For children, Saturday mornings are about pancakes and cartoons. For working men and women, they offer a chance to sleep in and unwind from the workweek. Now, for people over 50, there’s a whole new reason to look forward to Saturday mornings: a colonoscopy.
Physicians with Erlanger Gastroenterology are now offering colonoscopies at Erlanger East Hospital on Saturday mornings. And – surprise, surprise – the weekend schedule has proved to be quite popular.
This simple screening for colon cancer is typically recommended for those age 50 and older. Used to detect changes or abnormalities in the large intestine and rectum, a colonoscopy can help physicians determine causes of abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, chronic constipation or diarrhea, and other intestinal problems.
Although a typical colonoscopy can take between 30 minutes to an hour, preparation for this exam requires fasting and thoroughly cleansing the bowel the night before.
Because of this pre-exam process, most individuals take the following day off to undergo their colonoscopy procedure, says Erlanger gastroenterologist Dr. Arslan Kahloon. And many individuals either postpone or forgo the procedure altogether to avoid missing work.
“This is why we decided to offer this procedure on weekends, making it easier for people to do their prep work Friday nights, have their colonoscopies on Saturday mornings, and not miss any work,” Kahloon adds.
According to Kahloon, more than 90 percent of colon cancers are curable when detected early, so primary physicians and GI specialists like him are telling those age 50 or older, “No more excuses.”
Since Erlanger Gastroenterology began offering weekend colonoscopies at Erlanger East Hospital, Kahloon says they have filled up every slot available on Saturday mornings. “We know we’re meeting the demand for an important service in our community.”
Erlanger’s next series of weekend colonoscopy appointments is scheduled for Saturday, March 3.
To schedule an appointment for one of Erlanger’s upcoming Saturday colonoscopy exams, call 423 778-4830. Information: www.erlanger.org/gi.
Source: Erlanger Gastroenterology