Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the type of insurance you have. The Virginia Endoscopy Group is contracted with a number of larger insurance carriers. However, they are not contracted with Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare products.

Yes, most insurance companies require a co-pay to be paid at the time of the visit. If you have questions regarding co-payments, please contact your insurance company.

If you have an emergency and are unable to keep your scheduled procedure time, please call the emergency line with your name and date of birth, as well as a phone number where we can reach you to reschedule your procedure.

If you have billing questions concerning a procedure scheduled at the Virginia Endoscopy Group or any area hospital, please get in contact with one of our Patient Account Representatives at (804) 285-4465 any time between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Most phone calls are returned before the end of the business day.

Normally you would not have to pay co-pay for lab work drawn at Labcorp or in a hospital. However, there are exceptions, so please contact your insurance carrier directly.

If you need a prescription you may call your local pharmacy or call your physician nurse/assistant and leave a message with your name, date of birth, name of the medication, and the pharmacy number.

Call your physician’s office and leave a voice message for the nurse to obtain 90-day prescriptions or to get refills on a medication. Prescriptions can be faxed electronically to your local or mail-order pharmacy.

We are conscientious about returning all calls. Nevertheless, infrequently we may not receive a message. For non-urgent issues, please allow 24 hours before calling again, and please make sure to indicate that you are calling a second time.

We have seven convenient locations throughout the Richmond Metro area.

Our endoscopy centers have certain contracts for reimbursement with the largest insurance carriers. If your insurance company is not one of the ones we have contracted with, your procedure will have to be scheduled elsewhere. If you have Medicare, Medicaid, or Tricare coverage, you will be scheduled at one of the hospitals as an outpatient.

Not at this time. Please call (804) 285-8206 to verify your appointment.

If an earlier appointment is needed, we will be more than happy to schedule you with one of our advanced practice professionals who works alongside your physician.

No, we are not surgeons. We do a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as colonoscopies, upper endoscopies, hemorrhoid banding, ERCP, EUS, etc.

Can’t you just get it from the Bon Secours/HCA websites? Having your records prior to your visit allows our providers to review your history. Not all physicians’ offices are connected to the Bon Secours/HCA medical network.

We prefer, if at all possible, for you to submit your forms to us electronically through our secure portal so that we may pre-register you prior to your appointment for our providers to review your history. If you print the paperwork and bring it with you to the appointment, you will have to arrive at least an hour before your appointment time so that all the data can be entered.

We ask that our patients pre-register prior to their appointment either through our secure patient portal or by calling our pre-registration number at (804) 622-3682. If you cannot complete this process prior to your appointment date, we will need to set up another appointment for you.

No, we are an independently owned practice, but our providers have admitting privileges at both the Bon Secours and HCA hospitals in the Richmond area.

Our advanced practice providers work alongside our physicians. They are highly qualified to handle your needs, and always share their findings with the doctor. The physician will perform any necessary procedure.

This will allow you ample time to find parking, sign in, and complete the check-in process.

This will depend on several things: (1) what procedure is needed; (2) if you have any GI symptoms; and (3) your age and pertinent medical history.

If you have a history of heart problems and/or the use of blood thinners or renal problems, you will be asked to see the nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or physician before being scheduled for your procedure.

Yes, in general, you should take all your normal prescription medications before and after your procedure. The only exception is for patients on diabetic medication (insulin or pills) and those who take medication to prevent clotting such as Plavix, Coumadin, Ticlid, etc. Patients in this category will be given specific instructions on when to stop some or all of these medications prior to the procedure.

A clear liquid diet consists of coffee or tea with sugar (no cream), ginger ale, Coke, Gatorade, tea, Sprite, 7-Up, white grape juice, popsicles, bouillon, Italian ice, apple juice, and Jell-O with no added fruit or toppings. Please abstain from eating or drinking anything red or purple.

HIPAA privacy regulations restrict non-patient access to patient care areas. The only exception is for patients under 18 years of age or for those with cognitive disabilities.

The IV can be removed post-procedure when you have woken from sedation, are believed to be ready for discharge, blood pressure is within normal limits and no nausea or pain are reported.

Once cleared for discharge by your anesthesiologist and your physician. Intravenous (IV) access must be removed prior to getting dressed for discharge.

It is normal to not remember the procedure! Time passes quickly while under sedation.

Your physician and anesthesiologist determine your discharge time, but the average discharge wait time is around 20 minutes.

You will be given something to drink when you wake up in our recovery area after your procedure is completed. Upon discharge from our facility, you may eat. We encourage you to avoid very spicy or very greasy foods as the first meals after your procedure.

If you have given permission to do so, the doctor will update your driver, as you will not likely remember the findings.

Recovery time averages 20 minutes.

Your doctor will provide you with an updated medications list, defining when you may resume each of your medications.

Your doctor will complete a written report that you will receive after your procedure before leaving the facility. If you have given permission, your doctor will review the results with your driver/family member.

This will depend on the procedure/test that is performed and if a biopsy was done. Generally, it takes about 5 to 7 business days for us to receive your pathology results. A radiology test normally takes 2 to 3 business days for us to receive your results. Results are securely communicated to you through our patient portal.

Endoscopic procedures are valuable tools to help diagnose gastrointestinal illness and disease. Some findings must await processing in the laboratory setting and further testing may be necessary for the effort to provide a quality diagnosis.

