Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Center - Waltham, MA
Waltham 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 Waltham * Mount Auburn Healthcare at Waltham  Gastroenterology Healthcare Associates PC  Gastroenterology Healthcare Associates PC  Lahey Medical Center Lexington Internal Medicine  Newton Wellesley Hospital Gastroenterology  Carla H Ginsburg MD  Gastroenterology Healthcare Associates PC  R J Klingenstein MD  Alexander Kopp MD PC  Gastroenterology Healthcare Associates PC  Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates  Women's Health Associates  Women's Health Associates  Women's Health Associates  Michael T Foley MD  St Elizabeth Medical Center Gastroenterology  St Elizabeth Medical Center Gastroenterology  Caritas Surgical Group  Manish Tandon MD PC  John Chobanian MD  Mt Auburn Gastroenterology Associates  Mt Auburn Gastroenterology Associates  Cambridge Gastroenterology Associates  Torre Morgan MD  Lahey Clinic Arlington Internal Medicine  Lahey Clinic Arlington Internal Medicine  Harvard Vanguard Gastroenterology  Lahey Clinic Gastroenterology  Lahey Clinic Gastroenterology  Eric D Goldberg MD  Kinnari R Kher MD  Lahey Clinic Gastroenterology  Lahey Clinic Gastroenterology  Lahey Clinic Gastroenterology  Lahey Burlington Gastroenterology  Lahey Burlington Gastroenterology  Lahey Burlington Gastroenterology  Lahey Burlington Gastroenterology  Lahey Burlington Gastroenterology  Lahey Burlington Gastroenterology  VA Boston Healthcare System West Roxbury  Pham Medical Associates  Daniel M Friedlander MD  Digestive Health Associates  Digestive Health Associates  Digestive Health Associates  Harvard Vanguard Medical Specialties Cambridge  Harvard Vanguard Medical Specialties Cambridge  Pastor Medical Group  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Gastroenterology Associates at Faulkner  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Brigham & Women's Hospital Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Ram Chuttani MD  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Harvey Goldman MD  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Blackwell Medical Associates  Ciaran P Kelly MD  Blackwell Medical Associates  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  John T. Lamont, MD  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Anthony J Lembo MD  Blackwell Medical Associates  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Med Ctr Digestive Disease Ctr  Beth Israel Deaconess  VA Boston Healthcare System  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Beth Israel Deaconess  VA Boston Healthcare System  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Liver Center  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Helen M Shields MD  David I Soybel MD  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Gastroenterologic Oncology  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Gastroenterologic Oncology  Charles Trey & Associates PC  Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Gastroenterology  Cambridge Hospital Medical Specialists Waltham, MassachusettsUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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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 Waltham
Nearby Waltham Hospitals *McLean Hospital Newton Wellesley Hospital Caritas St Elizabeth's Medical Center Franciscan Hospital for Children Kindred Hospital Boston Mount Auburn Hospital Arbour HRI Hospital Somerville Hospital Youville Hospital and Rehabilitation Center Cambridge Hospital Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham HEALTHSOUTH New England Rehabilitation Hospital Bournewood Hospital Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Brigham & Women's Hospital Dana Farber Cancer Institute Children's Hospital Boston Lawrence Memorial Hospital VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus New England Baptist Hospital Arbour Hospital Faulkner Hospital Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged Lahey Clinic Medical Center VA Boston Healthcare System West Roxbury Campus M I T Medical Kindred Specialty Hospital Natick MetroWest Medical Center Leonard Morse Hospital Radius Specialty Hospital Boston Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary Massachusetts General Hospital Winchester Hospital Emerson Hospital Lemuel Shattuck Hospital Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston Burn Hospital Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston Medical Center Massachusetts Mental Health Center Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital Tufts New England Medical Center Whidden Memorial Hospital Melrose Wakefield Hospital Lawrence F Quigley Memorial Hospital Caritas Carney Hospital MetroWest Medical Center Framingham Union Hospital Westwood Lodge Hospital Milton Hospital Caritas Norwood Hospital Quincy Medical Center Massachusetts Hospital School North Shore Medical Center Tewksbury Hospital UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital New England Sinai Hospital & Rehabilitation Center Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough Kindred Hospital Boston North Shore Kindred Specialty Hospital Braintree Saints Medical Center Salem Hospital & the Birthplace North Shore Children's Hospital HC Solomon Mental Health Center Lowell General Hospital Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital Isham Health Center Westborough State Hospital South Shore Hospital Kindred Specialty Hospital Stoughton Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center Nashoba Valley Medical Center Beverly Hospital Milford Regional Medical Center Boston VA Healthcare System Brockton Lawrence General Hospital Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital 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. |
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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)
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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
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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)
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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
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Disease Prevention in Men
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