Colonoscopy preparation instructions

Colonoscopy Preparation Instructions

You are scheduled for a colonoscopy in our endoscopy center on . The facility is
located at 347 East 37th Street. Plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time of the
procedure. Shortly after checking in at the front desk, the staff of the endoscopy center will direct
you from the waiting room to a changing area. We provide locked storage for the security of your
personal possessions. You will then meet the gastroenterologist who will be performing the
procedure and the anesthesiologist who will be providing the sedation. Your medical history will
be reviewed and questions that you might have will be answered by the physicians. At that time,
please remember to inform us of any medication allergies that you may have. The duration of the
procedure and the recovery time afterwards are each approximately 30 minutes in duration. You
should expect to be at the facility for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. We strongly recommend that you have an
escort accompany you home from the office after your procedure. If you are 65 years of age or
older, an escort is mandatory and failure to have an escort will result in cancellation of your
procedure and a $250 fee. We also require that no patients drive for 12 hours following the
procedure. If you are a female and may potentially be pregnant, please schedule the
procedure at a time when you are sure that you are not pregnant.
You should stop taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) including aspirin,
vitamin E, and blood thinners 5 days prior to the procedure. More specifically these medications
include:
Aspirin
Aspirin-dypyridomole (Aggrenox)
Clopidogrel (Plavix - check with your Cardiologist)
Coumadin (3-5 days, please check w/your prescribing doctor - see below)
Dipyridomole (Persantine)
Heparin and Lovenox
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin)
Meloxicam (Mobic)
Naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)
Ticlopidine (Ticlid)
If you have a cardiac stent, do not stop taking aspirin or Plavix without first consulting your
cardiologist. If you take coumadin for a cardiac condition, stroke prevention, or vascular
disease, you should consult your cardiologist, neurologist or internist prior to stopping the
medication. If you have diabetes and take either insulin or oral medications, dosing may need to
be adjusted for the day prior and the day of the procedure. Please consult your internist or
endocrinologist regarding this issue.
You should be aware that there is an approximate 0.2% to 1% risk for complications associated
with colonoscopy. These risks include but are not limited to: 1) adverse reactions to medications,
2) gastrointestinal bleeding, 3) colonic perforation which may require operative repair. You
should also be aware that colonoscopy is not 100% accurate and that there is a small possibility of
a missed diagnosis of cancer or polyps despite having a competently performed colonoscopy.
Please call our endoscopy coordinator (212-726-7407) 3 to 5 days prior to the procedure to
confirm your appointment. Cancellations less than 3 business days in advance or failure to show
for the scheduled procedure may result in a $250 charge. If any questions arise prior to the
procedure, please contact us at 212-726-7407. It would be helpful to avoid nuts and seeds in your
diet for a couple of days before your procedure. In addition, our physicians, including the
gastroenterologist and anesthesiologists, are available for any questions that may arise. To assure
your comfort and safety, an Anesthesiologist will provide sedation for your procedure.
Anesthesia services may involve extra charges. Please check with your insurance
carrier.
Our gastroenterologists recommend the SUPREP preparation which may be purchased from a
local pharmacy with a prescription provided with the information materials. We also suggest
purchasing 2 additional bisacodyl tablets in case extra preparation is needed. You may also want
to buy 'baby wipes' for your comfort during the preparation. During the day before the procedure,
you should restrict your diet to clear liquids (nothing red or purple) which include the
following:
Strained fruit juices without pulp.
Water.
Clear broth or bouillon.
Coffee or Tea.
Gatorade, Kool-Aid, carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks.
Jell-O and ice popsicles.
Vanilla ice cream, milk, plain yogurt (breakfast only).
Step 1: On at pour One of the 6-ounce bottles of SUPREP liquid into the
mixing container. Add cool drinking water to the 16-ounce line on the container and mix. Drink
ALL the liquid in the container. You MUST drink TWO more 16-ounce containers of WATER
over the next 1 hour (Fill the cup up 2 more times with plain water and drink it).
Step 2: On at pour the remaining 6-ounce bottle of SUPREP liquid into the
mixing container. Add cool drinking water to the 16-ounce line on the countainer and mix. Drink
ALL the liquid in the container. You MUST drink TWO more 16-ounce containers of WATER
over the next 1 hour (Fill the cup up 2 more times with plain water and drink it). We encourage
you to drink as much water and other clear liquids as possible before you start the SUPREP and
between the two doses of SUPREP to optimize the quality of the preparation. If your stool does
not turn to a watery liquid consistency 1 hour after completing the preparation you may need to
take more laxative such as 2 bisacodyl tablets. Please call your doctor if there are questions
regarding this issue.
During the day of the procedure, you can not have anything to eat or drink 5 hours before the
scheduled time of the procedure. You may take your regular medications with a sip of water 3
hours before the procedure unelss otherwise instructed by your Doctor. As stated, please plan to
arrive at our practice 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time of the procedure. You may want to
bring socks or slippers as well as a loose short sleeve T-shirt to wear during the procedure. We
recommend that you do not wear any jewelry to the office. If you are a managed care patient,
please remember to obtain insurance company referral authorization from your primary physician
prior to the procedure. Please bring the referral with the authorization number with you. We hope
that this process goes as smoothly as possible for you. If there are any questions during any point
of the process feel free to contact us for assistance. If you call on an evening or a weekend, please
make sure the service gets you in contact with the covering physician.
Remember: Please do not DRINK or EAT for the 5 hours prior to the scheduled time of your
procedure! This includes no sucking candy or chewing gum. If you would like to review
information regarding a colonoscopy including the consent form, you may do so at our website -
www.mhmg.net

Source: http://www.mhmg.net/wp-content/themes/twentyten/images/pdf/Suprep-Colonoscopy-Prep-Instructions.pdf