The Importance of Regular Colonoscopies: What You Need to Know

Our doctor is devoted to helping patients manage digestive disorders. He is highly experienced, skilled, licensed, and is board certified in colon and rectal surgery. He is experienced in the management of colon and rectal cancer. 

Dr. Nsikak Umoh at the Texas Colon & Pilonidal Clinic in Cypess and The Woodlands, TX, recommends having regular colonoscopies and considers this procedure an important preventive measure towards avoiding colon cancer. It allows the doctor to start treatment early by removing any precancerous polyps before they become cancer. 

How a Colonoscopy is Done

Our doctor recommends you have a colonoscopy if you have any of the following diagnoses/symptoms: Crohn's disease, IBS, ulcerative colitis, change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, or abdominal pain. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer, you may need to have your colonoscopy earlier than the average population. You may schedule a colonoscopy at the Texas Colon & Pilonidal Clinic in Cypress and The Woodlands, TX.

Our doctor needs to see the inside of your colon as clearly as possible, and the only way to do this is to ensure your colon is free from as much fecal material as possible.

Our doctor may advise you to stop taking certain medications five days before your procedure and arrange a ride home afterward. The following are the steps leading up to your procedure.

• Start a clear liquid diet and laxative prep kit the day before your procedure.
• You can drink clear liquids up to three hours before the scheduled procedure.
• You may have a light sedation or general anesthesia.
• Your vital signs are monitored while you are asleep.

When asleep, the doctor inserts a tube into your rectum that has a light and camera on the end. As the tube proceeds through your colon, our doctor views the inside of your colon for polyps and abnormalities. The doctor can remove any polyps at that time and send the specimen to the lab to test for cancer cells.

This procedure takes 30 - 60 minutes, and our doctor will discuss his findings and any diagnosis he finds during this procedure when you are fully awake. You will follow up for any needed treatment.  

Call for Your Colonoscopy Today!

Call Dr. Umoh today at the Texas Colon & Pilonidal Clinic in Cypress and The Woodlands, TX, at 

• 832-479-2819 for new patients
• 832-663-0037 for existing patients 

You can be less anxious about a colonoscopy as you will be asleep and relatively unaware of the procedure. The risks associated with a colonoscopy are minimal. We will keep you comfortable and want to give you a clean bill of colon health and put your mind at ease regarding colon cancer.