowel movements to empty the colon.
Idaho Gastro offers several prep options, including MiraLAX-based preps. Which one you use depends on your medical history, bowel habits, and medications. All prep plans include clear written instructions with exact timing for when to change your diet, when to start the prep, and when to stop drinking before your procedure.
If you use blood thinners, diabetes medicines, weight-loss injections, or have kidney or heart disease, you’ll get specific guidance so your prep is both safe and effective.
When you arrive, you’ll check in, review your medical history, and meet your care team. An IV will be started for sedation. Once you are in the procedure room and comfortably sedated, the provider will gently insert the colonoscope through the rectum and advance it around the colon while viewing the lining on a screen. Air or carbon dioxide is used to gently expand the colon so we can see clearly.
You may feel some cramping or pressure as the scope moves, but most people sleep through the procedure or remember very little of it. If polyps are found, they can often be removed at the same time using tools passed through the scope. The scope is then slowly withdrawn while the lining is closely re-examined.
After your colonoscopy, you’ll rest in a recovery area while the sedation wears off. Your provider will review the findings with you and your driver, including whether any polyps were removed or biopsies were taken. It is common to feel gassy or mildly bloated for a few hours as air passes out of the colon. Small spots of blood on the tissue after your first bowel movement can be normal if polyps were removed.
You must have a responsible adult drive you home. Do not drive, operate machinery, drink alcohol, sign legal documents, or make major decisions for the rest of the day. Most people can return to normal eating and usual activities the following day unless you receive different instructions.
Call us right away or seek urgent medical care if you have severe or worsening abdominal pain, heavy rectal bleeding, fever, chills, or feel very unwell after your procedure.
If your insurance requires a referral or prior authorization, our billing office will make every effort to obtain it before services are rendered. If you choose to proceed without required authorization, insurance may deny coverage. If you are a Medicare patient, you may be asked to sign an Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN) acknowledging financial responsibility if insurance does not pay. If you are enrolled in a commercial insurance plan you will be asked to sign a non-covered services form.