MedlinePlus: Colonoscopy

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Illustration of the large intestine, small intestine and rectum

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- Services and providers for Colonoscopy in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Colonoscopy is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is a procedure that lets your doctor look inside your entire large intestine. It uses an instrument called a colonoscope, or scope for short. Scopes have a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube. The procedure lets your doctor see things such as inflamed tissue, abnormal growths, and ulcers.

Your doctor may recommend a colonoscopy for a number of reasons:

To look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum
To look for causes of unexplained changes in bowel habits
To evaluate symptoms like abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and weight loss

Your doctor can also remove polyps from your colon during a colonoscopy.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

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Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Colonoscopy(Patient Education Institute)
Also available in Spanish

Basics	Learn More	Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews Latest News	Specific Conditions	Pictures & Photographs Tutorials
Research	Reference Shelf	For You
Clinical Trials Research Journal Articles	Medical Encyclopedia Directories Organizations	Children

Overviews
- Colonoscopy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Preparing for a Colonoscopy(American Gastroenterological Association)
- Understanding Colonoscopy(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)
Latest News
- Colon Screenings Don't Follow Guidelines, Study Suggests(04/06/2009, HealthDay)
Specific Conditions
- CT Colonography (Virtual Colonoscopy)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
  Also available in Spanish
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Frequently Asked Questions about Colonoscopy and Sigmoidoscopy(American Cancer Society)
- Sigmoidoscopy(Patient Education Institute)
  Also available in Spanish
- Virtual Colonoscopy(National Cancer Institute)
Pictures & Photographs
- Virtual Colonoscopy(American College of Radiology)
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Tutorials
- Colonoscopy(Patient Education Institute)
  Also available in Spanish
- Sigmoidoscopy(Patient Education Institute)
  Also available in Spanish
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Sigmoidoscopy(National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Colonoscopy(National Institutes of Health)
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Research
- Effectiveness of Colonoscopy to Prevent Death from Colorectal Cancer(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF
- Virtual Colonoscopy Identifies Large Polyps(National Cancer Institute)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Medical Encyclopedia
- Colonoscopy
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Directories
- American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: Find a Doctor(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)
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Organizations
- American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Children
- Colonoscopy for Kids(North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition) - Links to PDF
  Also available in Spanish
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