Dear Sir/Madam:

Greetings.

Thank you for choosing Jiahui Medical Endoscopy Center for colonoscopy examination. We sincerely wish to provide you with the best quality health care patient experience. To fully prepare for your colonoscopy/capsule endoscopy examination, please pay attention to the following instructions:

Before Colonoscopy

1. Diet recommendations

2 days before examination: Low residue diet

1 day before examination:
    Breakfast - Low residue diet
    Lunch - Low residue diet
    Dinner - Clear liquid diet

1 day before the examination, please avoid the following food:

• Grains: glutinous rice, black rice, cereals and others

• High fiber vegetables: celery, leeks, bamboo shoots and others 

• Fruits with seeds: watermelon, kiwi fruit, dragon fruit and others 

• Dark colored food: tomatoes, animal blood, animal liver, red dates, red hot chili peppers, black fungus, sesame and others

• Seaweed: kelp, seaweed and others

2. Bowel preparation

If your colonoscopy is in the morning,

• Start your bowel preparation on the day before your examination, 2 hours after dinner at 8pm

• Dilute 2 packets of prescribed powder in 2 L of warm water and mix well

• Finish the above prepared mixture in 2 hours:

  ○  In the 1^st hour, finish 1 L of prepared mixture

  ○  In the 2^nd hour, drink 250 mL of prepared mixture every 15 minutes

On the day of your examination:

• Start your bowel preparation at 6am

• Dilute 1 packet of prescribed powder in 1 L of warm water and 30 mL of Simeticone together, mix them well

  ○  Complete the above prepared mixture in one hour duration

If your colonoscopy is in the afternoon,

• Start your bowel preparation on the day of your examination 4-6 hours before the procedure without having breakfast

• Dilute 2 packets of prescribed powder in 2 L of warm water and 30 mL of Simeticone together, mix them well

• Finish the above prepared mixture in 2 hours:

  ○  In the 1^st hour, finish 1 L of prepared mixture

  ○  In the 2^nd hour, drink 250 mL of prepared mixture every 15 minutes

Minimum to moderate walking exercising required after completing 1^st liter of prepared mixture.

Please take note: In 1 to 2 hours after consumptions, your bowels will start to clear. You should notice your stools are turning clear in color, after several toilet trips. This means your bowel is well prepared for the examination. If you have constipation issues, please let your doctor know. He or she might add other medications to your bowel preparation.

3. Please stop eating and drinking 2-4 hours prior to the examination.

4. Please let your doctor know if you are taking any of the following blood-thinning medications: aspirin, clopidogrel (brand name Plavix, Talcom etc.), warfarin, etc. If necessary, your doctor might request you to stop taking these medications 5 to 7 days before the examination.

5. We do not recommend the examination be done if you are pregnant or having your period (menstruation).

6. Please tell your doctor or nurse if you have a cold or a blocked nose. 

7. On the day of examination, please also remember to bring all your medical records and relevant medical tests results and reports.

After Colonoscopy

1. If you have undergone a colonoscopy with no biopsy done – After 1 hour, you can resume your normal diet

If you have undergone a colonoscopy with biopsy done – After 2 hours, please start on low-residue semi-fluid diet. On the next day, you can resume your normal diet.

• Low-residue diet examples: porridge, bread, noodles, small wonton and steam egg custard, etc.

• Fluid diet examples: fruit juice without pulp, lotus root starch paste, clear broth, etc.

2. If you have undergone colonoscopy with treatments performed (such as removal of polyp and hemostasis): 

• Please have complete rest in bed on that day after the examination. Avoid any strenuous activity for the next three days

• For the first 2 days after the examination, please eat cool low-residue diet. Avoid soybean drinks, milk and carbonated soft drinks. On the third day, you can resume eating soft-textured food. Avoid eating spicy and oily food

3. You can resume your usual medications. Your doctor might ask you to discontinue aspirin and blood-thinning medications such as clopidogrel 3 to 5 days if needed.

4. After the examination, you may experience some abdominal bloating that will disappear after a few hours upon passing gas. Also, it is normal if you see a small amount of blood in your stools after the examination.

5. Please contact your doctor if you have the following symptoms: constant nausea and vomiting, abdominal discomfort, fever and others.

If you experience persistent abdominal pain or blood in stool, please contact your doctor and seek help immediately.

6. If you have undergone sedative colonoscopy: avoid strenuous activity and sudden position change to prevent vertigo when recovering from anesthesia. Avoid driving or operating heavy machinery on the day of examination. 

7. It will be ideal to have someone accompany you home after the examination if you are undergoing a sedative colonoscopy.

8. You will be able to get your pathological report 10 working days after the endoscopy procedure. Your doctor may also arrange a follow-up appointment to explain your examination results/report if required. 

Click the link for more information on Gastroenterology Clinical Service