Scopes

0626june
0626june Member Posts: 73
edited February 2015 in Anal Cancer #1

Hi All,

Hope you're doing well and filling your days with great moments. To the newly diagnosed, or those currently undergoing treatment, it does get better! I promise your burns will eventually heal!

I'm going in for one of my 3 month exams and have asked the (new to me) Dr if he will do a scope.  They seem to not know what that is over here.  The receptionist responded to my request by talking about the prep required for a colonoscopy and when I said that isn't what I need, she said, "a siegnoidoscopy?". (SP)  Which is also not the small scope a Dr might utilize during an office exam, merely a colonoscopy that doesn't go so far up.   Anyone know the name of that type of small scope/proceedure that I'm referring to?

Thanks, June

Comments

  • sephie
    sephie Member Posts: 650 Member
    high resolution anoscope

    high resolution anoscope....apparently not all colorectal surgeons use this and the office help do not know what it is....keep trying...he might have one and just not call it that....sephie

  • eihtak
    eihtak Member Posts: 1,473 Member
    0626june....

    Hi, as was mentioned they may be calling it something else, but what your looking for is an anescope. It also depends on what kind of doctor you are seeing. Most colo-rectal docs should be able to do this, but your onc, rad doc, general surgeon, or family doc may not. Initially I did not have a follow-up scheduled with a colo-rectal doctor and had to take it upon myself to make one for this reason.

    Good luck to you!

    Be well.......

    katheryn

  • 0626june
    0626june Member Posts: 73
    sephie said:

    high resolution anoscope

    high resolution anoscope....apparently not all colorectal surgeons use this and the office help do not know what it is....keep trying...he might have one and just not call it that....sephie

    Sephie,

    thanks for your response.  Now I can sound a little bit knowledgable when I call the office.  Who would have thought we'd ever have a need to know such things?

  • 0626june
    0626june Member Posts: 73
    eihtak said:

    0626june....

    Hi, as was mentioned they may be calling it something else, but what your looking for is an anescope. It also depends on what kind of doctor you are seeing. Most colo-rectal docs should be able to do this, but your onc, rad doc, general surgeon, or family doc may not. Initially I did not have a follow-up scheduled with a colo-rectal doctor and had to take it upon myself to make one for this reason.

    Good luck to you!

    Be well.......

    katheryn

    Katheryn,

    thank you for your reply.  I'm finding that I have to be my own advocate frequently.  The info gained form this discussion board has helped immensely.

    Be well too,

    June

  • mxperry220
    mxperry220 Member Posts: 493 Member
    Doctor

    I would think your doctor would know what type scope he should use.  If not you might want to get another doctor.

    Mike

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    Anoscope.  High resolution

    Anoscope.  High resolution anoscopy is best, but a lot of doctors/facilities are not able to do those and do just the standard anoscopy.  This involves inserting a small tube-like scope that has a slot on the side, allowing the doctor to view the anal canal.  I am over 6 1/2 years post-diagnosis and have never had HRA, as it is not available at my colorectal surgeon's office.  I have never had to do any kind of prep for these exams.  It is quick and not painful for me, only a little uncomfortable.  I go for my next follow-up with my CR doctor on March 5th. and I'm sure I'll get one of these scopes done.

    I hope you get all good news on your exam!

    Martha

  • qv62
    qv62 Member Posts: 434 Member
    0626june

    good luck to you on your 3 month visit, hope all goes smooth.Don't be suprised if they hold off on the scope and just do an exam. I think i remember my colorectal doc taking pity on me still being in the healing process at that point.

  • 0626june
    0626june Member Posts: 73
    mp327 said:

    Anoscope.  High resolution

    Anoscope.  High resolution anoscopy is best, but a lot of doctors/facilities are not able to do those and do just the standard anoscopy.  This involves inserting a small tube-like scope that has a slot on the side, allowing the doctor to view the anal canal.  I am over 6 1/2 years post-diagnosis and have never had HRA, as it is not available at my colorectal surgeon's office.  I have never had to do any kind of prep for these exams.  It is quick and not painful for me, only a little uncomfortable.  I go for my next follow-up with my CR doctor on March 5th. and I'm sure I'll get one of these scopes done.

