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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Structured Approach to Colonoscopy Technique Optimization: A Single-Center Experience with Novice Endoscopists
Published on: July 11, 2025
Sedation and the technical performance of colonoscopy
Douglas K Rex1, Hesham K Khalfan
1Indiana University Hospital, 550 North University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. drex@iupui.edu
Abstract:
The use of sedation for routine endoscopic procedures, including colonoscopy, varies widely across cultures. This variation in sedation practice is greater than any other culturally based variation in the technical performance of endoscopy. This article sequentially reviews the technical performance of colonoscopy in patients who undergo unsedated colonoscopy, sedation with narcotics and benzodiazepines, and deep sedation with propofol. For each of these approaches to colonoscopy, the advantages and disadvantages also are listed and discussed.
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