1. The anesthesia consultation is mandatory before the procedure.
2. A feeding protocol will be prescribed to "clean" the digestive system if a colonoscopy is planned at the same time.
3. A "soft" general anesthesia is performed.
4. It will take 20 to 40 minutes on average for the whole procedure.
5. Return to your room and then to your home on the same day if you are an outpatient.

In 95% of cases, the fibroscopy is performed under general anesthesia. It is not a painful examination but it is not very pleasant, hence the need for anesthesia or sedation.

Day of the Intervention: What to Expect?

The same day, because of the general anaesthesia, it is necessary to fast.

The examination uses a flexible device called an endoscope that is introduced through the mouth or nose, after, in some cases, a local anesthetic. It consists of a flexible tube connected to a lamp and a miniature camera. The whole is connected to a monitor that will allow the practitioner to have a direct and precise visual during the examination.

During the examination, the fibroscope will be introduced through the mouth and then progressively brought to the duodenum, a gas is insufflated to allow a good visualization of all the walls. If lesions are found, the gastroenterologist can take samples with forceps. The tissue taken will then be analyzed under a microscope in the laboratory.bv

The examination lasts only about 20 minutes and is done on an "outpatient" basis, which means that you can go home a few hours after waking up, on the condition that you are accompanied from the hospital to your home.

Two methods for performing a colonoscopy:

• Under general anesthesia or strong sedation: the doctor injects you intravenously with an anesthetic that puts you in a state of sleep. This procedure is done under the constant supervision of the anesthesiologist. When you wake up, you will not remember the procedure and will not feel any pain during it.

• Without anesthesia or sedation: At your request or in case of medical contraindication, fibroscopy can be performed without anesthesia or sedation. This method can be extremely uncomfortable for you and complicates the task for the practitioner. Hypnosis is then recommended.

How to Prepare

The fibroscopy is performed under general anesthesia. Preparation begins with the mandatory pre-anesthetic consultation with the anesthesiologist five to eight days before the scheduled date.

• From midnight the night before, do not eat, drink and do not smoke.
  

Risks and Contraindications

Complications of gastroscopy are very exceptional. They are in particular: perforation, haemorrhage, cardiovascular and respiratory problems and infection. They may require hospitalization. All these complications appear most often during the endoscopy, but can also occur a few days after the examination (abdominal and thorax pain, vomiting of red or black blood, coughing, fever, chills, etc.). It is therefore very important to contact the doctor and/or the anesthetist who took care of you immediately.

The potential risks are as follows:

• Bleeding and Hemorrhaging: Bleeding occurs in about 1 in 1,000 fibroscopies and is most likely to occur when a polyp is removed.‍
• Infection: Infections are rare after colonoscopy.‍
• Digestive Perforation: Digestive perforation is rare, but can occur when air is injected during the procedure to improve visualization. It can also occur if an instrument punctures the bowel. Factors that increase the risk are advanced age, hospitalization (intensive care) at the time of the procedure, a history of abdominal pain and Crohn's disease.

After the intervention

• When the sedative wears off, you will be placed in a recovery area for observation for about an hour. You may wake up shortly after the procedure or be drowsy for a while. Because of the sedative medications used, most people do not remember the procedure.
• When you are awake and alert, your IV will be removed and your nurse will probably offer you some food before you go home.

Keep in mind that you may feel drowsy for 24 hours after your fibroscopy. You should not drive or operate machinery during this period. Because of the transient effects of anesthesia on memory, it is also recommended that you avoid making important decisions, such as signing legal documents, until the day after the procedure.

Although you can resume most regular daily activities and your usual diet immediately after a colonoscopy, you should avoid alcohol and strenuous activity for at least 24 hours.