    I hope you get all good news on your exam!

    Martha

    Hi Martha,

    my appointment is March 6th, so we will follow your good news with my good news! Agreed?

    June

  • 0626june
    0626june Member Posts: 73
    qv62 said:

    0626june

    good luck to you on your 3 month visit, hope all goes smooth.Don't be suprised if they hold off on the scope and just do an exam. I think i remember my colorectal doc taking pity on me still being in the healing process at that point.

    qv62

    thanks for your good wishes!

    June

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    0626june said:

    Hi Martha,

    my appointment is March 6th, so we will follow your good news with my good news! Agreed?

    June

    June

    Absolutely!  I will be waiting to hear how it goes for you.  I will be seeing my colorectal doctor on March 5th. for my regular 6-month follow-up, including DRE and anoscope.  I hope we will both be celebrating the following weekend!

  • qv62
    qv62 Member Posts: 434 Member
    mp327 said:

    June

    Absolutely!  I will be waiting to hear how it goes for you.  I will be seeing my colorectal doctor on March 5th. for my regular 6-month follow-up, including DRE and anoscope.  I hope we will both be celebrating the following weekend!

    mp327

    Martha, good luch March 5th, loks like March madness for quite a bit of us, I have my scans on March 16th and then all my followups in March as well with the radiologist, the colo-rectal, the med oncologist and what I call "the dialator doctor"  unfortunately the dialator doctor is going to be dissapointed, I'm not progressing there.

  • nicotianna
    nicotianna Member Posts: 209
    anoscopy

    June - Google it & you will get a wealth of information about it; including pictures & a you tube video to boot!

    Nic

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    qv62 said:

    mp327

    Martha, good luch March 5th, loks like March madness for quite a bit of us, I have my scans on March 16th and then all my followups in March as well with the radiologist, the colo-rectal, the med oncologist and what I call "the dialator doctor"  unfortunately the dialator doctor is going to be dissapointed, I'm not progressing there.

    qv62

    I wish you all the very best on all of your follow-up scans and appts.  I hope all the news is good!

    As for using the dilators, I slacked off quite a bit on that myself and apparently it was obvious to my gyno when I saw her in January for my annual exam.  My exam wasn't painful, but she made mention of stenosis.  So, I am trying to be more diligent.

    Martha

  • jcruz
    jcruz Member Posts: 379 Member
    Scopes

    As the others have said you will be having anoscopies and DREs for the next few years.  No one else has mentioned this and I hope this isn't the case for you but some people (including me) cannot have the anoscopy in the office because of stenosis and the pain of the scope in a very small anus.  I have these exams under anesthesia.  It's a production because I've got to go in doing the surgery fasting and then stick around while the anesthesia wears off.  It makes it a day instead of a 15 min. office appointment.

    Call the office again and ask to speak with the doctor or his/her assistant.  Receptionists can't be expected to fully understand the various types of exams available.

    Janet

  • qv62
    qv62 Member Posts: 434 Member
    mp327 said:

    qv62

    I wish you all the very best on all of your follow-up scans and appts.  I hope all the news is good!

    As for using the dilators, I slacked off quite a bit on that myself and apparently it was obvious to my gyno when I saw her in January for my annual exam.  My exam wasn't painful, but she made mention of stenosis.  So, I am trying to be more diligent.

    Martha

    mp327

    Thanks Martha, I will keep you posted, I want to be diligent too, just so tired every night and keep saying "tomorrow" when it comes to the dialators, maybe today I'll say "today"

  • princess14
    princess14 Member Posts: 6
    Hi June, 
    Here in Australia

    Hi June, 

    Here in Australia they call it a proctoscope/ proctoscopy. 

    My mum has one of these at every check up :)