Irrigoscopy or colonoscopy - which is better?

Most diseases of the intestine are dangerous because they can not be seen with the naked eye. Of course, every illness manifests itself somehow, but many symptoms are written off for malnutrition, fatigue, stress . Because of this, the ailment is launched and gradually passes into a more serious stage, requiring complex treatment and delivering many problems. Regular examinations of the gastrointestinal tract can help prevent the onset of any disease.

In what cases is an irrigoscopy or a colonoscopy prescribed?

Unfortunately, for many people, a visit to a polyclinic, and even more so a survey, is a whole event, which, according to tradition, lacks neither the time nor the strength. Therefore, they resort to medical help only in extreme cases.

So, if you do not want to undergo a free-will examination, be prepared to go to a colonoscopy or an irrigoscopy if you suspect such problems:

What is the difference between an irrigoscopy and a colonoscopy?

There are a lot of methods for studying the gastrointestinal tract. But irrigoscopy and colonoscopy are considered the most informative and therefore are used most often. On the one hand, these methods are very similar, but there are several fundamental differences in them.

The main difference between irrigoscopy and colonoscopy is in the way the research is done. Colonoscopy is performed using a special device - a probe. A colonoscope (aka a probe) is inserted through the pharynx. The tremendous advantage of the procedure is that, in parallel with the examination, you can make a biopsy of suspicious areas or remove polyps. But her lack - in soreness. In some cases, a colonoscopy can even be performed under anesthesia.

Irrigoscopy is a painless X-ray examination that is performed with a contrast agent. Barium spreads through the walls of internal organs. Due to this, the contours of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract are clearly visualized.

What is more informative - a colonoscopy or an irrigoscopy?

Many patients opt for a loyal X-ray procedure, refusing to swallow the probe at all. But this decision is not always true and can harm further treatment. The fact is that it is quite difficult to determine unambiguously what is better - irrigoscopy or colonoscopy. There are such diseases, the manifestations of which hide from the probe, but are perfectly visible on the x-ray, and vice versa.

Despite everything, physicians consider colonoscopy a more informative method. Probing is the only study that allows to study the large intestine completely and to reveal even the smallest tumors. But the colonoscopy will not be effective if the changes occurred in the so-called blind zones - on the folds and folds. In such cases, specialists turn to the irrigoscopy for help.

The main plus of X-ray research is the ability to determine the narrowing in the intestine, to show the exact size of the organ and its location. In the pictures, large neoplasms and large-scale changes in the organs can be clearly seen, but small inflammation and polyps will not show the irrigoscopy.

That is why instead of choosing between irrigoscopy or colonoscopy of the intestine, doctors often offer patients to undergo both examinations. This helps to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the most appropriate treatment for the patient.