Selecting Your Colonoscopy Doctor
When selecting a doctor to perform your colonoscopy, it’s important to look at the doctor’s qualifications for this procedure rather than simply searching for a colonoscopy doctor near me.
According to the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), the best indications to measure a doctor’s skills and thoroughness during colonoscopy are adenoma detection rate (ADR) and cecal withdrawal time.
ADR is the number of polyps your gastroenterologist finds on average. Adenomas are precancerous polyps that arise throughout the colon. The goal of screening colonoscopies is to find and remove these polyps. Removing adenomatous polyps decreases the rate of colorectal cancer, which is the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.
The withdrawal time is not the length of the entire exam. Rather it is the amount of time your gastroenterologist spends pulling the scope back out of the colon and looking around for colon polyps.
Colonoscopy Quality Indicators
The ASGE accepted average adenoma detection rate and withdrawal times are:
Adenoma Detection Rate: 25%
Withdrawal Time: 6 minutes
Dr. Matthew Eidem’s average adenoma detection rate and withdrawal times are:
Adenoma Detection Rate: 50.02%
Withdrawal Time: 10 minutes 55 seconds
As you can see, Dr. Eidem finds and removes more polyps than the average doctor. He also spends more time searching for polyps. This can greatly reduce your risk of colon cancer.
HOW MUCH DOES A COLONOSCOPY COST?
Like many other medical procedures, the cost of this procedure is determined by your insurance.
- Most insurance plans cover 100% of a screening colonoscopy
- Diagnostic colonoscopy costs are determined by the patient’s insurance plan
- If you are a self-pay patient, please call our office to go over the colonoscopy fees
If you have any cost-related questions, please call our office at 972-867-0019. We’re very proud that our surgery center has the lowest facility fees in the DFW area! Offering expert health care while maintaining competitive pricing for our patients is important to us.
- View Dr. Eidem’s Accepted Insurance Providers
- Learn more about Direct Access Colonoscopy scheduling option – save time and money!
COLONOSCOPY TYPES
Colonoscopies are either diagnostic or preventive. Here is a brief description of the two procedure types:
- Screening Colonoscopy – Performed on individuals with no symptoms. A colonoscopy is considered the “gold standard” for colon cancer screening. This is because it is the only method that allows for the identification and removal of precancerous polyps in the same setting.
- Diagnostic Colonoscopy – A colonoscopy for people with active gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea, or changes in bowel habits. It can also help diagnose inflammatory, mechanical, and anatomic diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and diverticulitis.
How the colonoscopy is coded will affect how your insurance provider covers the procedure. You should clarify with your doctor the type of colonoscopy you will have, so that your insurance provider can accurately discuss all applicable costs.
COLORECTAL SCREENING GUIDELINES
The best way to decrease the incidence of colon cancer is to make sure people follow established guidelines for colon cancer screening.
The American Cancer Society recommends that average-risk individuals (those without a family history of colon cancer or colon polyps) have their first colon cancer screening (for preventative purposes) at age 45. However, you may need to be tested earlier than 45, or more often than other people, if you have:
- Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
- A personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps.
- A genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome)
HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A COLONOSCOPY?
The large intestine must be emptied of stool to visualize the colonic mucosa. To accomplish this, patients need to be on a clear liquid diet for the entire day prior to the procedure and to follow a laxative regimen prescribed by Dr. Matthew Eidem. I’ve created this video to explain the importance of doing a good job with the prep and to provide a few tips to make the colonoscopy prep a little easier.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN A COLONOSCOPY PROCEDURE
A colonoscopy is a procedure performed by your Plano, TX gastroenterologist to directly visualize the lining of the colon and rectum using a flexible scope with a camera and light at its tip. During the procedure, the patient is sedated and is therefore painless. The procedure takes only 20-30 minutes.
Dr. Eidem’s team of trained nurses and technicians ensures that the patients’ privacy is of utmost importance throughout the procedure. As a gastroenterologist in Plano, TX, Dr. Eidem has many patients who are concerned about their privacy, so he felt it was important to note that most of your body is completely covered during the procedure and that the staff is focused on the screen, helping the gastroenterologist look for polyps.
Colonoscopy Prep
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER A COLONOSCOPY?
- Following the procedure and during recovery from sedation, patients generally feel well but they may feel drowsy and their reflexes can be affected. For this reason, patients are not permitted to drive home after the procedure and will need someone to drive them
- Patients will generally leave the facility approximately 30 minutes after their procedure and can eat after the procedure has been completed. We generally recommend that patients eat a bland and non-greasy meal as they recover from sedation
- Patients should not plan to go back to work, drive, operate machinery, or sign any important documents for the remainder of the day.