Colonoscopy topic, revisited

[Cooker]

I did not have antibiotics with my last colonoscopy but I did not have my valve either … My gastro (he is for now anyway) was in the dealership this week and I was talking to him about ACT and he asked me which position my valve was in and I told him aortic and he said that the aortic is not a critical for throwing clots as the mitral and if I had a mechanical mitral he would put me in the hospital to bridge …. Anyone ever heard this? … Is it true … I have not had to come off warfarin since my surgery and I need to have a colonoscopy and I will tell you this thing freaks me out … so many different opinions … here and from medical professionals.

 

[catwoman]

My doctor wanted me to do bridging, but I said a c-scope & several small polypectomies could be done while fully anticoagulated, and he agreed.

My PCP's RN -- who used to work for a cardiologist -- agrees with not using Lovenox and staying anticoagulated.

Just seems like such a pain in the you-know-what to get your INR back to normal afterwards.

 

[Rich]

Marsha,
Way to go !!
I've had two and never stopped my Coumadin for either.
My gastro guy just asked me to get my range down to around 2.0 prior to the test. He then had them run a very quick blood test to check my INR minutes before the test. It was no problem.
The first time I had this test he removed five small polyps and again there was no problem.
He did insist on an IV of anti-biotics though.
Rich

 

[terryj]

As I posted in my thread last Friday on my husbands visit about his colonoscopy. It will be done in the hosptial, fully coagulated(2.5) and he will have IV antibiotics. If they find any small polyps they will remove them then. Any larger ones he will biopsy and remove when he is off coumadin with briding at a later date.

 

[catwoman]

Terry:

Why will it be done in the hospital?

 

[terryj]

Marsha, the doctor said he would do it in the hospital in case their was any excessive bleeding. He said this was just a precaution. He said he had done hundreds of these on patients who stayed on coumadin and had never had any excessive bleeding. He is scheduling him for after our 41st annivrsary trip in November because he said there is a slight risk of bleeding for up to 2 weeks after the procedure and he didn't want us out of town.

 

[catwoman]

He will be fully anticoagulated and in the hospital for the procedure? And insurance will be paying for the extra $$ in the hospital?

I was under the impression that insurance companies usually balked at covering a colonoscopy in a hospital setting, unless the patient was needing IVs of heparin. But I could be wrong on that.

My mother had colon cancer in 1977. Her follow-up colonoscopies were done in the hospital for quite a few years. I'm sure it was a matter of "just in case." She's never been on warfarin.

 

[Jkm7]

My DH had his colonoscopy in the hospital and he has no serious health issues. Definitely no coumadin. That is where his gastro group does their colonoscopies and insurance paid in full. We got no bill.

 

[terryj]

I guess they are dealing with our insurance. I know I called to see if they would pay for the new MRI to check the colon and they wouldn't. The doctor said he had done hundreds just like my husbands so maybe they know the right words to use to get them to agree to doing it this way.

 

[terryj]

His doctor does have his offices adjoining the hospital. But, mine was done in a surgery type area in his office.

 

[Sherry]

Marsha, I'm a little late seeing this thread but good for you for arguing your case. I'm due for one next year and will do the same. I had a similar conversation with an ob regarding an ablation to my uterus that will be done next April. She started off with the "Oh, we'll just take you off for a few days" to which I made the point that it wasn't necessary. We went back and forth for awhile, and then she finally said that she would do it with me being fully anticoagulated. Said she had done some women before in the same situation. I guess the thing that gets me is that when you argued with your doc about the colonoscopy, and when I argued with my doc about this other procedure, that they eventually back down. I just feel sorry for those patients who are just willing to do whatever their docs ask of them without questioning it. Thank God for this website and the empowerment that it gives to all of us.

 

[catwoman]

My gastroenterologist's office is just several blocks from a very large hospital in Fort Worth. The procedure area is right next to his office on the first floor of the building, and my PCP's office is on the second floor.

Sherry:

I've gotten used to telling doctors & their staffs I know the statistics of having a stroke are low, but I don't want to become a statistic. I've been one on several occasions (MVP going to MVR going to OHS, among others).