Sigmoidoscopy v Colonoscopy

[Daisy123]

I posted a while back about disappearing strictures, they showed up on CT scan, but there was nothing found during my sigmoidoscopy. My strictures are in my terminal ileum. After days of feeling devastated and that I had been imagining the pain, I thought I would see whether a CT scan could be wrong - I saw the strictures when during my last appointment with the GI. I then looked up the difference between a sigmoidoscopy (which I have never had before) and a colonoscopy. I discovered that the sigmoidoscopy only looks at rectum and sigmoid colon, and that a colonoscopy is used to look at the terminal ileum - during my last appointment my GI said he could feel the strictures when he palpated my stomach. When I spoke to the IBD nurse, she said that my notes said I had a colonoscopy, I told her that I had a sigmoidoscopy. I don't understand why I had the sigmoidoscopy in the first place, and I feel very tired with it all. My hospital is great and this is the first time I have had issues. I just hope that they schedule a colonoscopy soon so hopefully the strictures can be dilated. Has anyone had similar problems?

 

[DJW]

Hi Daisy. Sorry to hear there was a mixup with your chart. The sigmoidoscopy is often done in clinic with no prep or sedation. (I had it done in clinic on my first visit to the pediatric GI specialist). As you know it is very limited in what it shows. I hope the can take care of this soon.