What is a 'colonoscopy'?

What is a 'colonoscopy'?

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A colonoscopy is a test where the patient undergoes a bowel preparation, so their colon is clean when you are visualizing their colon. There's a long, flexible instrument with a camera lens on the end called a colonoscope, and it's inserted into the rectum and colon. Then you're able to visualize the lining of the colon, looking for polyps, or any mass lesions and inflammation. So it's a very good test for diagnosis and also for therapy, if you need to remove a polyp for example.