*IF YOU HAVE A COPAY, IT WILL BE DUE AT THE TIME OF SERVICE. THANK YOU!*
Commonly Asked Procedure Questions
Q. I am having an EGD. When do I stop eating and drinking?
A. Midnight. You cannot have anything the morning/day of your procedure, not even water.
Q. Do I follow the instructions you mailed or the instructions on the box?
A. Please follow the instructions on the mailed paperwork. Dr. Coates has found this to be the best way to complete the preparation and get clean. Do not follow instructions on the box. DO NOT EAT SOLID FOOD ON PREP DAY.
Q. What time do I start my prep?
A. Follow the directions on your paperwork that was mailed, not the box. You will be on clear liquids the full day prior to your colonoscopy. Start your prep around 3PM.
Sutab: take dose two 4 hours after dose 1. Nothing to eat or drink after midnight. If you drink or eat on the day of your procedure, you risk aspiration during sedation or your procedure being cancelled.
Plenvu: take dose two 2 hours after dose 1. Nothing to eat or drink after midnight. If you drink or eat on the day of your procedure, you risk aspiration during sedation or your procedure being cancelled.
GoLYTELY: You will need to drink your last liter the morning of your procedure. Make sure to begin the last liter 4 hours before your procedure. You must be done drinking the prep 2 hours prior to your procedure. Please do not drink anything besides your prep.
Q. I’ve started the bowel prep and now I am vomiting/nauseous, what do I do?
A. Wait one to two hours and the nausea should subside. Then, restart the prep as directed. You may take ginger pills to settle your stomach. We may be able to send in Zofran if approved by the provider. Drinking through a straw or having the medicine chilled may help it go down easier.
Q. How do I know if I am cleaned out enough for the procedure? It is watery, yellowish, or greenish liquid, or there is sediment in the bottom of the toilet bowl.
A. If you have completed the bowel prep as directed and the results are described as above, additional preparation is generally not needed. You know you are “cleaned out” if you were to throw a penny in the bottom of the toilet and you can see the head of the penny. Inform the endo nurse of your results when you arrive at the unit. IF YOU ARE STILL HAVING SOLID BROWN STOOL AND/OR CANNOT SEE THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE TOILET BOWL, YOU WILL NEED TO DO AN ADDITIONAL PREP
Q. I just read my instructions and I have had red Jell-O or popsicles. What should I do?
A. Do not take any additional red or purple liquids. Inform the endoscopy nurse when you arrive.
Q. I wasn’t able to start the prep at the time it stated. What should I do?
A. Start the prep immediately.
Q. Do I need a driver?
A. Yes. You will need a driver to stay with you for the entirety of your appointment. You need someone there responsible for you. You will not be sedated if there is not someone there with you. If someone needs to leave, someone needs to be there prior to them leaving to take their place and the Front Desk staff at the facility needs to be informed. If you use a service through the insurance, they do not need to stay. This is the only exception.
Q. What medications can I take, and when can I take them?
A. You may take medication normally the day prior (unless it is a GLP1 or blood thinner). Any heart, breathing, blood pressure, or seizure medication can be taken the morning of with a small sip of water. Otherwise hold off on other medication until after procedure.
If you take any prescription blood thinners (I.e., Coumadin, Warfarin, Eliquis, Brilinta, Xarelto, Plavix, Clopidogrel, etc) and you did not already notify our office, please call our office at 616-452-7099. We must know if you are on a blood thinner, as it may affect your procedure.
Medications prescribed for your heart, breathing, blood pressure, or for seizures may be taken the morning of your procedure with a small sip of water. (Must be taken 3 hours prior to procedure)
GLP1 medications (Trulicity, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Ozempic, etc) must be stopped prior to your procedure. (If taken weekly, must stop 1 week prior. If taken daily, must stop 1 day prior)
Q. How long will my procedure take?
A. Plan to be at the facility for up to 3 hours. This is dependent on how well you recover from anesthesia. You arrive 30 minutes prior to the procedure, the procedure takes around 20 minutes, then you will go to recovery.
Q. I am on my period. What do I do?
A. Women who are menstruating can still have the procedure. You may wear a tampon or sanitary napkin.
Q. Can I add flavoring to my Plenvu or Golytly?
A. Crystal Light powder or Kool-Aid powder can be added to the prep as long as it is not red or purple.
Q. MiraLAX prep works for me and I have done that prep in the past. Can I still do that prep?
A. No, MiraLAX prep is no longer an option. Dr. Coates has found the prescription preps work better.
Q. Where was my prep sent?
A. We will send it to Gifthealth pharmacy. They will text you and call you to send your prep to your home. Once the order is sent, you will get a text within 5 minutes. You may pay online or call them. Their number is 833-614-4438. Texts will be from 833-300-7795. Once you pay through Gifthealth, your prescription should be at your home in 3-5 business days. You may choose to have your prep sent to your local pharmacy, but they may not have it in stock or get you the best price. It may cause a delay in getting your prescription.
Q. I lost my prep instructions. How can I obtain another copy of the instructions?
A. For your convenience, all of our prep instructions are listed on our website. Click “HERE” to view all procedure preps.
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE AT 616-452-7099. WE ARE HAPPY TO ASSIST!
Cancellation & No-Show Policy [Please Read]
We understand there may be times when you miss your appointment due to emergencies or obligations to work or family. Should you need to reschedule an office visit, we ask you to give us a minimum of 24 hours’ notice and procedures a minimum of 72 hours’ notice. Cancelling with less than the minimum hours’ notice above may result in a fee of $25.00 for office visits and $150.00 for procedures. If you arrive fifteen minutes past your scheduled appointment time, your visit will be cancelled and rescheduled. We require a confirmation for all appointments.
If you do not show up to a new patient appointment or have 3 no-shows, your primary doctor will be notified that you have been discharged from our practice.
Billing Resources:
More resources coming soon!