Dr. Joseph Nabil Riad, MD

Patients may be asked to drink only liquids in the days before a colonoscopy, or they may be given an enema to remove residual fecal matter. Before the exam, patients are given medication to help them relax, and then lay on their side on a table. The scope is inserted into the anus and gently moved all the way through the large intestine. Air may be pumped into the intestine to improve the view for the physician. Any polyps that are found will be removed. Then the colonoscope will be withdrawn. A colonoscopy is not usually painful, but patients may feel some bloating or have some cramps right afterward. If patients have polyps removed, they might experience a small amount of bleeding. Any side effects should go away within a few hours.

There are many benefits to robotic surgery, both for the patient and the surgeon. Robotic surgery allows for more precise movements and increased control during very delicate surgical procedures. This makes performing surgery accurately much easier for surgeons and reduces fatigue. The smaller 'hand' of the robot can enter the body via a much smaller opening, which reduces the risk of infection and scarring and leads to a faster recovery. The robotic hands also contain tiny moveable cameras among their tools, giving surgeons a much closer view of the procedure than would be possible with traditional surgery.