Sensitive sigmoidoscopy: a straight sigmoid technique

Colorectal cancer prevention requires screening more sensitive than standard colonoscopy in cost, convenience, comfort, and safety, and it requires screening more sensitive epidemiologically than occult blood, radiography, or standard sigmoidoscopy to detect small polyps throughout the colon. Using a 65-cm videosigmoidoscope and no sedation, this family doctor reached the ascending colon (95 percent of polyps) in 81 percent of 78 private practice patients not having prior intraperitoneal surgery (compared with 57 percent of 35 patients with abdominal surgery), mostly by gentle scope rotation for many minutes at 12-20 cm insertion to gather folds and keep the sigmoid colon straight.