BOWEL PREP

Poor Bowel Prep vs. Great Bowel Prep

Why is it important to get cleaned inside?

Your doctor must be able see in order to do the test correctly. Poor bowel preparation means that you are still "dirty" on the inside, or not cleared of major residual that is coating your bowel passages. It will be difficult for your doctor to see everything clearly, which means that polyps, cancerous growths, etc. can be missed. You might have to repeat the entire process over again if your doctor is not able to get a clear result. 
clean colon bowl prep colonoscopy

Here is an example of well-prepped, clean bowels. Just what your doctor wants to see!

Think of it this way:

When your colon is clean, doing the colonoscopy is like driving on a country road on a sunny day. It is easy to see, and easy to drive because nothing is in your way.
When your colon is dirty, doing the colonoscopy is like driving on a rough road in a blizzard. It is hard to see, and hard to drive with all of the snow piled up around you.

Preparing for a Colonoscopy

Watch this short video to learn how to prepare for your colonoscopy. Let us know if you have any questions.

The Importance of Bowel Preparation

There is a reason we want you to make sure you prepare for your colonoscopy. Poor bowel preparation can result in missed lesions! The risk of missing adenomas is 18% higher in poorly-prepped patients. With "dirty" bowels, there is also a much lower chance of detecting small polyps. So, clean your insides and get more accurate—and possibly life-saving—test results! 

How Will I Know if My Prep Is Working?

You can tell your bowel preparation is complete by judging the appearance of your stool. The stool coming out should look like the stuff you are eating and drinking—clear, without many particles. You will know you’re done when the stool coming out is yellow, light, liquid, and clear—like urine. Use the photo as a guide!
bowel preparation colonoscopy stool sample guide
  1. Dark and murky. NOT OK
  2. Brown and murky. NOT OK
  3. Dark orange and semi-clear. NOT OK
  4. Light orange and mostly clear. ALMOST THERE!
  5. Yellow and clear, like urine. YOU’RE READY!
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