Korean clinical practice guidelines for bowel preparation before colonoscopy

Appropriate bowel cleansing is essential for successful and safe colonoscopy. Inadequate bowel cleansing can lead to poor visualization of the delicate mucosa, leading to missed precancerous lesions, increased risk of procedure-related complications, and increased medical costs due to re-examination. Several types of bowel cleansing agents that improve ease of administration have been developed in recent years, and the clinical outcomes have been published. Bowel cleansing efficiency can differ between races due to differences in socio-environmental factors, including dietary patterns. This paper is the first Korean clinical guideline for bowel preparation for colonoscopy, formulated by the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. These guidelines were developed using adaptation methods and the findings of studies on Korean patients; recently published studies were considered to the extent possible. These guidelines will be revised as and when new data regarding bowel preparation are accumulated.