By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    4 Reasons Why Medical Device Compliance Matters
    May 22, 2020
    What To Know About The Importance Of Healthcare Marketing
    November 23, 2019
    healthcare courses
    6 Supplemental Courses in Healthcare to Support Your HR Degree
    August 20, 2021
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: New Indication for Colonoscopy: High Value Target Captured.
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > New Indication for Colonoscopy: High Value Target Captured.
Specialties

New Indication for Colonoscopy: High Value Target Captured.

Michael Kirsch
Last updated: May 6, 2013 8:46 am
Michael Kirsch
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

 

 

This past week, I had a once-in-a-career event.  Indeed, if I didn’t already author a blog, this episode would have been the catalyst to begin one.   As I write this, I am not certain which category label to assign to this post.  I will likely include it in General Whistleblowing rather than create a new category called Search and Rescue.
 
Gastroenterologists are not just healers of the alimentary canal.  Yes, we are consumed with issues of mastication, salivation, rumination, trituration (GI power word), secretion, digestion, propulsion and elimination.  But, we are so much more than this.  We are poised to serve humanity in so many ways beyond medicine.
  
The colonoscope is mankind’s Holy Grail. 
 
Please study the photograph below carefully.  When we were medical students peering at a chest x-ray while the attending physician hovered behind us, we were told that “the answer is on the film”.  Of course, we always missed the diagnosis.  We would focus on the heart and lungs and ignore a lesion that was in the shoulder bone at the periphery of the film.  So, dear readers, study this photo.  As a gesture of extreme generosity, I will disclose that this is a photograph of the cecum, which is the blind sac at the upper part of the large intestine where the appendix originates.  “The answer is on the photograph”.
 
 
 
Three weeks before this individual enjoyed the pleasure of colonoscopic intrusion, he swallowed an item that was of great personal value.  How valuable?  Valuable enough that this man strained his stools during this period with the hope of capturing the buried treasure.  Nice visual, huh?
 
An astute nurse, who knew the lost item’s identity, thought that what is seen in the above photograph was a bulls-eye.  The excitement in the endoscopy suite was a crescendo.   Was this stowaway in the cecum a piece of food or something far more desirable?
 
I then relied upon decades of medical experience for guidance.   I elected to retrieve the item and subject it to strict scrutiny.  I passed a gastroenterologist’s version of a miniature butterfly net through the colonoscope and performed a successful extraction.
 
Once we cleaned it up a bit, it was easy to recognize this man’s porcelain dental crown.  Once he awoke, he was joyful to be reunited with this evasive escapee.
 
 
 
I’ve removed thousands of polyps from the colon.  I’ve taken thousands of biopsies from all kinds of lesions.  I’ve seen worms wriggling inside a colon that became their new home.  I’ve used the colonoscope to investigate bleeding, diarrhea, bowel issues and abdominal pain.  But, with this man, I enjoyed a singular accomplishment.  It was my crowning achievement.
 
Photos published with permission.
 
 
TAGGED:colonoscopy
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

New ALS treatment
Medical InnovationsSpecialties

ALS Patient Improves on NurOwn, New Stem Cell Therapy

January 8, 2014
good dental health
Dental health

The Importance of Dental Health: Tips and Tricks for a Beautiful Smile

April 13, 2023

How New Technology Is Making Breast Implants Safer

April 24, 2020

Mayo Clinic-Cancer Genetics Joint Venture Will Improve Diagnostics

May 25, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?