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- The medical technique of using an endoscope to examine the inner walls of the large intestine (colon).
- This is a procedure involving the insertion of a fiberoptic endoscope of about 1 cm diameter into the anus and advanced through the sigmoid colon, descending colon and the transverse colon up to the caecum. The appearance of the mucosa is observed for inflammation and growths. Samples are often taken for microscopic study. It is a procedure with significant discomfort and sometimes pain. The patient usually receives sedation by intravenous injection.
Material effects, risks and side effects: over-sedation causing respiratory depression; biopsied site may bleed; mucosal damage may lead to infections, perforation of the bowel results in intra-peritoneal air and may necessitate emergency laparotomy.
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