Patients were referred to GIA by the InterFaith Health Clinic and The Free Medical Clinic of America, both Knoxville-based organizations that provide health care to the needy. More than half of the people screened had polyps removed. Of the 48 persons screened Saturday, a total of 25 had polyps removed and sent for testing, 16 women and nine men. Twenty-three had no polyps, 15 women and eight men. Polyps, which are typically benign, may contain a small area of cancer or develop into cancer if not removed.

Colon cancer is the second most deadly cancer. “This is a higher percentage than in the population as a whole,” said Dr. Bergein F. (Gene) Overholt of GIA. “This is a big step in the battle against colon cancer. It was a real privilege to serve this group of people.”

Overholt called on other U.S. gastrointestinal practices to replicate “GIA Screening Colonoscopy Day” to help those less fortunate and to make everyone aware of the need for colon screenings. “The national health care debate has focused attention on the role of physicians and other health care professionals,” he said. “I think this can be a great demonstration of the concern medical professionals have for the well-being of their patients.”

Other screening sponsors include Anesthesia Associates of Knoxville, Mercy Health Partners, Premier Surgical Associates, The Endoscopy Center, GI Pathology of Memphis, Boston Scientific, Interactive Optics, the American Cancer Society and Braintree Laboratories Inc.

SOURCE: Fleet Attorney › GI clinic gives free colonoscopies to the needy

During a colonoscopy, a doctor inserts a long tube with a camera on the end through the rectum and the intestines to look for polyps, signs of early colon cancer. The procedure can virtually remove the risk of colon cancer if detected early, making regular colon screenings a must for individuals age 50 and older and earlier for those with a family history or who are showing signs of colon cancer.

The second bowel cleaning some physicians recommend prior to a colonoscopy follows the day-before rigors of drinking a laxative solution or taking a pill that purges the bowels of its contents. Doctors have found that even after the bowel has been prepped the day before and no more food consumed, sometimes a collection of dead cells, bacterial secretions, mucus, bile and other debris collect in the bowels during the night and can interfere with the physician’s view during the procedure. The second cleansing is usually preformed about five hours before the colonoscopy is scheduled, requiring some patients to wake extra early to “get moving.”

But one word of caution about the bowel cleansing process. Take a close look at the laxative your are prescribed or told to purchase over-the-counter by your doctor. A type of laxative often used to cleanse the bowel before colonoscopies, called oral sodium phosphates, or OSPs, have been linked to serious kidney injury. In some cases, the injury has resulted in kidney failure. The finding has resulted in a black box warning on prescription brands of OSPs, such as Visicol and Osmo Prep, and the removal of over-the-counter Fleet OSPs. If you have experienced kidney injury days, weeks or even months after taking OSP products to cleanse the bowel, you may have a claim against the manufacturer.

Source: Boston.com

SOURCE: Fleet Attorney › Second bowel cleansing recommended for colonoscopies