What is a collonoscopy?

Answer 1

Colposcopy is a simple, 10- to 15-minute painless procedure that is painless and performed in a gynecologist's office. You are positioned on the examination table like you are for a Pap smear, and an acetic acid (such as common table vinegar) is placed on the cervix.

Your physician will use a colposcope -- a large, electric microscope that is positioned approximately 30 cm from the vagina -- to view your cervix. A bright light on the end of the colposcope lets the gynecologist clearly see the cervix.

During the colposcopy, the gynecologist focuses on the areas of the cervix where light does not pass through. Abnormal cervical changes are seen as white areas -- the whiter the area, the worse the cervical dysplasia. Abnormal vascular (blood vessel) changes are also apparent through the colposcope. Typically, the worse that the vascular changes are, the worse the dysplasia.

If your physician can view the entire abnormal area through the colposcope, a tissue sample or biopsy is taken from the whitest abnormal areas and sent to the lab for further evaluation.

If you experience any pain during the procedure, it is not from the colposcopy itself. Your doctor may perform additional procedures at the same time, which may cause discomfort, vaginal bleeding or discharge

Answer 2

The colon is the large intestine. As a person ages he/she can begin to have things called polyps. These are growths on the wall of the colon. They can be harmless, precancerous or cancerous . During a colonoscopy a trained gastroenterologist passes a light tube with a camera through your anus into your rectum & colon. The camera allows the doctor to examine the walls for polyps. It also has the ability to snip them off and retrieve the tissue to later be examined for cancer.

Answer 3

A colonoscopy is a test that allows your doctor to observe the interior lining of your large intestine. (rectum and colon).