Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Center - Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Rancho Santa Margarita Gastroenterologist Doctors for Flexible SigmoidoscopyType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in Rancho Santa Margarita * Mission Internal Medical Group  Mission Internal Medical Group  Mission Internal Medical Group  Mission Internal Medical Group  Pacific Gastroenterology  Shahram Javaheri MD  South Orange County Gastroenterology  Ali A Oliai MD  Poneh Rahimi MD  J Frank Arguello MD  Mission Internal Medical Group  Gastrointestinal Healthcare of Orange County  Orange County Gastroenterology  Orange County Gastroenterology  Rose T Codini MD  Saddleback Medical Group  Saddleback Medical Group  Saddleback Medical Group  Saddleback Medical Group  Ardalan Babaknia MD  Lino DeGuzman MD  Fang F Yu MD PhD  Nav Gujral MD  Gail Schoenau MD  Jun-Ichi Ohara MD  Herbert H Lee MD  Molinari Politoske & Roy MDs  Molinari Politoske & Roy MDs  Molinari Politoske & Roy MDs  Madhukar Jigjinni MD  Carlos Saad MD  Norman Bain MD  Peter H Broekelschen MD  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group  Surinder Saini MD  Manuchehr Darani MD  Yong Chung MD  La Veta Gastoenterology  La Veta Gastoenterology  La Veta Gastoenterology  La Veta Gastoenterology  La Veta Gastoenterology  David B Stanton MD & Associates  David B Stanton MD & Associates  Jeffrey M Shapiro MD  David B Stanton MD & Associates  Harold Maizel MD  Roque Hung & Yu Digestive Diseases  Roque Hung & Yu Digestive Diseases  Roque Hung & Yu Digestive Diseases  George O DeTarnowsky Jr. MD Inc  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  Parminder S Dhaliwal MD  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  Tejinder M Kalra MD  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  Glenn Madokoro MD  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  UCI Irvine Medical Center Gastroenterology  Phuong T Nguyen MD  Gastroenterology Alliance of Newport  UCI Medical Group Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Alliance of Newport  UCI Irvine Medical Center Gastroenterology  Donald R Abraham MD  Gastroenterology Consultants  Abhay Parikh MD  Newport Medical Huntington Group  Rakesh Chopra MD  Perry B Sheidayi MD PC  Rakesh Chopra MD  Quang Phan MD  Fountain Valley Cardiology  Kenneth Yamashiro MD  Clement Chu MD  Andrew C Ko MD  Leduc Medical Group  Harvey S Sahni MD  David M Truong MD  St Jude Heritage Medical Group Yorba Linda  The Internal Medical Group  The Internal Medical Group  The Internal Medical Group  Talbert Medical Group  Talbert Medical Group  Garde Patel & Chen MDs  Garde Patel & Chen MDs  Galen Huang MD  Vinod Mishra MD FACG  Garde Patel & Chen MDs  Syam P Gaddam MD  Healthcare System 2000  Sirus Farivar MD  Ronald J Policastro MD  Jay P Diliberto MD  Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group Rancho Santa Margarita, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-09
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Flexible SigmoidoscopyRead the Flexible Sigmoidoscopy article » What is flexible sigmoidoscopy?Flexible sigmoidoscopy is a procedure that allows your doctor to examine the rectum and the lower (sigmoid) colon. The flexible sigmoidoscope is a flexible tube 60 cm long and about the thickness of your little finger. It is inserted gently into the anus and advanced slowly into the rectum and the lower colon. It is an accurate and simple method of investigating the cause of rectal bleeding, change in bowel habit, and rectal symptoms such as pain and diarrhea. Flexible sigmoidoscopy also is a part of colon screening and surveillance for colon cancer. For more, please read the Colon Screening and Surveillance article. What is the preparation for flexible sigmoidoscopy?In order to obtain accurate results, the rectum and the lower colon must be completely clean of stool. Your doctor will give you detailed instructions on how to cleanse your colon. In general, this requires the use of one or two enemas prior to the procedure and may also call for a laxative and some dietary modifications. Under special circumstances, such as the presence of significant diarrhea, the preparation may be waived. Do I continue my medications for flexible sigmoidoscopy?In general, you can continue to take your regular medicines. You should, however, inform your doctor of all the prescription and non-prescription medications you are taking as well as any allergies you may have. Certain drugs increase the risk of bleeding if biopsies are performed; these include aspirin, blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin), and NSAIDs such as Motrin and Advil. Your doctor may ask you to stop these medications for several days before the procedure. You should also alert your doctor if you have an artificial heart valve, hip or knee prosthesis, or have a disease of the heart valves such as mitral stenosis, aortic stenosis, or mitral regurgitation. Patients with these conditions may need a... Recommended Reading Related to Flexible SigmoidoscopyWhat is a colon polyp?Colon polyps are fleshy growths that occur on the inside (the lining) of the large intestine, also known as the colon. Polyps in the colon are extremely common, and their incidence increases as individuals get older. It is estimated that 50% of the people over the age of 60 will harbor at least one polyp. The significance of polyps is that we know that when certain types of polyps grow large enough, they can become cancerous, and, moreover, colon cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United Sates. Therefore, screening for colon polyps and removing them before they become cancerous should markedly reduce the incidence of colon cancer. What types of polyps become cancerous? Other Related Flexible Sigmoidoscopy ArticlesEmergency Contact for Rancho Santa Margarita
