When you go to get any sort of preventive imaging done, you want to work with an experienced doctor. That's just a common sense kind of thing. But a new study shows that you particularly want to ask about the experience of a doctor who is going to give you a colonsoscopy. That's because it's been determined that the screening is much more effective when the doctor has specific experience than when he is new to the job.
The study revealed that a doctor must complete at least 150 colonscopy exams in order to be able to achieve the best results from the screening. As a patient, you are more likely to get proper screening if you work with a doctor that has done a great number of these exams.
However, it should be noted for the Western patient that this study was looking at the traditional colonsoscopy exam. This is not a very common exam anymore due to the fact that we now have the virtual colonoscopy. This newer method uses scanning technology to provide the doctor with information and may not have the same experience requirements as the traditional colonoscopy.
Question of the Day: What would be the minimum experience level you would require from a doctor who was giving you a colonoscopy?
