Mostly a vast majority of colonoscopies are performed by gastroenterologists. A gastroenterologist is a physician specifically trained in the field of digestive diseases. If colonoscopy is not performed by a gastroenterologists, it would most likely be done by a surgeon or primary care physician like a family medicine specialist.
However, studies have shown that colonoscopies performed by non-gastroenterologists are five times more likely to miss colorectal cancer. It is relatively uncommon for primary care physicians to perform colonoscopy, but at some places, primary care physicians have learned to do the procedure out of necessity. In your opinion, can a physician perform colonoscopy in case of emergencies at primary care center?
