Flexible sigmoidoscopy

A flexible sigmoidoscopy involves using an endoscope (a thin, bendy tube with a tiny camera and a light on the end) to look inside your rectum and lower large intestine (the sigmoid colon), to check if your intestine is healthy or if there are signs of illness, such as tiny growths.

The main difference between a flexible sigmoidoscopy and a colonoscopy is how much of your large intestine is checked. A flexible sigmoidoscopy only looks at the lower part, while a colonoscopy involves checking out the entire large intestine with the endoscope.

Your doctor will advise which investigation is most suitable for you, depending on your symptoms and medical examination findings.

It’s important to ensure that your lower intestine is empty, so the doctor can see the bowel lining more clearly. You may need to:

• Avoid eating solid foods the day before your check-up. Instead, you can have clear liquids like broth or apple juice.
• Take a laxative to help clear out your intestine.
• Use an enema, to help clear out your rectum a few hours before your appointment.

Your doctor will guide you through what you need to do beforehand. It’s important to tell your doctor about any medicines you take, as you might require special instructions about taking them prior to your procedure.

Your doctor will do everything they can to make sure you’re comfortable during the sigmoidoscopy. It’s not usually painful though you may find it a bit uncomfortable.

They’ll ask you to lie on your side and pull your knees up close to your chest. They’ll gently put the tube into your bottom and up into your intestine. They might then put a little air in to puff it up for a better view.

The camera sends pictures to a screen, so the doctor can look for anything unusual. If needed, they may take biopsies for checking under a microscope to make a diagnosis.

This test is considered low risk in that serious complications are very rare. However, all procedures carry some risks, which your doctor will explain beforehand. These include:

• Bleeding, especially if the doctor needs to take biopsies of the bowel lining.
• Rarely, damage to the bowel by the endoscope, which can lead to infection, bleeding or a leak in the intestine that needs further treatment.

Remember, these complications are rare. However, if you have bad pain, get a fever, or experience bleeding afterwards, you need to tell your doctor right away.

Your doctor will discuss their findings with you after the procedure, explain if further review is needed and tell you how long it will take for any biopsy results to be ready. 

You could claim for treatment for a flexible sigmoidoscopy using your health insurance cover. The first step is to get a referral from your specialist. Then you can make a claim through MyAviva, online, or over the phone. 

If we confirm your claim meets the terms of your policy, we’ll pay for the treatment directly. Just be sure to tell us if you need more tests or treatment, or if your hospital or specialist changes. 

It’s good to have one less thing to worry about. It takes Aviva.