Colonoscopy
This is where the doctor looks at the inside lining of your bowel (colon, or large intestine) using a tiny camera in a flexible tube about the size of a finger, inserted into your bottom (anus). You will be sedated and have pain relief, so you won’t be aware of the procedure. It takes about an hour.
Your specialist will have talked about why you are having a colonoscopy. Common reasons include:
- screening for colorectal cancer
- taking biopsies (samples) for testing
- following up on any previous findings of polyps (growths), colon cancer
- assessing inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease; ulcerative colitis)
- exploring possible causes for blood in stool, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or anaemia
A health care professional will put an IV needle in your arm to sedate you and give you pain relief. It’s not a general anaesthetic, so you won’t be unconscious, but you will be relaxed, partially asleep and unaware of what is happening. You probably won’t remember much about the procedure afterwards
You will be placed on your left side with your knees drawn up to your stomach. The colonoscope – a tiny camera in a flexible tube – is inserted into your anus. You may feel the urge to go to the toilet (poo) as the camera is inserted – this is normal. Don’t worry, you won’t ‘have an accident’ during the procedure. Your gut is empty after all that preparation, and suction in the flexible tube will remove any liquid left.
Your body position may be moved during the procedure and a nurse might push on your abdomen to ease the camera through your bowel. The camera will view the entire length of your colon, (large intestine).
The flexible tube delivers air into your bowel to give a better view. The doctor will watch in real time on a screen to see what the inside lining looks like and remove secretions, polyps and other tissue samples for later analysis.
After your procedure you will stay for a couple of hours in our quiet, well-appointed recovery room where our nurses will look after you until you are ready to go home. We’ll give you a drink and a biscuit or other snack and will keep you comfortable and under observation.
If you have had sedation, it takes about an hour to begin waking up properly. You may feel some temporary nausea. It can take up to a day for the full effects of sedation to wear off.
You may feel abdominal cramps, and pass gas. Walking around the recovery room will help you pass wind – don’t be embarrassed, our staff are used to it and know it’s a natural part of the process.
If you have had a polyp removed, you may notice some rectal bleeding: the nurses will ensure you have a pad to manage this.
You can go home the same day.
Any samples will be sent to the laboratory and results should be back within 7-10 days – your specialist will be in touch with you, and copy of your result will be sent to your GP.
What you need to do – learn here.
Drink lots of fluids – water, sports drinks with electrolytes, soup, and tea.
You may resume a normal diet.
It may be a few days before you pass a stool (poo). If you do, they may be loose for a few days. If you have had a polyp removed, you may see blood in your poo or have rectal bleeding.
Contact your doctor immediately if you have any unusual symptoms like severe abdominal pain, dizziness, fever, chills, or rectal bleeding that won’t stop, or there’s a lot of blood.
There are risks with all types of surgeries and procedures. For colonoscopy these include:
- Fewer than 1 in 1000 procedures cause a bowel perforation (a tear in the colon wall) that requires a repair operation
- 4 in 10,000 procedures create an adverse reaction to sedative medication, causing breathing problems or low blood pressure
- Heavy or persistent bleeding from biopsy or polyp removal
Gastroscopy
This is where the doctor looks inside your stomach and duodenum (the exit from your stomach) using a tiny camera in a flexible tube about the size of a pencil, inserted through your mouth. You will be sedated and have pain relief, so you won’t be aware of the procedure. It takes about 15 minutes.
Your specialist will have talked about why you are having a gastroscopy. Common reasons include:
- Evaluating possible causes for indigestion, upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or difficulty swallowing, or bleeding
- taking biopsies (samples) for testing
- the need to treat bleeding, or stretch a narrowed part of your gut
A health care professional will put an IV needle in your arm to sedate you and give you pain relief. It’s not a general anaesthetic, so you won’t be unconscious, but you will be relaxed, partially asleep and unaware of what is happening. You probably won’t remember much about it afterwards. You can choose not to have a sedative, but most people do.
Once you are sedated, a spray will numb the back of your throat, and a small mouthguard will be put between your teeth to keep your mouth open.
You will be placed on your left side. The gastroscope – a tiny camera in a flexible tube about 1 cm wide – is inserted into your mouth, down your throat, and into your stomach. Don’t worry, it won’t go down your windpipe, so you will be able to breath normally.
The flexible tube delivers air into your stomach to give a better view.
The doctor will watch in real time on a screen to see what the inside lining looks like. The doctor may remove secretions, polyps and other tissue samples for later analysis.
After your procedure you will stay for a couple of hours in our quiet, well-appointed recovery room where our nurses will look after you until you are ready to go home. We’ll give you a drink and a biscuit or other snack and will keep you comfortable and under observation.
If you have had sedation, it takes about an hour to begin waking up properly. You may feel some temporary nausea. It can take up to a day for the full effects of sedation to wear off.
If you chose not to have a sedative, you can go home straight away.
Your throat might be a little sore, and you might feel bloated from the air introduced into your stomach.
You can go home the same day.
Any samples will be sent to the laboratory and results should be back within 7-10 days – your doctor will be in touch with you.
You should feel back to normal by the next day and be able to return to work.
