ScopeGuide-assisted colonoscopy for Iron-Deficiency Anemia

Colonoscopy is an established technology that enables doctors to obtain live video from inside patients' large intestines, which is essential for the diagnosis of numerous intestinal illnesses. It consists of a long, flexible tube fitted with a light-source and small video camera that transmits the images onto a display monitor. The doctor inserts the scope into the anus, moves it into the rectum and then guides it slowly through the entire colon. Because of the various twists and turns that are part of normal bowel anatomy, advancing the scope through the entire colon is not always successful and can become challenging when the scope forms loops inside the abdomen. Unfortunately, there is no way for the doctor to see the shape of the scope inside the body other than what is seen from the video at its front end, and so navigating the colon relies on instinct accumulated with experience and the "feel" of the scope as loops begin to form. This is important because not only can this loop formation cause pain, but it can also increase the likelihood of an incomplete test. Incomplete tests matter because a major reason for performing colonoscopy is colon cancer screening and surveillance; detecting early cancers at treatable stages and looking for polyps that may be pre-cancerous growths. When colonoscopy does not advance through the entire colon, parts are left unexamined where cancer may develop. A new technology called "ScopeGuide" has been developed that uses magnetic coils embedded within the scope to create a 3D image of the shape of the entire scope inside the body that is projected onto the monitor for the doctor to see. This will show if loops are forming and will provide information about how to eliminate loops once they have formed. In this research study, the investigators will compare colonoscopy with the assistance of ScopeGuide to colonoscopy performed in the standard fashion, to see if ScopeGuide results in more successful procedures that are easier for the doctor and more comfortable for patients.