Nationally representative data from the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery on colonsocopy

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths. Screening for this cancer is recommended for those over 50 by the US Preventive Services Task Force, the American Cancer Society, and medical experts. Early detection, testing, and removal of colon polyps found during colonoscopies can prevent the occurrence of colon cancer. Colonoscopies are also used to diagnose conditions of patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. This research project presents national statistics on the number and rate of colonoscopies, demographic and payment source differences in the receipt of these procedures, and, for 2006, the proportion of colonoscopies in which potentially problematic symptoms (including adverse events) or unanticipated hospitalization occurred. Data are from the 1996 and 2006 National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (NSAS). NSAS is a nationally representative probability sample survey of hospital-based and freestanding ambulatory surgery centers conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NCHS, CDC). In 1996, there were an estimated 1.6 million colonoscopies performed in ambulatory surgery centers, and in 2006 this number had risen to 5.6 million. The rate of colonoscopies for both years was highest for those over 65 years of age. During 4% of the colonoscopies, there was some symptom - including nausea, hypertension, vomiting or bleeding – reported that could mean patient burden was increased. Beginning in 2010, annual tracking of colonoscopy, and data on other ambulatory surgery procedures, will be possible since these facilities are now part of the annual National Hospital Ambulatory Medicare Care Survey.