All patients receiving sedation for a procedure agree to refrain from drinking alcohol for 12 hours after receiving sedation/anesthesia. This is due to the potential risk for re-sedation upon discharge from the facility.

Have any other questions that have not been addressed by our procedure FAQs page? Call us or submit a contact form today for additional help!

Starting at age 45, a screening colonoscopy is recommended by the American Cancer Society on a regular basis or as your GI doctor feels appropriate. You should have one earlier if you have a family history of colon cancer (parents, grandparents, sibling, child). Most, but not all, insurance plans offer screening benefits. Your referring physician and GI physician will make sure your procedure is authorized through your insurance company. However, authorization does not guarantee coverage. Because benefits vary widely from policy to policy, make sure you contact your insurance company to check to see if you have this type of coverage and to ask what your out-of-pocket obligation will be.

It depends on the prep your physician prescribes. Remember to follow the instructions given to you. Don’t forget you have 6 feet of the colon that you need to clean out as thoroughly as possible. If you want an accurate examination, it is important that your preparation for the test is complete. If your colon is not cleaned out well, the test may have to be aborted and rescheduled for another day.

If you do not have a bowel movement several hours after drinking your prep, please call our emergency on-call physician at (804) 285-8206. He will give you additional instructions.

If you are experiencing a lot of pain or difficulty keeping the prep down, please call the emergency number, (804) 285-8206, and ask for the on-call physician.

No solid food is allowed the day before your procedure. However, you will be on a clear liquid diet the day before your procedure.

It will depend on the facility in which your procedure is scheduled. Normally you will register for radiological procedures in the outpatient department at the hospital. Colonoscopy and Endoscopy procedures require you to register through the hospital admitting department. Our staff will give you instructions on where to report for your procedure. If you have any questions, please call the office.

Scope examinations such as endoscopy and colonoscopy require sedation to prevent pain and discomfort. These medications make the test quite simple for the patient, but do not wear off immediately. Because you cannot drive your vehicle for 12 hours, it is necessary for someone to come with you to drive you home. We ask that your driver come with you and stay the entire time. You must have someone available for questions; the physician will meet with this person after the procedure to explain the results.

It depends on the procedure. A routine colonoscopy and upper endoscopy usually take 15 to 30 minutes, although it may take longer if polyp removal is involved. However, with pre-and post-procedure time, you will not ordinarily be ready for discharge until 2 to 2 ½ hours after you arrive.

HIPAA privacy regulations restrict non-patient access to patient care areas. The only exception is for patients under 18 years of age or for those with cognitive disabilities.

The IV can be removed post-procedure when you have woken from sedation, are believed to be ready for discharge, blood pressure is within normal limits and no nausea or pain are reported.

Once cleared for discharge by your anesthesiologist and your physician. Intravenous (IV) access must be removed prior to getting dressed for discharge.

It is normal to not remember the procedure! Time passes quickly while under sedation.

Your physician and anesthesiologist determine your discharge time, but the average discharge wait time is around 20 minutes.

You will be given something to drink when you wake up in our recovery area after your procedure is completed. Upon discharge from our facility, you may eat. We encourage you to avoid very spicy or very greasy foods as the first meals after your procedure.

If you have given permission to do so, the doctor will update your driver, as you will not likely remember the findings.

Recovery time averages 20 minutes.

Yes, you may be slightly groggy for a time. We suggest you go straight home after your procedure and have something to eat. The sedation affects your blood pressure and causes some drowsiness for several hours. After about 4 hours you may go out as long as you feel well. Do not drive until the following day.

The typical EGD is approximately 20 minutes; the typical colonoscopy is approximately 30 minutes.

If your doctor removes a polyp, the length of time before you will need another colonoscopy is dependent on the type of polyp and on the pathology results of that polyp. The physician’s a nurse/medical assistant will let you know your pathology results and inform you of the repeat date.

You should resume your regular diet after your colonoscopy procedure but try to stay away from foods that are high in gluten, sugar, fat, or calories. Try to stay away from foods that are difficult to chew, are highly processed, or heavy in dairy, meat, or sugar.

Have any other questions about your colonoscopy procedure? View some of our other FAQs pages to find more common questions and answers or contact us today to talk to a specialist!

Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis are the two primary forms of Irritable Bowel Disease. The two diseases share many symptoms but each is treated very differently. Ulcerative colitis affects the lining of the large intestine (colon and rectum).

Ulcerative colitis patients tend to have pain in the lower left part of the abdomen. These patients may also experience some bleeding from the rectum during bowel movements. Crohn’s patients may experience inflammation anywhere along the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. Crohn’s disease patients may experience pain in the lower right abdomen.

Hemorrhoids are not removed during a colonoscopy. If deemed necessary, a hemorrhoidectomy or a hemorrhoid banding may be recommended to you. Your physician will review this recommendation with you before it is scheduled.

Each person is different and results may vary but most return to normal after resuming a solid food diet.

Some blood may be noted on the bathroom tissue after wiping due to the invasive nature of the colonoscopy. However, if you experience ANY bleeding after an upper endoscopy or bleeding from your rectum that you estimate as more than a ‘teaspoon full’ of blood, please call your doctor or the main number at 804-285-8206 immediately. For large amounts of bleeding, dizziness, or severe abdominal pain, proceed to the Emergency Room.

Typically, people begin feeling better after two weeks. However, there are many factors that weigh into how painful hemorrhoids can be and how long they can last.