Frequently Asked Questions

A Colon & Rectal Surgeon is as an expert in the surgical and non-surgical treatment of colon and rectal problems. They have completed advanced training in the treatment of colon and rectal specialty, in addition to full training in general surgery. Colon and rectal surgeons treat benign and malignant conditions, perform routine screening examinations and surgically treat problems when necessary.

Hemorrhoids are enlarged, swollen veins in the anus. Hemorrhoids can occur inside the anus (internal hemorrhoids) or outside of the anus (external hemorrhoids).

External hemorrhoids are often painful. Internal hemorrhoids are not as painful as external hemorrhoids and can range in size from a slight swelling under the wall of the anus to large, sagging veins that stick out of the anus. Internal hemorrhoids may cause painless bleeding during a bowel movement. A person may have both internal and external hemorrhoids.

Common causes of hemorrhoids are straining during bowel movements and pregnancy. Symptoms of hemorrhoids include bright red blood on toilet paper or stool, a painful or painless lump of soft tissue outside of the anus, and pain during bowel movements.

Rectal bleeding needs to be evaluated by a health professional. Home treatment may be all that is needed to relieve the discomfort of minor hemorrhoids. In some cases, surgery may be needed.

Colonoscopy is a test that allows your doctor to look at the interior lining of your large intestine (rectum and colon) through a thin, flexible viewing instrument called a colonoscope. A colonoscopy helps detect ulcers, polyps, tumors, and areas of inflammation or bleeding. During a colonoscopy, tissue samples can be collected (biopsy) and abnormal growths can be removed. Colonoscopy can also be used as a screening test to identify and remove precancerous and cancerous growths in the colon or rectum (colorectal cancer).

The American Cancer Society recommends that everyone have one once they turn 50!  If you have a personal history or family history of Colon Cancer, Rectal or Anal Cancer you should speak with your healthcare provider immediately to have your colonoscopy before this requirement, sometimes as early as the age of 40 if not earlier.

Hemorrhoidectomy is surgery to remove hemorrhoids.  Hemorrhoidectomy is appropriate when you have very large internal hemorrhoids or internal hemorrhoids that still cause symptoms after non-surgical treatment.  Also, if you have large external hemorrhoids that cause significant discomfort and make it difficult to keep the anal area clean.  Both internal and external hemorrhoids can be treated, but should be examined by your doctor first for further treatment.

A barium enema, or lower gastrointestinal (GI) examination, is an X-ray examination of the large intestine (colon and rectum). The test is used to help diagnose diseases and other problems that affect the large intestine. To make the intestine visible on an X-ray picture, the colon is filled with a contrast material containing barium. This is done by pouring the contrast material through a tube inserted into the anus. The barium blocks X-rays, causing the barium-filled colon to show up clearly on the X-ray picture.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy (also sometimes referred as flex-sig),  is a routine outpatient procedure in which the inner lining of the lower large intestine, called the sigmoid colon, is examined. The procedure is commonly used to evaluate gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, rectal bleeding or changes in bowel habits. It is also performed to screen people over age 50 for colon and rectal cancer.

A biopsy is a sample of tissue collected from an organ or other part of the body. A biopsy can be done by cutting or scraping a small piece of the tissue or by using a needle and syringe to remove a sample, which is then examined for abnormalities, such as cancer, by a doctor trained to look at tissue samples (pathologist).

A mass of tissue that develops on the inside wall of a hollow organ, as within the colon or rectum. The term polyp is descriptive. Polyps may be benign, pre-malignant, or malignant.

The FOBT is a stool blood test that is a test that is used to find small amounts of hidden (occult) blood in the stool. A sample of stool is tested for traces of blood. People having this test will receive a kit with instructions that explain how to take stool samples at home. The kit is then sent to a lab for testing. If the test is positive, further tests, such as a colonoscopy, will be done to pinpoint the exact cause of the bleeding.

A newer kind of stool blood test is known as FIT (fecal immunochemical test). It is very much like the FOBT but is perhaps a little easier to do and it gives a fewer number of false positive results. If it is positive, further tests will be done.

Information complied from the The American Cancer Society & WebMD.