Colonoscopy – Procedure Risks

Transcript

There are definitely risks involved with a colonoscopy. It is a procedure. During the procedure you are given sedation, so there’s slight risks with sedation, especially if you have any allergies to the medications or if you have any other medical problems that can make sedation dangerous. But overall, when you look at the risk of the procedure compared to the benefits of the procedures, the benefits definitely outweigh the risks. Some of the common risks of colon cancer screening and a colonoscopy include an infection or bleeding, especially if any polyps are removed or any instrumentation is done. There is a very low risk, less than one in 100,000 of a perforation, which means that the colonoscopy, a scope goes through the wall of the colon, and in that case, surgery may be needed, but the risk is significantly low.