What happens at the office appointment.
This is not a substitute for direct care by YOUR doctor. Confirm with your doctor before following any of the listed recommendations.
This is a general description. Every doctor and every appointment is unique based on the medical condition, doctor, and patient. The first part of the appointment after completing check-in, is talking with your doctor. We may not have time to talk about all of your concerns in just one day so make sure to bring up the concern that is the most important to you first. If one day is not enough to address all of your concerns, more appointments can be made.
If you are unsure about your family history of cancer or bowel diseases, try to find out before your appointment. This way we can have the most accurate history on file. How old your family member was when they were diagnosed with cancer is important. The age at diagnosis is especially important if that family member is your mother, father, or sibling.
Lastly, please try to have (or send to the office before your appointment), any information regarding previous colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, and surgeries. It is important to have information on all of your medical history and medications.
The Exam
All steps of the exam are communicated to patients before they happen and as they happen so that everyone can feel comfortable. For many patients, an exam of the anus and sometimes rectum, is indicated. A proctoscopy exam bed folds like the picture to the left of this paragraph. These pictures are cartoons from an operating room, but in an office setting, most of your clothes stay on. We have you drop your pants/skirt and underwear only. The bottom picture shows an option for patients for whom leaning over is uncomfortable.
The Exam Continued
For many patients, anoscopy is indicated. Anoscopy begins by inserting a lubricated finger into the anus. The finger is then removed and an anoscope, a small speculum made for the anus, is inserted to better see the area. The anoscope is adjusted to better see the entire area. The entire exam is generally completed within 30 - 60 seconds. The exam bed is then lowered and the patient is given privacy to use the bathroom or wipe the lubricant off.
The appointment ends with another conversation to discuss the exam findings and to plan what should happen next.
How to Prepare
For most patients, no preparation is needed. TRY NOT TO WORRY about your exam. This can be concerning each patient, but each patient is one of many that we see daily. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. If you are nervous or uncomfortable, please let your doctor know and they can try to help you feel more at ease. In some cases, an enema before the appointment is appropriate. For those patients, they will be given clear instructions. If you are not told, or even if you are not told in time for the appointment, TRY NOT TO WORRY. You are seeing a professional 💩 doctor. Everything is just another day at the office for us.