Virtual colonoscopy is a relatively recent technique which has, since 1997 (when it was first introduced into the field of diagnosis) progressed to a very high degree of diagnostic accuracy, now achieving results comparable to those from traditional colonoscopy.

Rectal cancer is the third most common neoplasia in western countries; since the growth and associated transformation of a polyp from benign to malignant occurs slowly, and usually over the course of 10 years, patient survival is fundamentally linked to early diagnosis.

For effective prevention, we presently have two methodologies:

• optical colonoscopy
• virtual colonoscopy

In comparison to optical (traditional) colonoscopy, for virtual colonoscopy the preparations the patient needs to undergo for the three days preceding the examination are much gentler, following a roughage-free diet regime provided at the time of booking, possibly with the use of a non-laxative  emollient agent, much easier to tolerate than the standard preparations for a traditional colonoscopy .

On the day of the examination the patient must report to our department around 3 hours before the appointed time for the examination, as he will be given to drink around 60ml of MDC (Gastrografin) diluted in around 500 ml of water. The examination will take about 12 minutes and will involve inflation with CO₂ via a probe positioned in the rectal ampulla, which serves to expand the colon and produces virtually a visual registration of all the endoluminal surfaces of the colon. Two scans are performed, in supine and prone positions.