Virtual Colonoscopy
What You Need to Know
- Virtual colonoscopy is a special X-ray examination of the colon using low dose computed tomography (CT). 它比传统的结肠镜检查侵入性更小.
- 放射科医生查看虚拟结肠镜检查的图像，寻找结肠内部的息肉，这些息肉有时会变成结肠癌.
- 虚拟结肠镜检查可能对正在服用血液稀释药物的患者或不适合常规结肠镜检查的患者有益 colonoscopy.
- 虚拟结肠镜检查只需要10到15分钟，而且不需要麻醉.
虚拟结肠镜检查是一种检查结肠内小息肉或其他生长的过程. 长在结肠内壁的息肉可能会演变成结肠癌. 美国癌症协会建议，大多数男性和女性在50岁时开始进行结肠癌筛查. 如果你有结肠癌的家族史，或者因为其他原因是高危人群, you may need to have screening even earlier. 每5年一次的虚拟结肠镜检查是几种筛查选择之一.
Procedure overview
Virtual colonoscopy is also called CT colonography. CT stands for computed tomography. CT扫描仪对结肠进行多次x光扫描，然后由计算机处理. 电脑把所有的x光片放在一起，形成结肠和直肠的三维图像. 然后，您的医疗保健提供者可以查看这些图像.
Reasons for the procedure
Colon cancer is a common cancer in men and women. 虚拟结肠镜检查的原因是在早期发现结肠癌，这样更容易治疗. Regular colonoscopy is also used to screen for colon cancer. 一个长，灵活，发光的范围和微型照相机被放入直肠和结肠. 这可以让医疗保健提供者直接看到结肠并去除那里的任何息肉. 通过虚拟结肠镜检查发现的结肠息肉可以在它们变成癌症之前通过常规结肠镜检查切除.
虚拟结肠镜检查比常规结肠镜检查有一些好处:
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It is less uncomfortable and invasive. 它通常不需要包括任何止痛药或麻醉.
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It takes less time.
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It poses less risk of harming the large intestine.
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它可用于一些人谁不能定期结肠镜检查. In certain cases, it may be used in people who have problems such as swelling, bleeding, or breathing problems.
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它可能能够显示常规结肠镜检查无法到达的大肠区域. 如果部分肠道变窄或堵塞，可能会出现这种情况.
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Risks of the procedure
Every procedure has some risks and possible problems. For virtual colonoscopy, these include:
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一根小而短的管子被放入你的肛门，这样空气就可以被泵入你的结肠. 这会使你的结肠膨胀，使息肉或其他生长物更容易被看到. 将空气注入结肠有很小的可能导致撕裂的风险。. 但风险被认为比常规结肠镜检查要小.
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息肉或其他生长物不能通过虚拟结肠镜切除或活检. 如果发现息肉或其他增生，你仍然需要定期进行结肠镜检查.
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如果息肉小于10毫米，手术可能会漏掉一些息肉. Some of these might be seen by regular colonoscopy.
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与大多数其他筛查测试不同，该测试使用x射线来创建结肠和直肠的图像. The amount of radiation is small. But it may still raise your risk of cancer slightly. It could also be dangerous for pregnant women. 如果您已经怀孕或可能怀孕，请在手术前咨询您的医疗保健提供者.
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Virtual colonoscopy may not be covered by health insurance.
You may have other risks, depending on your health. 请务必在手术前与您的医疗保健提供者讨论任何问题.
5 Things Your Poop Can Tell You About Your Health
你是否好奇肠道的变化可能预示着你的健康状况? Poop may be a gross topic that no one likes to talk about, 但在你脸红之前快速瞥一眼可能会为你的健康状况提供线索.
Before the procedure
告诉你的医疗保健提供者你正在服用的任何药物. 在做结肠镜检查之前，你需要做一个肠道准备. 肠道准备可以帮助你清空结肠，这样CT图像就会清晰. Here is how bowel prep is often done:
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您的医疗保健提供者可能会要求您在手术前1或2天限制您的饮食，只摄入清洁的液体. 这些可能是水、清汤或电解质溶液.
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The day before the procedure, 医生会给你一种药丸或液体形式的强效泻药，帮助你排空结肠. 在接下来的几个小时里，你可能会有几次大便疏松或液体.
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就在手术之前，你可能会喝一种液体. This is called contrast media. 它有助于在x光下更清楚地显示结肠内部. 告诉你的医生你过去是否对造影剂有任何反应.
During the procedure
Virtual colonoscopy can be done wherever a CT scanner is used. 在大多数情况下，它是在医院或医疗中心的放射科完成的. The scan takes only about 10 to 15 minutes. This is what happens during the test:
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The thin tube will be placed into your rectum. This is used to inflate your colon with air. You may feel a slight fullness.
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放射科医生会把你的脸朝上放在一张滑进CT扫描仪的桌子上.
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The radiologist will leave the room. The CT scanner will be operated from a separate control room. You will be able to hear and talk with the staff.
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The table will move into and through the scanner. You may hear some whirring and clicking noises.
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You may be asked to hold your breath at times.
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The scan may need to be repeated while you lie face down.
After the procedure
In most cases, you should be able to return home without help. You can go back to your normal diet and activities. You will likely not need medicines or special instructions. 如果您有任何问题，请咨询您的医疗保健提供者和放射科工作人员.
Virtual Colonoscopy Q&A | Dr. Karen Horton
虚拟结肠镜检查是传统结肠镜检查(内窥镜)的一种微创替代方法，可在症状出现之前对结肠和直肠进行息肉和早期癌症的筛查. Karen Horton, M.D., professor and chair of Radiology, discusses what is involved in the procedure, 虚拟结肠镜检查与传统结肠镜检查相比，如何准备和优势.
