Flexible sigmoidoscopy test (Easy Read)

You are here because your doctor wants to look in your bottom.

To look in your bottom, they will do a test called a flexible sigmoidoscopy.

This information uses simple words and pictures to describe a flexible sigmoidoscopy.

Ask for help if you have trouble reading it.

How to get ready for your test

6 hours before your test

• You can drink water. 
• Do not eat.
• Do not drink milk.

2 hours before your test

• Do not eat anything.
• Do not drink anything, not even water.

The test is fine for most people.

When you arrive

When you arrive at Kingston Hospital, go to the endoscopy unit.

When you get to the endoscopy unit, the receptionist will greet you. They will confirm your appointment.

They will ask you to wait in the waiting area until a nurse calls your name.

Meeting your test nurse

A nurse will take you through to your appointment.

The nurse will ask you some questions.

They will measure your:

• blood pressure

• heart rate

• temperature

• oxygen level.

They will ask you to change into a hospital gown.

We are there to help, if you need it.

The nurse will give you an enema through your bottom.

An enema is a medicine that makes you poo. You usually start to poo after about 5 minutes.

We give you an enema so we can see inside your bottom.

The enema might feel uncomfy for a few seconds.

We will show you to the toilet so you can poo.

We can close the door and blinds.

Before we start the flexible sigmoidoscopy test, we will talk to you about it and explain how we can give you pain relief medicine.

You can ask us questions about what happens during the test.

Pain relief

Before we start the test, we can give you some pain relief medicine to make things feel less uncomfy.

We can use a breathing machine to give you this pain relief. You can breathe in this medicine for a few seconds, and it will help you.

If you prefer, we can inject pain relief medicine through a special port in your arm. This might feel uncomfortable for a few seconds when we inject. Most people do not find it painful.

During the test 

After you have been to the toilet, the nurse will take you to the test room.

For this test, we use something called a scope. This is a bendy tube with a tiny camera on the end.

This scope goes into your bottom while you are lying down. This is normal, so do not feel embarrassed.

We use the scope to look at your colon.

The colon is also called the large intestine. It helps to make you poo.

The rectum is the last part of your large intestine that holds your poo before you go to the toilet.

The test will take about 15 minutes.

You can ask us to stop the test at any point if it is too uncomfortable for you.

After the test

After the test your tummy might feel sore.

You might feel that you need to pass wind (fart) after the test. This is normal and it will help you to recover if you let yourself fart. We want you to do this.

After we have finished, we will talk to you about your test results.

You can ask us questions about the results.

Before you leave, we will offer you a drink.

We will also give you a printed copy of your test report.

Then you can go home.