Colonoscopy May Raise the Risk of Appendicitis

Though colonoscopies are vital for detecting and removing cancer in the colon or large intestine, a review of the medical histories of nearly 393,000 veterans found that patients who underwent a colonoscopy had a 400% increased risk for appendicitis in the week following their procedure. However, despite this finding, lead researcher Dr. Marc Basson notes, “Colonoscopy is generally a safe test, and the risk of having appendicitis is lower than the risk of having some of the other complications.” JAMA Surgery, January 2018