Who is a proctologist, when do you need to go to him and how to prepare for a meeting

Who is a proctologist

A proctologist is a doctor who healsBreaking down the details of colorectal surgery / Mayo Clinic diseases of the lower part of the digestive tract: colon and rectum, anus, pelvic floor. These specialists are also called coloproctologists or colorectal surgeons (from the words colon and rectum - large intestine and rectum).

Most often they are treated for diseases such as:

• haemorrhoids;
• anal fissure;
• bowel prolapse;
• fecal incontinence;
• colon polyps;
• crayfish;
• inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis).

With what symptoms you need to make an appointment with a proctologist

Contact your doctor if appeared 1. Colorectal surgery - conditions we treat / NHS
2. Rectal examination / NHS such symptoms:

• blood after a bowel movement on paper or in the toilet;
• pain in the anus;
• prolonged constipation or diarrhea;
• bloating and pain in the abdomen;
• fecal incontinence;
• unexplained fatigue and weight loss (combined with other symptoms).

How is an appointment with a proctologist

First visit usually lastsColorectal surgery patient information / NHS longer than subsequent ones. First, the doctor will ask a lot of questions about complaints and lifestyle, and then conduct an examination. It may be enough just to feel the abdomen, maybe you need a rectal digital examination, or maybe both at once.

Rectal digital examination is a doctor's feeling of the anus and lower part of the rectum. To do this, you need to undress below the waist, lie on the couch on your left side and pull your knees to your chest. Doctor in gloves will introduceRectal examination / NHS finger in the anus. It doesn't hurt, but it can be uncomfortable. The doctor may ask you to squeeze the sphincter - the muscle around the anus - as if you are trying to keep the contents inside the intestine. This is necessary to assess the strength of the muscle.

Sometimes, after examining with a finger, the proctologist may insert a tube into the anus to better see the walls. intestines and, if necessary, take a biopsy - pinch off a piece for analysis. It is also not painful and does not require anesthesia.

After the interview and examination, the doctor may order additional tests or studies, such as a colonoscopy, or immediately suggest treatment.

How to prepare for an appointment with a proctologist

Before the appointment, it is worth clarifying whether preparation will be needed. If there are no special instructions, then most likely it will not be needed.

If an inspection is planned

To explore with your finger do nothing no needRectal examination / NHS. If a more thorough examination with instruments is required, you will have to clean the intestines in advance, for example, using candles or microclysters.

If a colonoscopy is scheduled

But to colonoscopy you need to carefully prepare: the cleaner will beColonoscopy / Cleveland Clinic intestines, the more likely the doctor is to see a polyp or cancer. The proctologist himself will issue a detailed memo with recommendations, but usually you need something like the following:

• For three days, give up corn, nuts and seeds, red and blue fruits and vegetables.
• For two days, eat only low-fiber foods.
• Give up solid food and alcohol for a day.
• You can drink only clear liquids that do not stain the intestines - water, broths, apple and grape juice, tea and coffee. On the eve you need to drink as much as possible.
• At least 4 hours before you need to eat nothing, if general anesthesia - stop even earlier.

Also, the doctor will prescribe some kind of strong laxative on the eve of the colonoscopy. To transfer this cleaning easier, it is better to use wet toilet paper instead of regular, lubricate the anus with Vaseline from irritation, and after the end - sit in a warm bath for 10-15 minutes, blot the skin with a soft cloth and apply again petrolatum.