If you’re looking for colonoscopy treatment in the West Palm Beach, Okeechobee, treasure coast areas, then you’ve found the right center for your treatment needs! With so many doctors and treatment facilities providing colonoscopies it can be difficult to find a qualified doctor with a proven track record of successfully treating patients so in this post we’ll be providing you with information on the colonoscopy treatment provided by our clinic (conducted by Dr. Vikram Tarugu) so you can make a more educated choice for choosing a colonoscopy doctor.
Dr. Vikram Tarugu, a 20+ year medical professional with over 4,000 treated patients has been successfully treating Okeechobee and south florida patients for many years and continues to provide an array of medical treatments/procedures to South Florida residents.
Finding a Colonoscopy doctor that you can entrust with your medical condition is of great importance and is a contributing factor to your recovery and Dr. Tarugu has and continues to be the “go to” doctor for all and any Colonoscopy related treatments/procedures.
With being such a highly qualified Gastroenterologist that has the experience needed to conduct such treatments with “success”, Dr. Tarugu continues to provide Colonoscopy treatment to many patients regularly.
What’s a Colonoscopy?
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So, simply put, a Colonoscopy is a procedure in which Dr. Tarugu will examine the inner parts/lining of your large intestine using a tool called a “Colonoscope”. This procedure is conducted by Dr. Tarugu to determine if ulcers, colon polyps, tumors or inflammation is taking place and the process is rather non-evasive since a small/thin and flexible tool is used to examine the rectum and colon so discomfort is kept to a minimum.
Preparing for your Colonoscopy
Preparing for your Colonoscopy is a rather simple process usually only taking a couple of days but the amount of prep time that will be required will be determined by Dr. Vikram Tarugu during your interview/appointment. Typically, colon preps only take 1-2 days depending on the circumstances and your evaluation results so you won’t need to worry about it being a long, drawn out process.
For some people, the prep process is a bit more uneasy then the colonoscopy itself but Dr. Vikram Tarugu institutes the best practices in medicine to make the process as easy and as comfortable as possible for patients and with many treated patients over the 20+ years of experience in the field you can expect to receive the best treatment available.
One of the options that may be presented to you is the “clear liquid diet” in which case it’s best to make arrangements to be home during your colonoscopy prep period since regular visits to the bathroom can be expected. The clear liquid diet is often times recommended since it helps clean and clear your colon for the test so it’s of great importance that you stick to the prepping requirements given to you by Dr. Vikram Tarugu.
During your appointment/evaluation, Dr. Tarugu will assess your condition(s), risks and personal preferences do devise the optimal treatment plan and route to take for your situation.
Why is a Colonoscopy Treatment Conducted?
Primarily, Colonoscopies are conducted to identify the presence of colon cancer and it’s highly recommended that such treatment be done for many reasons.
Colonoscopies are performed for many reasons and we’ll go in to a bit more detail below as to why you should consider this treatment.
Some important information to know:
- Colonoscopies are performed to see if there’s a presence of Colorectal Cancer or Polyps.
- Colonoscopies are highly recommended by medical professionals and doctors. It’s also a treatment that’s recommended by some large medical groups including the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
- These groups, medical doctors and organizations highly recommend that individuals over the age of 50 seek routine testing and screenings for those carry a normal (or over average) risk of having colorectal cancer.
- Based on your condition(s), Dr. Tarugu may set future appointments or may suggest regular visits so arising conditions (if any) can be treated early on.
What to tell Dr. Vikram Tarugu prior to your Appointment
Transparency with your doctor is very important to receiving treatment as any current medications
- Take note of all of the medications that you’re taking. Whether you’re taking insulin, prescription medication or off-the-shelf medicine, be sure to share all of these with Dr. Tarugu. It’s very important that you share all of the medications that you’re taking so complications can be avoided. Since you may be administered medicine on the day of your colonoscopy, Dr. Tarugu will need to be aware of any medications that you’re taking as safety is the first priority and a complete list of any medications you’re taking should be brought with you to your appointment.
- Are allergic to certain medications or ingredients? Be sure that you take note or provide Dr. Tarugu with a list of medications that you’re allergic to avoid possible complications. This is another important step so you avoid being given a medication that you’ll have a bad reaction to.
- If you happen to have sporadic/sharp pains, known bleeding issues or take aspirin or any other type of medications (especially blood-thinner medications), be sure to share these with Dr. Tarugu during your appointment.
- If you’ve had an X-ray test within 4 days prior to your appointment let the doctor know before any treatments/procedures are conducted.
- If you think you might be pregnant (or are pregnant) be sure that this information is shared with the doctor.
All of the points made above need to be taken in to consideration before your appointment and the better prepared you are for the appointment the more easily the process will go.
