Question:
What is the purpose of having an colonscopy post-op?

I am three years post-op and my iron level has gone down from a 11.7 to a 10.1. When I had my iron infusion a year ago I though it would have taken care of my iron deficiency. I was wondering what could a doctor be looking for by me having colonscopy? and what does that have to do with my iron. Will it hurt?    — Sharon T. (posted on May 22, 2003)

May 22, 2003
Colonoscopy is unlikely to hurt - they give you "good" drugs to help you relax and not be so bothered by the procedure (let's face it, not too many people are enthusiastic about this type of exam). What they may be looking for are lesions in the colon which may be bleeding, thereby contributing to your low iron levels. Or they could just be getting a "baseline" so that they know how everything is in that area and can rule-out certain posibilities. At least, that's what I would assume...
   — johanniter

May 22, 2003
My mom was dxed as anemic recently and had to have a blood transfusion. She's going to return to the doc's office in a month to see if her blood levels have returned to normal. The doctor said if they haven't, then she has to have a colonoscopy to check for internal bleeding. So I would assume your doctor would be looking for the same thing to account for your low iron level. <P> I used to work for a gastroenterologist and he did colonoscopies all the time. The patients were given sedating drugs and did not seem to have any complaints. There will be a prep to clean you out, and oftentimes people said the prep was worse than the procedure, because it has to be very thorough. I wouldn't worry about it. Hugs, Joy
   — [Deactivated Member]