Risks

Although complications are rare, colonoscopy is a medical procedure that does carry with it possible risks and complications including, but not limited to pain, hemorrhage or perforation.

The procedure is commonly done and is not associated with a high incidence of problems. The most common problems are pain during the procedure, which is caused by distention of the bowel with air or stretching of the bowel while maneuvering the tube, more serious but very rare problems are hemorrhage (bleeding) and/or perforation (puncture) of the bowel. If either of these problems occur, it is sometimes necessary to operate in order to fix the problem. The incidence of these problems is approximately 1 per 1,000.

A little blood on the toilet tissue is not unusual. Bleeding that is persistent or heavy requires immediate medical attention. In such an event, please contact our office during our office hours at 905-948-9119 or proceed to your nearest Emergency Room.

Overall, colonoscopy is a very accurate and safe method of diagnosing gastro-intestinal problems.

Questions?