Proctological examinations

Examinations

What does a proctoscopy examination entail?

A proctoscopy is a safe examination, which is well tolerated. The patient lies on his/her left side on the examination table. The dermatologist- proctologist will perform a visual and digital examination of the anus. The proctologist will then insert the proctoscope. This may cause some internal pressure. In rare cases, it may cause a small tear in the skin of the anus.

Preparation

Proctoscopy requires little preparation. You will be asked to administer an enema to yourself the night before the day of the examination and two hours before the examination. This will stimulate the urge to defecate. Your bowels need to be empty for the examination.

Potential complications after examination or treatment

Blood loss after treatment of haemorrhoids or fistulas, or after biopsies, is a common complication, but is rarely serious and does usually not persist. By using the latest methods, we try to limit pain to a minimum. The chance that symptoms will recur after treatment is low if your stool is normal and does not require straining.

Medicines

If you are taking anticoagulants (blood thinners), please inform the physician. The physician will ask you about this during the first consultation. You should also inform the physician if you have man-made materials in your body, such as a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator.

Are any additional examinations required?

If the physician finds any abnormalities during the proctoscopy, he will take a small tissue sample (biopsy) for further examination. A biopsy is not painful, but often causes some bleeding. The results of the examination of the biopsy material will be known after about 1-2 weeks.