The study found that obesity is an independent predictor of inadequate bowel preparation at colonoscopy, and the presence of additional risk factors further increases the likelihood of a poorly cleansed colon. An inadequately cleansed colon can jeopardize the effectiveness of screening or surveillance colonoscopy, exposing these patients a higher risk for missed polyps and lesions, which can lead to colon cancer.
“The implications of our findings are profound. Since over a quarter of all patients [in the study] had an inadequate examination, identification of a patient profile with a high risk for poor colon preparation will be helpful in capturing those who would benefit from an initial individualized designer preparation regimen,” Brian Borg, MD, of Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and lead author of the study, said in the release. “Our results suggest that the obese patient should at least be subject to more precise instructions and possibly a more rigorous bowel preparation regimen. In addition, as the number of risk factors for an inadequate bowel preparation increase, the need for early repeat colonoscopy escalates.”
Read the AGA Institute release on the study on obesity and colonoscopy effectiveness.
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