Rock Stars of Gastroenterology: Top 3 Questions About Colonoscopy Preparation

Rock Stars of Gastroenterology: Top 3 Questions About Colonoscopy Preparation

1. What can I eat?
We ask patients to avoid any liquids that are red in color, as that can actually with visualization. But otherwise, a clear liquid diet is anything that you can see through. You should be able to see a newspaper through a glass of clear liquid. You can have apple juice, broth, white grape or cranberry juice, but nothing with a red color. If we don't have a clear view, we might miss polyps--especially small polyps.

2. What happens if I can't complete the prep?
If you can't complete the prep, we ask that you call our office. Sometimes the prep is adequate and we may still proceed with the procedure, but if we feel that you are not adequately cleaned out, we may ask that you re-complete the prep and reschedule your procedure. Again, having a clean colon is the most important part so that we are certain to see everything that we need to see at the time of your procedure.

3. How long does the prep take?
The prep is nobody's favorite thing to do. It only takes 24 hours, but the benefits of screening for colon cancer last a lifetime.

Schedule your screening today at The Oregon Clinic.