How you prepare

Before you have endoscopic mucosal resection, you'll be asked to provide the following information:

• All prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements you take — particularly diabetes medications and blood-thinning drugs, including aspirin — and their doses
• Drug allergies
• All medical conditions, including heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and blood-clotting disorders

Your doctor may ask you to temporarily stop taking some medications, including those that affect blood clotting or those that interfere with sedatives before the procedure.

You'll receive written instructions about what to do the day before the procedure. These instructions may vary depending on the location of the lesion or lesions being removed. In general, the instructions will likely include:

• Fasting. You'll be instructed when to begin fasting. You may not be able to eat, drink, chew gum or smoke after midnight before the procedure. You may be asked to be on a clear liquid diet the day before your procedure.
• Cleaning the colon. If the procedure involves the colon, you'll likely use a liquid laxative or an over-the-counter enema kit to empty your bowels and clean your colon.

You'll also sign an informed consent document giving your doctor permission to perform the procedure after the risks and benefits have been explained to you. Before you sign the form, ask your doctor about anything you don't understand about the procedure.

Travel arrangements

You'll likely go home the day of your EMR. However, because of sedation used during the procedure, you'll need to have someone take you home.