If you are a Forest Hills, NY resident needing a colonoscopy, then Dr. Azeem Khan at Forest Hills Gastroenterology should be your first choice for a gastroenterologist.
What is Colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is an outpatient procedure that a gastroenterologist, like Dr. Khan, uses to examine your large intestine (colon) thoroughly using a colonoscope. A colonoscope is a long, flexible tube with a tiny camera and instruments for taking tissue samples attached. It is inserted via the anus, rectum, and colon.
What Is It Used For?
A colonoscopy is performed to evaluate specific gastrointestinal symptoms, including:
- Bleeding
- Abdominal pain
- A change in bowel habits or chronic diarrhea
Colonoscopies are regularly used as an essential screening tool for colorectal cancer. It is also used to screen for colorectal polyps, tumors, inflammation, and narrowing of the colon. Colorectal cancer, if caught early, is preventable and treatable, and that is why you should go for a colonoscopy regularly even if you feel healthy.
How Often Should I Have a Colonoscopy Done?
It may feel like going for a colonoscopy is embarrassing, butForest Hills, NY residents are in good hands with Dr. Khan and his team at Forest Hills Gastroenterology. Colonoscopies are a valuable diagnostic tool, and you should go for colonoscopies regularly once you turn 45. How often you should go for a colonoscopy depends on the first procedure results, but on average, you should go for this screening every ten years up until you turn 85 years old.
Other factors affecting the regularity with which you should go for colonoscopies will depend on whether you are a high-risk candidate who needs to be screened before age 45 or more frequently than every ten years.
What Makes You a High-Risk Candidate?
There are several reasons why you may be a high-risk candidate and may require more regular screening, including:
- A history of colorectal cancer in your family
- You have ulcerative colitis or Chron’s disease, or other inflammatory bowel diseases.
- You suffer from a genetic disorder that increases your risk of developing colorectal cancer.
- If you have had radiation in the pelvic area to treat cancer previously
If you are a high-risk candidate, your healthcare provider may recommend more regular colonoscopies every 3 to 5 years, depending on your unique medical history.
Contact Us
If you are a Forest Hills, NY resident needing a colonoscopy, contact Dr. Khan and his team at Forest Hills Gastroenterology to schedule a consultation. Put your mind at ease and call us today at (718) 459-8460.