Home About Us Our Physicians Procedures Patient Education Contact Us COVID19 Colonoscopy Screening Colonoscopy Screening Video Recorded by Dr. Allen Colonoscopy screening procedure by Dr. Monte D. Allen(+) explaining symptoms, risks and how to prevent colon cancer, in this video Dr. Allen is removing polyps during the screening with a simple procedure, the patient is completely under anesthesia without feeling any pain during the colonoscopy. Some of these symptoms are found early in the course of colon cancer and some are found later in the coarse os the disease, Some of these symptoms are vague, and can have other causes. Talk to you physician or GI specialist about any changes you experience. (+)In memory of Dr. Monte D. Allen. Recommended Screening Programs Bening tumors called polyps grow in the colon. if left alone, these can continue to form into colon cancer. Colonoscopy ca find and remove these polyps at an early thereby preventing colon cancer. Don’t delay screening. your fisrt colonoscopy is the most important one. keep your physician updated on any changes in your health or lifestyle. This is part of your overall good health Average Risk Patient: These patients have no symptoms, no personal or family history of colon cancer they should be screened by colonoscopy (a simple, quick and effective procedure) starting at age 50. High Risk Patient: To be high risk, patients may have symptoms, inflammatory bowel disease, or personal history of polyps or cancer. Patients may also be high risk if they have a family history (parent, sibling or child) of colon polyps, colon cancer or other cancers including breast, uterine, protate or ovarian. These patients may need to start screening much earlier. Talk to yout physician if you have any of these risk factors. Reducing Your Risk Eat more fruits, vegetables and nuts. Eat less red meat and animal fat. Exercise regularly. Do not smoke. Keep your weight in check. Limit your alcohol intake. Calcium 1200 – 1800 mg per day. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors. Know your family history of cancer. Have regular colon cancer screenings. Taking Steps to Prevent Colon Cancer It’s something you may not look forward to but a colonoscopy could save someone’s life. Over 150,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer every year, but detecting it early takes less than 30 minutes. Mari Casas was nervous about undergoing her procedure. Casas turned 51 which is the recommended age for patients to receive the screening. Maria was put on a liquid diet in preparation of her colonoscopy in order for the intestines to be completely cleared out. Before starting she received an anesthetic and was put to sleep, the colonoscope is a thin tube with a camera attached is placed inside her, allowing the doctor to look through her intestine. Also the doctor makes sure to check for polyps, or a benign growth along the ligning of the colon. At the end of the procedure, three polyps were found and removed. The doctors recommended her to receive her next colonoscpy in the next five years. In the past ten months, the center has detected colon cancer in 15 of their patients, four of those were diagnosed in just the last six weeks. If you would like more information from the Laredo Digestive Center, you can give them a call at (956) 728-0030. source by KGNS Laredo, TX by Michelle Pedraza Design by Ascending Technologies Inc. | Copyright Laredo Digestive Health Center LLC.