A colonoscopy is a medical procedure that examines the rectum and the entire colon. The colonoscope is the device used to perform a colonoscopy. This device consists of a long, firm and flexible plastic tube with a tiny video camera and light at one end. Dr. Jones carefully guides this instrument in various directions to look inside a patient's colon. The picture from the camera appears on a television monitor to provide a clear, magnified view of the patient's colon lining.
Colonoscopy can show irritated and swollen tissue and ulcers. A colonoscopy can also be used in the screening or surveillance of colon cancer or colon polyps (growths on the lining of the colon that are cancerous or can become cancerous).
Many symptoms can be examined through a colonoscopy, including:
