Colorectal surgery

At Cromwell Hospital, our rapid-access bowel care diagnostic pathway aims to identify the signs of bowel cancer as early as possible.

We provide next-day appointments and diagnostic tests, and our specialists will often be able to diagnose you during your initial consultation. Once diagnosed, you will receive a tailored treatment plan, delivered by world-leading consultants at our central London hospital.

Bowel care diagnostic pathway >

Capsule endoscopy is a non-invasive procedure that provides your gastroenterologist with images from inside your digestive tract.

It involves swallowing a small capsule which contains a tiny, wireless camera. As the camera travels through your digestive system, it captures and transmits images to a data recorder, which is a device worn externally on a belt around your waist.

Capsule endoscopy >

Colonoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure used to assess and treat problems within your large intestine (colon) and rectum.

You might have a colonoscopy to understand the cause of bowel symptoms such as blood in your stool (poo), diarrhoea and constipation, or unexplained weight loss.

The procedure is carried out using a colonoscope, which is a thin, flexible tube fitted with a small light and video camera. The camera sends detailed images of your lower gastrointestinal system back to a monitor, where they are viewed by your gastroenterologist or specialist nurse. You may have a tissue sample (biopsy) taken during the procedure, which will be sent to a lab for testing.

Colonoscopy >

A flexible sigmoidoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure used to examine the sigmoid colon, which is the lower part of the large intestine.

A flexible sigmoidoscopy may be used to remove polyps or haemorrhoids (swollen veins in your rectum and anus). It is also used as a screening test for colon cancer and rectal cancer.

The procedure is carried out using an endoscope, which is a thin, flexible tube fitted with a small light and camera. The camera sends detailed images of your sigmoid colon back to a monitor, which is viewed by your gastroenterologist or specialist nurse.  

You may have a tissue sample (biopsy) taken during the procedure, which will be sent to a lab for testing. 

A gastroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure used to assess and treat problems in your oesophagus (food pipe), stomach, and the first part of your small intestine (duodenum). It is a type of endoscopy, so you may also hear it referred to as an upper endoscopy.

The procedure is carried out using an endoscope, which is a thin, flexible tube fitted with a small light and camera. The camera sends detailed images of your upper gastrointestinal system back to a monitor, which is viewed by your gastroenterologist or specialist nurse.  You may have a tissue sample (biopsy) taken during the procedure, which will be sent to a lab for testing.

The procedure may also be carried out to treat stomach ulcers or oesophageal bleeding, or to remove benign (non-cancerous) growths in the oesophagus.

Therapeutic gastroscopy >

Your gastroenterologist may recommend you undergo diagnostic imaging, such as:

• CT scan
• MRI scan
• PET scan
• ultrasound