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Are colonoscopies worth it?

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Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#271

Post by kwhitefoot »

rocqua wrote: post #91
russellbeattie wrote: post #71

I had an abdominal MRI done a few years ago to look for intestinal issues, and was surprised at the resolution. Ever since I've wondered why we don't just do that regularly to see if there's anything that looks worrisome, before going through such an invasive process as a colonoscopy. Actually, I just looked it up. Apparently it's a thing and called "virtual colonoscopy" [1]. Seems like the future to me. 1. https://w…

MRI machines are much more expensive than colonoscopy machines. Orders of magnitude more expensive.

But the MRI machine can do a more thorough investigation is less time with less inconvenience to the patient and with fewer medical staff. The colonoscopy I had essentially occupied a doctor and a nurse for close to half an hour. The MRI that I had more recently for the same purpose took one radiologist and the part involving me was over in less than fifteen minutes.

And the capital cost of the machine is not necessarily the relevant measure. If the MRI machine is idle then it is wasting money so if you have one it should be used as much as possible which means that the marginal cost of the MRI might well compete with colonoscopy.

I have also read that many colonoscopy patients, especially in the US, require sedation which of course is not necessary with MRI.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#272

Post by Obscurity4340 »

kalium-xyz wrote: post #215
Aeolun wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Recurrent bleeding from colon is bad, go see a doctor.” Is a fairly simple rule.

IMHO depends on the amount. If you are severely dehydrated and you notice your stool physically hurt coming out. A small amount of blood might honestly not be unexpected. Edit: To be clear “severely dehydrated” is kinda an important factor here. Point being that if the cause is obvious I dont see why you’d get a colonoscopy. Please correct me if im wrong instead of just downvoting for anyone who knows more about this…

Why is the amount that you care for your own ass so ant-sized?

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#273

Post by amrocha »

gcheong wrote: post #99
amrocha wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Japan, everyone over 40 gets yearly colonoscopies as part of a general health check up. That should be a really good source of data, someone should take a look at that. But what I was getting at is that it can scale.

Source? Yearly colonoscopies sound dubious - my google search results said they use fecal occult blood tests yearly with a follow-up colonoscopy if you test positive which sounds more reasonable to me.

The source is that I live here and everyone talks about it.

Poop tests are for everyone over 30

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#274

Post by OneLeggedCat »

Supermancho wrote: post #237
hermitcrab wrote: post #120

>3. It’s irresponsible to call colonoscopies “invasive” (as CNN did) since that might make people think they are unpleasant and not do them. LOL. It hard to imagine anything much more invasive than having a metal tube (with light and camera) shoved up your arse. It is definitely unpleasant. I speak from personal experience. That said, it is less unpleasant than bowel cancer. So don't be put off if you really need to…

Let's discuss what "invasive" means. Putting something in the body and getting it back out without tearing, is not invasive. Eating and vomiting would be categorized as invasive, in context. A colonoscopy/endoscopy is internal and dangerous, which is not the same thing as being invasive, so the term "minimally invasive" is sometimes used as a happy middleground, which has then been sensationalized.

Ah. So vaginal probes are not invasive. Interesting take you have.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#275

Post by luxuryballs »

denton-scratch wrote: post #233
greedo wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had rectal cancer 18 years ago, and part of my followup was annual colonoscopies for the first decade. So I'm pretty familiar with the procedure, at least how my thoracic surgeon performed them. Yes, the prep can be unpleasant. I tolerated it because of how close I had come to dying, and really didn't want my ticket punched. But the procedure itself was never unpleasant. When you say you weren't allowed sedatives b…

> were you referring to alcohol? Yes. > The colonoscopy has NEVER been painful for me. You've always been medicated. > I would recommend finding a new doctor. Doing a colonoscopy without sedation sounds barbaric. "My doctor" is what I call my GP; he's not involved in this process. I was referred for colonoscopy based on a fecal blood test that was centrally-administered. Several consultants (including the dental cons…

I want to do my next one awake, but still treated to relax, how terrible was it? I assume the root canal was worse, right??

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#276

Post by StillBored »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #58

It’s time to share something personal again. When I was 20, I vividly remember being in the bathroom at my workplace when a large amount of blood started coming out. I did what any smart, effective 20yo would do: ignored it because I was embarrassed. Fast forward 10 years, and I’d been ignoring it for a decade. It had continued to happen every few months. Sometimes the blood was so bad I’d have to wait up to 20 minut…

I OTOH, took a dump in the woods and noticed the entire top of the pile was fresh blood. Freaked out. Started paying attention and saw some evidence in the toilet a couple times. Called bunch of drs the following monday, setup an apt with digestive dr, took 4 weeks to see him, and another two before the colonoscopy and a bunch of tests. By then, nothing no idea where it came from, no evidence of anything.

"Probably hemorrhoids" and $1200 out of pocket after insurance.

And people wonder why no one goes to the Dr in the USA before they are 1/2 dead.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#277

Post by msrenee »

prirun wrote: post #242
D13Fd wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> worth the small unpleasantness and major logistical annoyance. I’ve gone through it twice now. Both times, the most annoying part was the 2 or so hours they make you sit there in a hospital gown with no phone or electronics and nothing to do, while you are starving and uncomfortable and waiting to have the procedure. I don’t know if it’s like that everywhere. But would it really be that bad to let people hang on to…

> But would it really be that bad to let people hang on to their phones? Yes, it would. The last time I had an EGD (same facilities as colonoscopy), there were 5 small rooms on each side of an aisle for patients. Some of the rooms had TVs turned on, some had patients' family members talking loudly, and of course the nurses were running all over the place, with many talking about what they did over the weekend, etc. W…

I can happily chill out without my phone. I think it's something that more people should practice. I don't think that pre-colonoscopy is the time to expect people to go without comforting distractions.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#278

Post by msrenee »

OneLeggedCat wrote: post #274
Supermancho wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let's discuss what "invasive" means. Putting something in the body and getting it back out without tearing, is not invasive. Eating and vomiting would be categorized as invasive, in context. A colonoscopy/endoscopy is internal and dangerous, which is not the same thing as being invasive, so the term "minimally invasive" is sometimes used as a happy middleground, which has then been sensationalized.

Ah. So vaginal probes are not invasive. Interesting take you have.

Not in medical terminology, no. I certainly wouldn't call a pap smear an invasive procedure.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#279

Post by elric »

It's interesting that the harm of the prep is not discussed. Not eating for one or two days and cleaning out your gut entirely with laxatives is bound to have consequences. Maybe this affects the gut microbiome?

At the very least, this triggers days of migraine in myself. Just skipping one meal does that, skipping several and ingesting awful laxatives results in feeling awful for days.

When you're dealing with such vast quantities of people, these effects might add up.

Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?

#280

Post by denton-scratch »

luxuryballs wrote: post #275
denton-scratch wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> were you referring to alcohol? Yes. > The colonoscopy has NEVER been painful for me. You've always been medicated. > I would recommend finding a new doctor. Doing a colonoscopy without sedation sounds barbaric. "My doctor" is what I call my GP; he's not involved in this process. I was referred for colonoscopy based on a fecal blood test that was centrally-administered. Several consultants (including the dental cons…

I want to do my next one awake, but still treated to relax, how terrible was it? I assume the root canal was worse, right??

Root canal was much worse, even with good local anaesthesia. Unmedicated colonoscopy is just very uncomfortable.
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