The Endoscopy/ Colonoscopy Suite at SSM St. Joseph Hospital West is located on the ground floor of the hospital. For your convenience, please park in the Yellow (P ) parking zones, near either the West Entrance or the Medical Building 1 Entrance. Endoscopy/ Colonoscopy Registration is located right across from the suite. Once registered, patients will wait before and after their procedure in privacy and comfort. Family members are encouraged to stay with you before and after your procedure to help you with discharge instructions.

SSM St. Joseph Hospital West offers both inpatient and outpatient endoscopy procedures. Some of the most common procedures include:

• EGD
• Bronchoscopy
• Colonoscopy

When Should You Schedule a Colonoscopy?
In patients with no gastrointestinal problems and no risk factors for colon cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends a first screening colonoscopy at age 50.

However, if you have bowel symptoms such as blood in your stool or a significant change in your bowel movements or their frequency, you should see a doctor right away. If you have any risk factors for colon cancer such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or a family history of colon cancer, your doctor may want to order the colonoscopy long before you turn 50. If a member of your immediate family, such as a sibling or a parent has had colon cancer, you should begin screening at least 10 years before the age your relative was when diagnosed. The frequency of colonoscopy is determined based on your risk factors and whether or not you have polyps on your colonoscopy. In the average risk patient with a normal colonoscopy the test is repeated every 5-10 years.