Any medical professional who works at a gastroenterology office knows the importance of a good colonoscopy prep for patients. A poor prep equals poor pictures. Done deal. It’s that simple. But also simple: Everyone hates the standard prep process. Our cover story this month focuses on colon hydrotherapy and whether it makes for a good prep alternative.
In the precursor to this publication, EndoNurse Magazine, we long ago did a cover story that asked whether colon hydrotherapy should be more widely used as a prep. I was intrigued by the article and the very topic of hydrotherapy, because as we all know, the compliance rating for standard colonoscopy prep is too low. I was open to potential solutions. Colon hydrotherapy sounded like a decent alternative, but the method was far from mainstream. That was about 15 years ago, and not a lot has changed in this regard.
When I was searching recently for a gastroenterologist I tried to find one who would allow hydrotherapy as a prep, since I have all the same fears of a traditional prep that most people have. My tract is already troubled enough, thank you. I don’t want to throw violent diarrhea and potential vomiting into the mix. I live in a large metropolitan area (okay, it’s urban sprawl: Phoenix, Arizona) with a huge number of gastroenterology practices and yet I couldn’t find any that accept hydrotherapy as a prep (and that accept my insurance).
Could I have tried harder? Probably. But it’s still safe to say that the average gastroen- terologist wants the standard prep, the whole prep, and nothing but the prep. That was certainly true for my gastroenterologist. Our conversation on the topic went as follows:
Me: Do you have an opinion on colon hydrotherapy as a prep? Her: Not happening. Don’t ask.
Me: So it’s not an option?
Her: Never. Next question. But not about hydrotherapy.
Not the best conversation I’ve had! She ended up retiring a month later, anyway, and my insurance won’t cover the procedure until July, so I’m waiting. I’d still like to be able to try the alternative, or at least find a gastroenterologist who will discuss it.
Do you have any opinion on hydrotherapy as a prep alternative? If so, I’d love to hear it! Please email me at Michelle.Beaver@endopromag.com. For the cover story, “The Ups and Downs of Hydrotherapy: An Alternative Colonoscopy Prep,” visit p. 16.
