Colonoscopy.net.au

I have had a lot of request to do scopes on a Saturday morning. I will be doing a list at John Fawkner hospital this coming Saturday on August 27th.

I normally like to see all my patients beforehand so that full informed consent can be obtained. I can see my patients before hand at:

The Clinic Footscray (Wednesday) – Aug 17th and 24th
1st Floor, 91 Paisley Street, Footscray 3011 Tel: 9687 2271 Fax: 9689 6008

John Fawkner Private Hospital Consulting Rooms(Monday – Aug 22nd)
267 Moreland Road, Coburg 3058 Tel: 9385 2285

Caroline Springs Specialist Centre Suite 3-5, 224-226 Caroline Springs Blvd, Caroline Springs 3023 Tel: 8361 7655

Please bring along a referral from the general practitioner. (If you have seen me before, you would need a new referral if the last referral letter from your GP was more than 12 months old)

If it is not possible to come for a consult before hand or it is an urgent referral(ie acute bleeding from haemorrhoids) – please contact me directly through the rooms.

For more information about the procedures and the bowel preparation please see www.melbournesurgery.com

Many condition can cause rectal bleeding. It is important that you exclude a serious cause first by speaking to your doctor!  Risks symptoms for a more serious cause include having clots, blood being mixed with the stools, having lots of bleeding, bleeding frank blood, passage of mucus, increasing age(the older you are the higher your risk of bowel cancer), presence of anaemia and loss of weight

Causes include:

1. Bowel cancer – in particular a rectal cancer or cancer in the sigmoid colon

2. Polyps in the bowel – especially large ones in the rectum

3. Haemorroids – this is quite common but it is important to speak to your doctor about it and be examined throughly to exclude more serious cause

4. Inflammatory bowel disease eg proctitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease

5. Anal fissure – usually there is a lot of pain when or after opening the bowels(but be warned : rectal cancer invading into the anal canal can also be painful)

6. Trauma to the perianal tissue