Screening Colonoscopy in Port Charlotte, FL

A colonoscopy lets your surgeon look at the entire colon and rectum with a thin, flexible camera and remove polyps during the same exam. Because most colon cancers start as polyps, screening colonoscopy can help prevent cancer, not just find it early. We care for patients from Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, North Port, Englewood and across Charlotte County and Southwest Florida.

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Who should be screened, and when?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommend that adults at average risk begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45. Colonoscopy is one of several recommended screening tests. You may need to start earlier or be screened more often if you have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, or certain inherited conditions. Screening decisions after age 75 are made individually with your doctor.

Symptoms that call for a diagnostic colonoscopy

Blood in or on the stool, or rectal bleeding
A change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks
Unexplained iron-deficiency anemia or weight loss
Ongoing abdominal pain or bloating
A positive stool-based screening test

When to see a surgeon

Make an appointment if you are 45 or older and have not been screened, if you are due for a repeat colonoscopy, if you have any of the symptoms above, or if a close relative has had colon cancer or advanced polyps.

If you need emergency care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

What to expect

At your consultation we review your health history, medications and blood thinners, and give you written prep instructions.

The day before, you follow a 1-day or 2-day bowel prep and a clear-liquid diet so the colon is clean.

The exam is done under sedation as an outpatient procedure. Any polyps are removed and sent to the lab. You will need an adult to drive you home.

Recovery

Most people rest for the rest of the day and feel some gas or bloating that passes quickly. You can usually eat normally afterward and return to regular activities the next day. We share what we found and follow up on any lab results, then tell you when your next colonoscopy is due. Call us right away for severe belly pain, fever or heavy bleeding.

Who performs this at Charlotte Harbor Surgical

John Guarino M.D., F.A.C.S., Matthew Tufts M.D., F.A.C.S., Vincent Brown M.D., and Charles Campbell D.O. perform this procedure. Consultations and follow-up visits take place at our Port Charlotte office.

Frequently asked questions

At what age should I get my first screening colonoscopy?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommend that adults at average risk begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45. You may need to start earlier, or be checked more often, if you have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, or certain inherited conditions. Screening decisions after age 75 are made individually with your doctor.

Is colonoscopy the only way to screen for colon cancer?

No. Stool-based tests and other exams are also recommended screening options. Colonoscopy is the only one that lets the doctor find and remove polyps during the same exam, and an abnormal result on any other screening test should be followed by a colonoscopy.

What is the difference between a screening and a diagnostic colonoscopy?

A screening colonoscopy is done when you have no symptoms. A diagnostic colonoscopy is done to look for the cause of symptoms such as bleeding or a change in bowel habits, or to follow up an abnormal test. Insurance may cover the two differently, so our office can help you check your benefits.

Will I be asleep during my colonoscopy?

You receive sedation so you are comfortable, and most patients remember little or nothing of the exam. Because of the sedation, you need an adult to drive you home and should not drive for the rest of the day.

How do I prepare for a colonoscopy?

You follow a bowel prep the day before (or two days before) so the colon is clean. Our office gives you written step-by-step 1-day or 2-day prep instructions, a clear-liquid diet list and guidance on which medications to pause.

Schedule a consultation

Call our Port Charlotte office at 4245 Kings Hwy, Unit A, Port Charlotte, FL 33980, or request an appointment online.

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Port Charlotte Location: 4245 Kings Hwy, Unit A, Port Charlotte, FL 33980

Call (941) 391-5102 · Mon–Thu 7:30 am–4:00 pm, Fri 7:30 am–12:00 pm. If you need urgent care and you have decided to go to an emergency room please use AdventHealth Port Charlotte.

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