What is the difference between irrigoscopy and colonoscopy?

What is the difference between irrigoscopy and colonoscopy?

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract have a bad effect on the body, and also have many unpleasant consequences for human health. Any problems with the intestines entail poor assimilation of useful micro and macronutrients, affect the overall well-being and prevent you from fully enjoying your meals. To avoid negative consequences, the specialist prescribes procedures that help identify the disease in the early stages of its development.

What is irrigoscopy?

Irrigoscopy is an X-ray examination with medical equipment, thanks to which the doctor is able to carefully study the features of the functioning of the patient's large intestine. The procedure is performed using a contrast agent and X-ray, which allow you to assess the current state of the intestinal wall, its elasticity, the properties of the relief, the nature of the warehouses, as well as to determine the presence of neoplasms or foreign bodies in the cavity. This study is painless and harmless to the human body, since the dose of X-ray radiation is minimal.

For the study of the colon, the Bobrov device is used, which helps to supply the necessary amount of air and barium solution to the intestinal cavity. This procedure allows you to identify:

  1. Inflammatory processes of the intestinal mucosa;
  2. Polyps, scars, benign and malignant formations;
  3. Ulcerative lesions;
  4. Deviations in the operation of the valve and other segments;
  5. The presence of gastric pathologies that could lead to deviations in the functional functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
  6. Intestinal obstruction, violation of its motility;
  7. Coherence of the work of the body.

Features of the irrigoscopy

The procedure is divided into two stages, which help to identify the presence of problems in different parts of the intestine. The first involves a general X-ray examination of the lower abdominal cavity. The second is performed with the participation of a contrast solution of barium, which is injected directly into the anus. This helps the specialist to better assess the situation and notice even minor deviations in the functional work of the organ.

Spreading through the intestinal cavity, barium illuminates the problem areas, thereby guaranteeing high-quality X-ray images. Based on the data of the study, the doctor can conclude that surgical intervention is necessary.

What is a colonoscopy?

Colonoscopy is performed using a special probe – this allows you to qualitatively examine the large intestine and identify the slightest deviations in its functionality. With the help of a colonoscope, you can assess the general condition of the mucous membrane, find the cause of discomfort and pain in the organ area.

Since the procedure itself is quite painful, many specialists use anesthesia immediately before starting the study. Thus, it is possible to avoid unpleasant sensations and significantly simplify the process itself.

Colonoscopy is recommended to be performed annually for prevention purposes. Obvious signs for contacting a specialist are such problems as:

  1. Regular abdominal pain;
  2. Problems with the chair;
  3. Significant weight loss for no apparent reason;
  4. Anemia;
  5. Increased body temperature without symptoms of colds;
  6. Discharge from the anus;
  7. Diverticulosis;
  8. Bleeding in the intestinal cavity;
  9. The presence of benign and malignant tumors.

Among the advantages of colonoscopy are:

  1. High accuracy of the data obtained, which allows to prevent the development of the disease in its early stages;
  2. Medical equipment allows you to get to the most inaccessible places of the intestinal cavity;
  3. The specialist has the opportunity to take additional biological material for analysis in order to identify pathologies that are invisible to the human eye;
  4. The specialist has the ability to stop the bleeding, as well as remove the neoplasms without surgery (this procedure is performed only under anesthesia).

Features of the colonoscopy

A week before the colonoscopy, it is necessary to follow a special shlak-free diet, which implies the rejection of foods with a high fiber content. These include bread, fibrous vegetables and fruits. In a few days, the patient should make cleansing enemas to rid the intestines of feces as much as possible. This important stage of preparation cannot be excluded, as complications may occur during the study.

Whether the colonoscopy is performed under anesthesia or not, the anesthesia stage is mandatory. If the procedure is performed without anesthesia, the specialist uses special ointments to eliminate unpleasant sensations. Only after that, the study itself is carried out, which will reveal the presence of problems in the intestinal cavity. Follow-up monitoring of the patient's condition after all manipulations is mandatory.

A colonoscopy usually takes ten to fifteen minutes. If there is a need to collect biological material for further study, the procedure can take from thirty to forty minutes. Thanks to special medical equipment, the study does not injure the patient's internal organ and allows you to identify the disease or other deformities in the early stages of development.

Colonoscopy and intestinal irrigoscopy: distinctive features

It should be understood that these studies have completely different methods of implementation. Irrigoscopy is performed using X-rays, and no additional instruments are used for the study, except for a boron solution, which is injected into the anal opening. Colonoscopy is performed using a flexible probe with a camera, which allows you to see the whole picture from the inside in real time.

The second significant difference is that during the course of the irrigoscopy, the specialist can only diagnose the presence of a problem. Colonoscopy also allows you to remove polyps or other neoplasms immediately, without additional surgical intervention, as well as take the necessary amount of biomaterial for a more detailed further study of intestinal pathologies.