A colonoscopy is a procedure that uses a thin, flexible tube with a camera to examine the inner lining of the whole large bowel, including the rectum and colon. It is used to investigate symptoms such as abdominal pain, rectal bleeding or changes in bowel habit, and to identify ulcers, polyps, inflammation or tumours, with biopsies and polyp removal possible during the same procedure.
Find out what a colposcopy involves, why it's used, how to prepare, what happens during and after, and what your results could mean for you.
Find out what a cystoscopy involves, why you might need one, how to prepare, what happens during the test, and the possible side effects to expect.
An endoscopy is a medical procedure in which an instrument (an endoscope, or ‘scope’) is introduced into the body to gain a view of internal structures and organs.
A flexible sigmoidoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera to examine the lining of the rectum and the lower part of the colon, sending live images to a screen. It is commonly used to investigate symptoms such as unexplained rectal bleeding or to monitor conditions like inflammatory bowel disease.
Find out what a gastroscopy involves, why it's used, how to prepare, what happens during the test, and the possible risks and results.
A rigid sigmoidoscopy is a procedure to look at the inside your sigmoid colon (last one-third of your colon) and rectum using a small rigid telescope (proctoscope).
Virtual colonoscopy, also known as a CT colonoscopy is a diagnostic technique that examines the large bowel (colon) and rectum.