Dr. Tarugu may request that you stop taking aspirin based products (or iron based products) for up to two weeks prior to the colonoscopy. If you by chance are currently taking blood-thinning medications then be sure to discuss this with Dr. Tarugu as you’ll need to see how he wants to manage this medication intake prior to the procedure.
As previously mentioned, transparency is very important between both you and Dr. Tarugu. Asking questions is always encouraged so if you ever have any concerns, questions about associated risks or want clarity on the meaning of results then make sure you ask all of these questions to Dr. Tarugu so your questions can clearly be answered.
One quick tip that we’d like to share is that it’s suggested that you have someone accompany you to the Colonoscopy as you will probably be given a sedative so you’ll want to have a ride home already set up so you won’t need to worry about driving after the procedure.
What to expect prior to your Colonoscopy
As previously covered, prior to the Colonoscopy, you’ll need to clear/clean out the colon for the procedure. While specific instructions will be given to you by Dr. Tarugu before the Colonoscopy, the information below will cover what you can expect a little more in-depth.
Approximately for 1-2 days prior to the Colonoscopy, Dr. Tarugu will require that you stop eating solid based foods entirely. You’ll be permitted to only consume liquids (such as water, tea, jello or clear juice) which will help to cleanse (and more importantly, clear) the colon so the Colonoscopy can be done more easily. One important thing to remember is that you do not consume any red or purple liquids (including red or purple gelatin).
Dr. Tarugu will suggest and recommend a medicine that you’ll need to take prior to the Colonoscopy which will help you with the preparation. Typically, this medicine will be a laxative type tablet/medicine or alternatively a laxative solution which may include either Nulytely or Golytely which will need to be taken “before” the Colonoscopy. These solutions are usually in powder form (and are sometimes tasteless) which you’ll add to and stir in one gallon of water. While a gallon of water is a lot of liquid to consume in a very short amount of time, you may need to consume the entire gallon within a 2 hour time-span the night before the Colonoscopy. Depending on the situation, Dr. Tarugu may advise you to drink half of the gallon the night before and the second half the morning of the Colonoscopy.
While some people don’t taste the solution, many people consider these solutions to taste very salty and are sometimes known to cause upset stomachs so these effects should be known in case you experience these feelings.
When it comes to the solution, we have some suggestions that will make it easier for you.
- When you’re drinking the water with the mixed solution you should try to drink the water with a straw with the end of the straw towards the back of your mouth as this will help you to avoid the taste of the solution.
- If the solution leaves an unpleasant taste in your mouth, immediately after consuming the water, drink some water (that doesn’t have the solution in it) or clear juice (such as apple juice) as it’ll help to subside the taste that’s left over from the solution.
- Ask Dr. Tarugu if you can mix the solution to water that’s already mixed with another powder such as “Crystal Light”. If permitted, the taste will help to override the taste from the solution making it much easier to deal with.
- Many people add some lemon juice to the water (or suck on a slice of lemon) after consuming the water with the solution to help rid the taste.
- Don’t drink the water at room temperature. Instead, refrigerate the water and then consume it as this too can help with the taste.
During the Colonoscopy you may have the feeling of needing to make a bowel movement and you may also have the feeling of cramps but this can easily be dealt with by taking deep breaths through your mouth as this will help to relax the muscles in your abdominal/stomach area. Depending on how you feel/react during the procedure, Dr. Tarugu may assist you with changing positions during the procedure although you can expect to be lying down on your side with your knees up to your chest.
Dr. Tarugu will thoroughly inspect the entire length of your colon to determine if there is (or isn’t) the presence of colon cancer. Some of the tools that may be used during treatment may include forceps, swabs or loops which will be used to attain tissue samples (known as a biopsy) or to take out cancer growths in the colon.
Most of the time, patients don’t feel any discomfort during the biopsy process or if polyps are removed as Dr. Tarugu uses techniques that help to make the process as comfortable as possible for patients.
Although it varies from patient to patient, the Colonoscopy typically only take around 45 minutes to an hour although depending on what’s discovered in the colon during the procedure it could take a bit longer (or shorter).
What to Expect after the Colonoscopy
Once Dr. Tarugu has completed the Colonoscopy, he may require that you stay at the clinc for a period of 1-2 hours before you leave unless you’re at the clinic with a friend or family member that can safely drive you home. Since you may have been given a sedative based medication, it may not be safe for you to drive immediately following the appointment so if you don’t have a designated driver, Dr. Tarugu will assess your cognitive awareness to determine when you should be discharged.
As Dr. Tarugu will tell you, after the Colonoscopy, be sure that you drink a lot of fluids the day of and the days to come as it’ll help to replace fluids in your body that may have been loss during the preparation process.
If you’re ready to take the first step to colon health and want to set up an appointment with Dr. Tarugu for a Colonoscopy contact him and his clinic today!
Phone – (863)-824-3447
Email – Doctor@GastroInFlorida.com