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Middle age is not something than many people necessarily await with great excitement. Some men end up having a bit of a mid-life crisis in which they lose their hair and drive around in tiny sports cars. Women tend to age more gracefully, but they still have to deal with menopause.

Regardless of how they deal with their age, they also have to start thinking about getting about various annual medical procedures, such as a virtual colonoscopy. Most people confuse the colon with the rectum, because in the original version of the colonoscopy, a long tube is inserted up the rectum. Actually, the colon is the small intestine, and the rectum only comes into it because it is through that which the doctor can see the colon.

Many people shied away from the original procedure, mostly because of its invasiveness. However, medical technology came up with a more advanced procedure, the virtual colonoscopy, because it is both less invasive to the patient, and provides doctors with an even clearer view of the person’s colon.

In the original procedure, which takes a significantly longer period of time to complete, there is a danger of tearing if that long tube is not inserted properly. With the newer version of this procedure, this risk cannot happen. It also is much better for the elderly who are much more delicate and were at especially high risk for tearing.

The night before the procedure, the patient will have to drink a special drink that will completely clear the colon of any additional waste particles. The patient should arrive to the virtual colonoscopy not having had any food or drink for the amount of time previously specified by the doctor.

Additionally, the patient will be able to wear his or her own clothes, provided that there is no metal (zippers or buttons) present. If this is not possible, then a medical gown will be supplied.

The patient will then be asked to lie down on an examining table, which is positioned under the scanner. Rather than long tubes, only a small plastic tube will need to be inserted about two inches into the rectum.

Carbonic air will then be pumped through the tube so that a clear view will be obtained. The patient will be given a pillow or two for comfort, and asked to lay on his or her side, back, and front, the position changing with each pass of the scanner. The patient will also be instructed to remain very still during each scan, preferably holding his or her breath.

The scans are viewed by the doctor in a real time format. This basically means that the data taken from the scans is transmitted to computer software that allows the doctor to virtually travel through the colon of the patient in order to check for polyps.

Polyps are small cancerous growths that are life-threatening if not discovered early enough. Once the virtual colonoscopy procedure is over (which takes about fifteen minutes) the patient is free to go about his or her daily activities.

Resources: More information on virtual colonoscopy, CT scan screenings and a scan center in your area is just a click away.