Whether a colonoscopy without general anesthesia can be tolerated varies from person to person. Some people have high pain sensitivity and cannot tolerate it during a colonoscopy, at which time painless colonoscopy is generally recommended; however, there is also a portion of the population that has a higher tolerance, and then does not need to undergo general anesthesia.
General colonoscopy is a bowel examination performed without anesthesia, and the difference between general colonoscopy and painless colonoscopy is the presence or absence of intravenous anesthesia. Both require pre-operative blood tests for infectious diseases, liver and kidney function, electrocardiograms, etc. After meeting the colonoscopy criteria, the bowel is cleansed with a compound polyethylene glycol electrolyte powder in the morning of the day of the examination.
The process of colonoscopy is to push the colonoscope from the anus along the intestinal lumen to the ileocecal region in order to observe the intestinal lesions, and the time of this examination is generally 10~30 minutes. Therefore, some patients find it difficult to undergo a general colonoscopy, which requires general anesthesia. However, there are some people who are more tolerant and do not need general anesthesia.
It is advisable to consult a medical professional on whether or not to undergo a painless colonoscopy.