FAQ

Our multiple offices are conveniently located throughout the Greater Dayton area. Please visit our Locations Page to view all our locations in addition to our partnering hospitals.

If you have a consultation or office visit scheduled, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance. If you are having a procedure done, please try to cancel your appointment 48 hours in advance. You can read our procedure cancellation and no-show policy here for more details.

The physician needs your colon to be clear of stool the day of your test. If you eat solid food the day prior to your test, your bowel is still processing the food and creating stool. Stool in your colon during the procedure impairs the doctor’s view, resulting in a possible repeat of the prep and the test.

Our doctors use a variety of preparations depending on individual patient medical history, risk factors, personal preference, and other factors. When your procedure is scheduled, the scheduler will review your medical history and select the preparation best suited for you. If you have specific questions about your options for preparations, ask your scheduler or nurse. Either of them will be able to check with the doctor about different options.

You may begin the laxative later in the day. Some people prefer to begin around 5 pm. Do not start later than 6 pm so that you are able to get a good night’s sleep before your procedure. If you are using Colyte®, Golytely®, TriLyte®, Nulytely® or Halflytely® solutions, stop drinking any other fluids two hours before you plan to begin the laxative solution.

We provide most patients with printed instructions for the preparation. If you have printed instructions from us, you should follow them. If you did not receive printed instructions and are not sure how to use the laxative, please contact us directly.

Some people experience nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping or chills. If these symptoms occur, wait 30 minutes before taking any more laxative and drink the solution more slowly when you resume.

Completing the solution is important to guarantee that the preparation of your colon is complete, but you may take more time if needed. If you have only been able to drink half of the solution after four hours, you may need to use a different laxative. If you are passing only clear liquid into the commode with no particulate matter or color, stop the laxative solution and follow the remainder of your preparation instructions.

If you are still passing stool, particulate matter or dark colored fluid, call the Montgomery County Medical Society at (937) 223-0990 to reach the doctor on call.

If you have problems with your prep and the office is closed, you can refer to your procedure pamphlet for the number to contact the physician on call. If the office is open, contact the nurse, and he/she will advise you what to do.

Using a small amount of water, take your prescription medications as you usually do unless you have been instructed to hold the medication prior to the procedure. It is very important that you take your blood pressure or heart medication as usual.

If you are on blood thinner medication, such as Coumadin® or warfarin, it is important to let us know well in advance of your appointment. If you are currently taking these medications and have not already given that information to our office, please call immediately.

Insulin instructions should be individualized to you and your condition. It is best to check with the doctor who prescribes your insulin for the best way to handle the day of your prep and the day of the procedure.

Yes. We want to have a baseline to anticipate any needs you may have during or after the procedure.

Contact the doctor who prescribes your Coumadin to be certain this is okay. If your physician does not want you to hold your Coumadin, contact our office immediately.

It is okay to still have your procedure if you are taking an antibiotic. If you are running a fever, you need to contact the office before your procedure.

Yes. For your comfort, we do suggest that you wear a tampon.

This allows the nurse to get you checked in, complete the necessary paperwork, and start an IV.

Our goal is to keep you comfortable during your procedure. Your level of sedation will depend on the type of medication your doctor selects and your medical conditions. Generally patients are lightly sedated during the procedure but not asleep.

Learn more about your procedure

Your total time at Dayton Gastro could be 1 ½ to 2 hours. Your driver should plan on being available 1 hour after your arrival.

Polyps are removed during the procedure, but sometimes their size makes it difficult to remove all of them at one time. Another procedure would most likely be required. There may be a few other circumstances when this would be necessary, but usually one procedure is expected. Your doctor will discuss the findings and ongoing treatment plan for you in the consultation room with your family after you have recovered.

The medication you receive during some procedures will remain in your system and make it unsafe for you to drive for the remainder of the day.

You will be able to resume a normal diet after your procedure. It is best to plan to eat a light meal at home after leaving our facility. You will likely still be drowsy when you leave and may not feel like eating in a restaurant.

You will be back to normal the day after, so you can return to your normal schedule.

You will likely be drowsy when you leave. The medication used for sedation will remain in your system, and you should not drive, operate equipment, or make legally-binding decisions for the remainder of the day. We advise you to take the entire day off from work. If you feel well, you may participate in most other activities.

You may take Tylenol or Tylenol Extra-strength with a small amount of water.

Whether or not the doctor is able to see any polyps or other abnormalities during a colonoscopy depends a great deal on how clean the colon is. That is, the better the preparation, the more clearly the physician can see the walls of the colon.

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of preparation in the success of the colonoscopy procedure and the doctor’s ability to find polyps. Small polyps or other lesions can easily be hidden if the preparation is not ideal. It is very important that you complete the entire preparation as instructed.

Some patients may need to get up during the night or very early in the morning to complete the preparation. The timing of this dose of laxative is the most important. Your doctor has specified this timing to get the best results for an effective colonoscopy.

Check with our office if you have questions about adjusting the times of your laxatives. Some minor adjustments in timing may be possible, or sometimes scheduling the procedure at an earlier or later time in the day can help with inconvenient preparation times.