The Royal Free is the first hospital in the country to offer a new virtual method of examining the inside of the colon (all 1.5 metres of it!).  Now the virtual colonoscopy (V3D) project has received a £5,000 boost from north London charity Bottoms Up!

“We are delighted to be able to provide this funding which has paid for a second workstation” , said Tina Hancock, chair of the charity.  The workstation allows staff to review the results of a virtual colonoscopy which builds a view of the inside of the colon on a computer screen without requiring any light or intrusion of the colon. 

“This procedure is fantastic news for patients as it is less invasive and much quicker than traditional diagnostic methods,” added Tina.  “It is wonderful to see this technology in action as I am sure it will make a real difference to many, many people.”

The minimally invasive nature of V3D holds the promise of a safe method for screening the colon for polyps and cancer and, in time, preventing the 18,000 deaths that occur each year from colon and bowel cancer.    The tests are actually carried out by radiographers, reported by radiologists and reviewed by the gastroenterology team.

Professor Owen Epstein, consultant gastroenterologist, said: “V3D is the great breakthrough we have all been waiting for. There is a special diet to precede the test, a CT scan with only air insufflated into the colon, and 10 minutes later a 3D picture of the inside of the patient’s colon appears on the screen looking very similar to what we view through a colonoscope. There is no sedation, no instrumentation and the technique avoids the potential complications of colonoscopy.

“I predict that in 5 to 10 years all patients will be screened by virtual colonoscopy, and only those with abnormalities will require an optical colonoscopy. The Royal Free is pioneering this in Europe.”

The government has recently announced that, from next April, people aged between 60 and 69 will be screened for bowel cancer (see link). The V3D will allow the Royal Free to follow up patients who require further investigation quickly and with minimal discomfort.

Photo shows (L-R) Tina Hancock, Sarah Kaffel, Gay Keogh and Denise Shear from Bottoms up with Professor Owen Epstein and the V3D kit.