# why get a sigmoidoscopy?



## 13478 (May 15, 2006)

hey everyone! finally going to see a GI tomorrow to get to the bottom of my symptoms and to get a definate diagnosis of IBS instead of my GPs saying "yeah, it's PROBABLY ibs" without doing any real testing (aside from a fecal occult blood test)because of my main complaint (flat stools) i'm guessing the doctor's probably going to suggest a sigmoidoscopy, but my question is...since sigmoidoscopies only see 1/3 of the colon, what is the real benefit of doing one (vs. a colonoscopy) and how/why do doctors generally decide to do one or the other?if memory serves me correctly, stool IS formed in the lower 1/3 of the colon, correct? so if a change in stool shape were a complaint, the sig would catch it, right?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Usually I think it depends on if they think your symptoms are worth putting you under or not.For a lot of things what you would see would be in the last 1/3 of the colon and it is a proceedure most people don't need to be knocked out for.Stool shape would mostly be a factor of something near the rectum end.K.


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## 13478 (May 15, 2006)

as always, thanks for the ultra fast reply. cheers!


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