The Incidence of Minor Complications and Patients’ Time Requirements for Colonoscopy

Background/Aims: Colonoscopy is an important method to screen for colorectal neoplasm and it is known to be a relatively safe procedure. Yet various minor complications, such as abdominal pain or discomfort, may result from colonoscopy or from additional colonoscopic procedures. In this study, we estimated the incidence of minor complications, the related risk factors and the total time requirement for colonoscopy. Methods: We conducted a prospective analysis from 201 patients who visited Hanyang University Guri Hospital for colonoscopy during February to April, 2008. On the first day after colonoscopy, we asked the patients about the length of personal time devoted to the colonoscopy, such as the time taken for bowel preparation. We contacted all the patients by telephone 3 days after colonoscopy and we asked about any minor complications after colonoscopy, what was the most difficult part of the procedure and the time it took to get back to normal activity. Results: Minor complications occurred in 66 patients (32.8%), of which abdominal discomfort was the most common complaint (74.2%). The incidence of minor complications was increased significantly in proportion to the procedure time (p ＜0.0001). Bowel preparation was the most difficult part of the procedure for patients (88.0%). The mean duration of colonoscopy was 20 minutes, while the entire time allotted for colonoscopy from bowel preparation to arriving home was an average of 8.24 hours. The mean recovery time to normal activity was 19.02 hours. Conclusions: Minor complications are relatively common when undergoing colonoscopy, and the duration of the procedure is significantly related to the incidence of minor complications. The majority of patients have difficulty with bowel preparation, so further studies concerning the development of a comfortable and effective preparation method are needed.