Nearby Rancho Santa Margarita Hospitals *Children's Hospital of Orange County at Mission Mission Hospital Saddleback Memorial Medical Center Laguna Hills Kaiser Permanente Orange County Irvine Medical Center Mission Hospital Laguna Beach Saddleback Memorial Medical Center San Clemente Tustin Hospital & Medical Center HEALTHSOUTH Tustin Rehabilitation Hospital Western Medical Center Santa Ana Corona Regional Medical Center Rehabilitation Chapman Medical Center Corona Regional Medical Center HealthBridge Children's Rehabilitation Hospital Coastal Communities Hospital College Hospital Costa Mesa Children's Hospital Orange County St Joseph Hospital Kindred Hospital Santa Ana Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center University Of California Irvine Medical Center Fountain Valley Regional Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center Inland Valley Medical Center Western Medical Center Anaheim Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center Placentia-Linda Hospital Huntington Beach Hospital Anaheim Regional Medical Center Kindred Hospital Westminster Rancho Springs Medical Center Vista Hospital of Riverside Menifee Valley Medical Center St Jude Medical Center West Anaheim Medical Center Anaheim General Hospital Kindred Hospital Brea Riverside Community Hospital Fallbrook Hospital Chino Valley Medical Center La Palma Intercommunity Hospital Los Alamitos Medical Center Moreno Valley Community Hospital Kindred Hospital Ontario Riverside County Regional Medical Center Kindred Hospital La Mirada Tri-City Regional Medical Center Montclair Hospital Medical Center VA Long Beach Healthcare System Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Whittier Hospital Medical Center San Antonio Community Hospital Norwalk Community Hospital Rancho Specialty Hospital Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation Community Hospital of Long Beach Metropolitan State Hospital Arrowhead Regional Medical Center College Hospital Cerritos Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital Bellflower Medical Center Loma Linda University Children's Hospital Loma Linda University Medical Center San Dimas Community Hospital Lakewood Regional Medical Center Loma Linda University Medical Center East Campus St Mary Medical Center Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Flexible Sigmoidoscopy by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Abdominal Pain
- Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
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Rectal Bleeding (Blood in Stool, Hematochezia)
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Hemorrhoids
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Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis)
- Diverticulitis is a condition in which diverticuli in the colon rupture. The rupture results in infection in the tissues that surround the colon. Diverticulitis symptoms include: abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating. Treatment methods include prescription medications, and in some cases, diverticulitis surgery.
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Diarrhea
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Constipation
- Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
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Anal Itching
- Anal itching is the irritation of the skin at the exit of the rectum, known as the anus, accompanied by the desire to scratch. Causes include everything from irritating foods we eat, to certain disease and infections. Treatment options include local anesthetics, vasoconstrictors, protectants, astringents, antiseptics, keratolytics, analgesics, and corticosteroids. If condition persists, a doctor examination may be needed to identify an underlying cause.
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Colon Cancer
- Colon cancer is a malignancy that arises from the inner lining of the colon. Most, if not all, of these cancers develop from colonic polyps. Removal of these precancerous polyps can prevent colon cancer.
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Anal Fissure
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Clostridium Difficile Colitis (Antibiotic-Associated Colitis, C. difficile colitis)
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Ulcerative Colitis
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
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Anal Cancer
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Colon Polyps
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Microscopic Colitis (Lymphocytic Colitis and Collagenous Colitis)
- Microscopic colitis (lymphocytic colitis and collagenous colitis) is a disease of inflammation of the colon. Microscopic colitis is only visible when the colon's lining is examined under a microscope. The cause of microscopic colitis is not known. Symptoms of microscopic colitis are chronic watery diarrhea and abdominal pain or cramps. Microscopic colitis is diagnosed through biopsies of several areas of the colon. There is no standardized treatment for microscopic colitis; however, eliminating NSAIDs, and treatment medications such as Imodium, Lomotil, Petpo-Bismol, Entocort EC, and mesalamine (Asacol) have been helpful in some individuals.
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Hirschsprung's Disease
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The Digestive System
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Melanosis Coli
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Colon Cancer Prevention
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Disease Prevention in Women
- Disease prevention in women includes screening tests that are a basic part of prevention medicine. All screening tests are commonly available through your general doctor. Some specialized tests may be available elsewhere.
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Disease Prevention in Men
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