I didn't know that.The bottom line: Pick a physician and ask them their complication rate, missed polyp, and missed cancer rates. They have to tell you and if they do not know, avoid them.
I didn't know that.The bottom line: Pick a physician and ask them their complication rate, missed polyp, and missed cancer rates. They have to tell you and if they do not know, avoid them.
The problem is some do not track this information. We are supposed to track it for credentialing purposes. For example, I have a procedure I do. I have done it for 18 of 24 years. I have one complication in total, and I have done 5616 of the procedures. That is about 2 in 10K.I didn't know that.
The only thing I want to point out and anyone can correct me here is that many insurances would only pay for screening starting at age 50 when I retired two and a half years ago from practice. The AGA dropped the age for first screening to 45 and as a practitioner, I worried about this being covered though I agreed with the AGA's recommendation. If the surgeons or gastroenterologists see and remove polyps, the surveillance interval time needs to be shortened and the patient so advised.That is ok, but as a physician, I have to want folks to know that FIT and Cologuard do miss cancers. If you think they are perfect alternatives, you are fooling yourself. They miss a significant amount of colon cancer.
I had Cologuard and FIT for my first screening three years ago, Mine was normal. I have zero family members with a history of colon cancer, so I figured I am low risk so that I would go the easier and less invasive route. My Colo screening was not normal. I would not share that, but this is an opportune time to mention it. I do not have colon cancer, but I must get more regular screening because of the abnormalities.
Discuss it with a clinician and consider a Colonoscopy.
I bought off on the poop bucket screening (FIT or
If a person could go to the doctor's office, lay on the table and the CT scan would make a quick pass over them, still most people would not want to do it. Even the 1 day prep and half a day in the clinic with anesthesia will knock out a lot more people.cancer should be 100 percent preventable if the insurance companies would pay for regular colonoscopies and everyone would have them done.
He told me two things. One was that colon cancer should be 100 percent preventable if the insurance companies would pay for regular colonoscopies and ev
That won't work for colon polyps "SAM". The gold standard is actually going through a visual colonoscopy which is not a big deal these days. C.T. will not pick up polyps. It will pick up the metastasis that are in the liver which by then is too late to save the patient.If a person could go to the doctor's office, lay on the table and the CT scan would make a quick pass over them, still most people would not want to do it. Even the 1 day prep and half a day in the clinic with anesthesia will knock out a lot more people.
Ummmmm, surgeons are trained in the procedure of remedy and if they find a cancer they can actually jump in and help the patient. Yeah the G.I. guys refer on to surgery if the biopsy is positive and Depends on the "politics" in the area whether the surgeon or G.I. doc does the colonoscopy. The patient gets taken care of just the same. If a surgeon finds a suspicious lesion on colonoscopy, they can advise the patient as to what procedure will benefit them. No matter who does a colonoscopy, the verdict never is in until the pathologist calls the specimen cancer or benign. They don't just jump in and cut because of the looks of the lesion. Although, I've seen endoscopies where it was obvious it was a colon cancer. Patient will get scanned by various means to see if there are metastases as that will govern treatment.Not everyone has high risk to justify the expensive invasive procedure. But we should all get the easy cheap sample tests.
My point above, early in the thread. A couple other folks said they apparently are considered low risk, too.
The high risk folks, yeah, please go to the front of the line! You're worth it.
The procedure is lucrative for the gastroenterologists, preferred in US, but not other countries.
Yeah, but most of the G.I. and surgeon guys are pretty darned good at doing colonoscopies. I was a med student in the early days of flexible endoscopic scopes and they were good at it in the late 70's early 80's. I know as I was looking off the sidearm reflector back in the day while the attending was doing a procedure. If it was a difficult procedure, the attending apologized to me and took the sidearm off as it detracted from the light for him to see the biopsy site directly.I didn't know that.
That’s the only reason I have them!And it’s the best nap you will ever take.
So you're saying that you're an infectious, stoned, blowhard?Not colonoscopy but:
People probably wondering whats with JB and all hes crazy posting. Well I have had some extra time on my hands. A week or so back I passed a kidney stone. That was fun. They tell me now I know how it feels to have a baby. Then I start seeing blood in my pee. Not a little. Call my Doc back ASAP. She immediately orders a CT, urine labs and blood labs. The CT comes back clean. No fragments nothing further up the track on its way. It looks clean. What happened was I either had a jagged stone or unusually large stone. Based on the pain, I would say so. Since the blood went away after 2 days and hasn’t happened since it should just heal on its own. No blood in the urine test. The blood lab was clean, nothing out of the ordinary. The urine, bacteria was off the charts and two other things way out of norm. She thinks the stone caused a urinary track infection which triggered a bladder infection. Basically I had toxins building up in my system making me a little loopy. She told me “men cand die from this”. I kinda laughed. She said, no, seriously. You could have died. So, I have been lying around on the couch taking my meds drinking LOTS of water and watching MST3K. When I get bored I go check out the forum. They also think I jarred the stone lose using my 2 stage snowblower. Isnt that crazy?
This is crazy.My experience with colonoscopies is that the gatekeepers for scheduling have far more authority than the physician that refers it.
I'm not talking about the age related stuff. I had to have one at age 45 for another issue, prior to a surgery. At 52, doc said I should get one done, and referred me to their office that would do that. I called for the appointment, and the receptionist said it hadn't been 10 years yet, so, sorry. She didn't care about the referral. I've missed my 50yo, and will apparently be held to age 55 if I go by the person who answers the phone (and allows/schedules the appointments).
If I was worried, I'd get into a pissing contest with the receptionist and/or my doctors help to actually schedule it. If they don't want me there, I have a real hard time trying to make them want me there.
A receptionist/bookkeeper that may remember me for causing trouble is a bad person to have as a problem in this environment. I'd generally not prefer to make waves.
Thanks. Feeling MUCH better.So you're saying ygat you're an infectious, stoned, blowhard?
No, seriously, that is pain on a level all its own. I'm glad you're through the worst of it, glad you caught the infection in time, and I've been enjoying your posts. Blessings to you, get well!
Likely it was the insurance company, not the receptionist. You have to go back to your doctor, and he has to explain to the money source why they need to pay for another one so "soon". Like as if you're pestering your doctor... "Oh please, please, please can I get another colonoscopy?!"This is crazy.
I would have made waves:
Her: sorry, it hasn't been 10 years
Me: The doctor said I should have one now
Her: sorry, 10 years
Me: I'm documenting that you are personally overriding the doctor's directive, and sending a copy of it in writing to the head of the practice and to my insurance company. Unless, of course, you now see an opening for me...
Seriously! My wife had one yesterday, and due to prep not being perfect is going to go back one year from now. Can't schedule it until about five months out from the date, but no static about process.
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