Anna Toker, MD

Colonoscopy

To schedule a colonoscopy, we need to know your medical history to make sure we schedule the procedure properly as a normal risk colonoscopy or a high risk colonoscopy (personal history of polyps or cancer, family history of cancer). This procedure requires anesthesia, so we will need to know your height, weight, medications, and anesthesia risk factors. Finally, we need accurate insurance information. The insurance reimbursement for this procedure is based on your personal history and your insurance contract. Please contract your insurer to get details about what they will and will not cover. In some instances, based on the above information, we can schedule this procedure from history alone without a doctors visit. All diagnostic procedures require a meeting in person or by telemed prior to the procedure.

Lets get those assets checked!

How to Schedule

Telemedicine Intake and scheduling

Please call 214-942-3740 and give all of your contact information, including your email and insurance information
You will recieve an invitation to a patient portal and this information needs to be filled out and consents signed prior to the appointment.
Patients who have seen Dr. Toker in the past can ask for a "Nurse visit" this is a check in conversation to ensure your medications, allergies, and other medical history is entered and the nurse will give you a time and date for your procedure.
If you are new to the practice, you will be scheduled a telemedicine visit with a practitioner and this is a formal visit to collect all important medical and surgical history, allergies, and medications. *This visit is billable to insurance*
Please remember: 7 days prior to this appointment, Log on to the patient portal, checkin online for your "appointment", and sign the consent forms and answer the questions as described in this video (Let us know if you struggle, we will call you to help)
Once the self-checkin process is completed, our staff will call to confirm the information and get you a date and time for the procedure
Watch the videos below about the bowel prep and the procedure itself
Your prescription will be called to an out of state pharmacy in Ohio called Gift Health RX (833-614-4438) that will mail you the prescription- no more waiting in line at the pharmacy or waiting for pre-authorizations from insurance! (If this approach is not feasible for you, you can do the miralax prep as described below) If your phone blocks calls that are not in your contact list, please put Gift Health RX in your contact list
Avoid aspirin or blood thinning medications for one week prior to the procedure unless directed otherwise by your primary care doctor
Follow the prep instructions as described in the video below
Arrive when the facility tells you to arrive- the OR schedule does change sometimes without Dr. Toker's input

Prepare for your Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy vs Cologuard

In this video, I discuss how Cologuard is a pre-screening colon cancer test. It counts as your cancer screening test for most insurances, so, if your test is positive (30% chance it will be) then you need a diagnostic colonoscopy to find the potential polyp or tumor. Consult with your insurance company regarding costs. It may be more cost effective to you to have a screening colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy Bowel Prep

The worst part of a colonoscopy is the bowel prep. In this video I explain the process of a bowel prep.

* Please NOTE: If your insurance does not cover the bowel prep, or if your portion of the cost is prohibitive, you can use miralax as a prep. You will need 2 large bottles of miralax powder. Beginning at 3 PM you will mix 1 capful of powder into 8 ounces of gatorade (not red) and drink the entire glass. Repeat drinking a glass of miralax mixture every 15 minutes until your stool turns clear like apple juice. This will take typically 1 1/2- 2 bottles of powder in 3-4 liters of fluid to accomplish.

Colonoscopy Procedure Details

In this video I explain the nature of a colonscopy, how to prepare for it, the risks, and the benefits.

Prepartion Summary: Colonoscopy

Watch the above videos for details on the preparation- but if you want the abbreviated version:

Step 1) day before surgery you may eat a small breakfast, then start a clear liquid diet at 9 AM. You will stay on this clear liquid diet until 4 hours prior to your procedure (please discuss your routine medications with Dr. Toker in regards to how to take those)

Step 2) the day before the procedure you will take your prep. Each prep dose consists of 12 pills which should be consumed with water over a 30 minute period of time by taking 2 pills at a time with 4 ounces of water every five minutes until the bottle of pills is empty. Take the first dose of 12 pills at 3 PM and the second dose at 7 PM (this is different than what the published instructions on the box tell you to do)

Step 3) nothing by mouth for 4 hours before the procedure

Step 4) come to facility 2 hours early and someone will have to drive you home

Step 5) after the procedure you may resume a normal diet but can not operate machinery or drive for 24 hours

Optional step 6) consider replenishing your gut microbiome with our new diggestive product called zive 7. I personally helped develop this product for gut health and restoration of proper digestion

Learn about Zive 7

Let's Get Those Assets Checked