After surgery, contact your doctor immediately if you have any unusual symptoms like severe abdominal pain, dizziness, fever, chills, or bleeding that won’t stop, or there’s a lot of blood.
There are risks with all types of surgeries and procedures. For gastroscopy these include:
- Fewer than 1 in 1000 procedures cause a bowel perforation (a tear in the colon wall) that requires a repair operation
- 4 in 10,000 procedures create an adverse reaction to sedative medication, causing breathing problems or low blood pressure
- Heavy or persistent bleeding from biopsy or polyp removal
Cataract surgery
Cataracts happen when the lens in your eye clouds with age, causing glare, light sensitivity, halos around lights, foggy and blurred vision, dulled colours, and poor night vision.
Cataract surgery removes the lens, replacing it with a clear, synthetic lens which lasts forever. You won’t feel any different, but you will see better. The procedure takes only twenty minutes. Usually, one eye is done at a time, with a week or more in between.
Your ophthalmologist will advise what type of new lens is best for you and what glasses you will still need. Options include lenses that:
- correct distance and near vision (multifocals or bifocals)
- correct far, intermediate and near vision (trifocals)
- set one eye at near vision and one at distance vision (blended monovision)
- set both eyes at distance vision (fixed focus monovision)
- correct astigmatism (toric)
You will lie flat on a surgery table. Drops will be put in your eye to dilate (widen) your pupil and numb the eye and eyelid area so you can’t feel it. This also stops the eye moving during the operation – you just need to keep still.
You may also be sedated intravenously (a needle in your vein) to help you relax – you will be awake but groggy, and you may not remember much about the procedure. Some patients may need a general anaesthetic, for example if you would prefer to be asleep when it’s done, or you have tremors and can’t stay still.
Your eyelid will be kept open by a tiny spring, but you won’t be able to feel this. You may feel a light pressure during the procedure.
The doctor makes a tiny (2 mm) cut on the surface of your eye (the cornea) and inserts a needle-thin probe into the lens which sits at the front of the eye. The probe uses ultrasound to break the lens into tiny pieces and remove them.
The new lens is then inserted, folded up so it can fit through the incision. It unfolds in place and rests where your old lens did. The incision closes itself without stitches.
Some complicated cases may need a larger incision, and stitches which are removed after a few weeks.
After your procedure you will stay in our quiet, well-appointed recovery room where our nurses will look after you until you are ready to go home. We’ll give you a drink and a biscuit or other snack and will keep you comfortable and under observation.
If you have had sedation, it takes about an hour to begin waking up properly. You may feel some temporary nausea. It can take up to a day for the full effects of sedation to wear off.
You will have an eye-pad over your eye, which you can take off later that night or the next morning.
It’s very important to take the eye drops that you are given to prevent infection and reduce inflammation:
- steroid drops four times a day for four weeks
- antibiotic drops four times a day for a week
- if you are already taking glaucoma drops, continue them, but start with a new bottle
Some patients have blurry vision for a few days. You will probably notice itching and discomfort, but don’t rub or touch your eye.
You may be more light sensitive for a few weeks and so you should wear sunglasses.
Take care not to get dust or dirt in your eye – for example don’t garden in windy conditions.
Avoid bending and heavy lifting and vigorous exercise for the first week – but you can go walking.
Don’t go swimming in the first month, as your eye will be vulnerable to viruses and bacteria.
You can drive within 48 hours of the operation, and when you are comfortable doing so. But, if you had sedation or general anaesthetic, don’t drive within 24 hours. Don’t drive long distances for a few weeks as your eyes will get tired.
Many patients notice an immediate improvement in their vision. Things are sharper, and colours are brighter, particularly blues. Your vision may fluctuate after surgery, but for most it will stabilise within a month. If you have a medical condition, for example diabetes, it may take longer.
Remember you won’t be able to wear your current prescription or reading glasses, as your vision will have changed. Your doctor will advise when your vision has stabilised and you can get new ones.
You will have follow-up appointments with your doctor a couple of days after surgery, and in the following weeks.
Do take your eye drops.
Do continue any glaucoma medication.
Do wear sunglasses.
Do go walking.
Do stay in if it’s windy.
Do drive short distances if you feel up to it.
Do call your doctor if … (please see below).
Don’t get dust or dirt in your eye.
Don’t rub or touch your eye.
Don’t bend or lift heavy. things for the first week.
Don’t exercise vigorously. for the first week.
Don’t swim for a month.
Don’t wear your old glasses.
Don’t get new glasses until your doctor says it’s ok.
Call your doctor immediately if you have:
- vision loss
- persistent pain
- severe eye redness
- flashing lights
- new spots (floaters) in your vision
- nausea, vomiting, or persistent coughing
There are risks with all types of surgeries and procedures. With cataract surgery, these include a small risk of infection, inflammation, bleeding, retinal detachment, glaucoma, or a secondary cataract. These are rare but can sometimes lead to loss of vision.
Complications are more likely in patients with other medical conditions.
Cataract surgery can be less successful if there is already damage to the eye from other conditions like glaucoma, diabetes, or macular degeneration.