A CT Colonography involves using a CT scanner to obtain 2 and 3 dimensional images of the whole of the large bowel (colon and rectum), whilst also looking at all of the abdominal organs at the same time.
CT stands for Computed Tomography, which is a way of using X-Rays to produce cross sectional images, of a ‘slice’ through a part of the body.
During a virtual colonoscopy, gas will be used to inflate the bowel via a thin flexible tube placed in your back passage. CT scans are then performed with you first lying on your back and the on your front. You will also be required to have an injection of contrast (dye) during the scan, which helps to highlight the blood vessels and abdominal organs during the scan. By obtaining these images the doctors can then look at the images for polyps and signs of cancer.
