If you feel ill with fever, flu-like symptoms or respiratory illness, please call us to reschedule your appointment. Please Do Not Bring Children Under age 16 to Appointments.

Patient Resource FAQs

Procedure Preparation FAQs

I just took my MiraLAX bowel prep and nothing is happening. How long does it take?

MiraLAX is a gentle bowel preparation. Be patient, take 1-2 hours to drink your bowel prep and wait for results. It may take 2-6 of hours for you to see results. If you are within 2 hours of your appointment and your stool is still brown, please call our Endoscopy Center for further instructions from the nurses.

What is a clear stool?

A clear stool can have a slight tint of yellow or brown. It will be completely transparent and will not contain any solid matter. If your stool is not clear 2 hours prior to your procedure, call the endoscopy center for further instructions.

I am not having bowel movements, what should I do?

Bowel movements can take up to 5-6 hours after beginning the prep to start. Be patient, continue to drink liquids. If you have not had a bowel movement by midnight the night prior to your procedure, you will need to reach the physician on call for further instructions.

If I eat popcorn or seeds 3 days before my procedure, do I need to reschedule?

You will not need to reschedule your procedure, however the seeds or nuts may cause difficulty with screening and require rescreening. If you have eaten a large amount of seeds or nuts, you may want to contact the nurse/physician.

Can I drink alcohol on the liquid diet?

Alcohol is not allowed as part of the liquid diet. It is dehydrating and not recommended prior to being sedated.

Can I continue to be on the liquid diet after I begin consuming the laxatives?

Yes! In fact we want you to consume at least 64 ounces of clear liquid during the day and evening in addition to the prep liquid.  Just remember to stop taking anything by mouth 2 hours before your procedure. No water. No gum. Nothing.

Why do I have to wake up so early for the 2nd dose, can’t I take it all the night before?

A split prep has proven to be the most effective for a clean bowel and successful colonoscopy. It is very important that you follow bowel prep instructions and timing.

If I weigh under 100 pounds do I need to take all of the prep?

The liquid amount is not weight dependent. Stay well-hydrated during your prep and finish the entire prep for a successful colonoscopy.

What do I do if I feel nauseated by the prep?

Lie down between doses and take a full two hours to drink the prep in small doses of a few ounces every 5-10 minutes. If the nausea worsens, call our office.

What if I am vomiting the prep?

Call our office to speak with the doctor.

Can I take acetaminophen (Tylenol)?

Yes, up until 2 hours before your procedure. You should take all normal medications EXCEPT diabetic medications the morning of the procedure, and blood thinners as instructed by your doctor.

I have a headache since starting the prep.

Minor headaches are normal when you are on a liquid diet. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and clear liquids. If the headache is serious or worsens call our doctor.

I ate breakfast; do I need to reschedule my procedure?

If you ate breakfast THE DAY BEFORE your procedure, probably not. Plan to drink extra clear liquids and proceed as instructed. If you ate THE MORNING OF your procedure, yes, you will need to reschedule. It is not safe for patients to have food in their stomach before a procedure.

I am diabetic and feeling dizzy.

Call doctor.

There is blood in my stool.

Call our doctor.

What kind of anesthesia do you use?

We use a non-narcotic sedative called Propofol. It is administered via an intravenous drip. We use it because patients awaken quickly, and it is completely out your system after four hours, allowing patients to get back to normal life quickly.

Who provides the anesthesia for my procedure?

Our anesthesia providers are Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, supervised by our doctors. Our CRNAs are experienced registered nurses with years of specialty study and practice in anesthesia.

How long will my procedure take?

We ask patients to plan to be with us for 2 hours. This is “door-to-door” time from the time you walk in the door to the time you walk out. We have registration, admitting and recovery times that surround the actual procedure time of 20-40 minutes, depending on which procedure you’re having. A single procedure is normally around 20 minutes, while two is closer to 40 minutes.

I’m having an EGD. What standard tests are included with that?

There is no specific test that is standard with an EGD. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a visual inspection of the esophagus and the stomach down to the duodenum. The doctor will visually inspect the area, and if necessary, take tissue samples for analysis by a pathologist. The doctor will determine what tests may be useful based on the patient’s symptoms and what is encountered during the procedure.

I’m having a colonoscopy. What standard tests are included with that?

There is no specific test that is standard with a colonoscopy. During a colonoscopy the doctor is looking for polyps or damaged tissue, depending on the reason for the procedure. During a colon cancer screening we are looking for polyps. If none are found and the patient appears to have a healthy colon, there are no further tests. If the doctor finds anything of concern and takes tissue samples to address other health concerns, they are sent to pathology for analysis.

Online Registration FAQs

I didn’t receive my prep instructions.

The prep instructions are in the form of a link in the appointment confirmation email. First, check the junk mail or spam folder on your email. If you have more than one email account, check all. Next, go to GranitePeaksGI.com/PrepInfo FAQ and click the listing for your prep type. All instructions are available online. Call our office if you need additional appointment information at 801-619-9000.

Do I need to have cookies enabled to register online?

Yes! You will not be able to complete the process without cookies enabled for this application.

The social security number field won’t let me move forward.

This is not a required field. Click “next” to bypass it. If information is pre-filled, clear the field (delete characters in the field) and press “next” to bypass. If that fails, exit the application and return to the initial email or text you received and click the “register” button again. When you reach the social security number field, do not attempt to enter it. Simply click “next” to bypass it.

The system says my date of birth doesn’t match.

First, be sure you’re entering just the date numbers as instructed, i.e.: 01021950 (do not add punctuation – the system will add the forward slash). If that doesn’t work, call our office at 801-619-9000. We will verify that your information was correctly entered.

The system says it can’t find my referring or primary care provider.

First, try entering just the first 3-4 letters of the LAST name only and click the down arrow on the dropdown box. You should be able to see your provider there. If you can’t find them, skip that field and notify the staff when you check in. They will add them to your chart.

I can’t remember the date of my last colonoscopy or the date of some of my surgeries. How should I answer?

The answer doesn’t need to be exact. If you know approximately when you had a surgery, or the year of your last colonoscopy, that is adequate. Staff will make any adjustments when you arrive.

I’m post-menopausal and the system is asking me for my last menstrual cycle date. How should I answer?

Choose a random month and date and add the year you stopped, or as close to it as you can remember. The system asks this question of every female patient and has no additional way to discern age or suitability for who receives this question.

My insurance is incorrect, but the system won’t let me change it.

The insurance is not a changeable field. Complete the rest of your demographic information, sign and save it. Call our office at 801-619-9000 to update your insurance information – anyone who answers the phone can update it and be sure to bring your insurance card to your appointment. It is possible a change in insurance could mean a change in appointment day or time. Ask the staff member if that’s the case for you.

I entered information and now the system is showing a spinning wheel and won’t move forward.

The only time the application would attempt to download anything would be if/when you fill out a form and choose to download a copy for yourself.

If you are seeing a spinning wheel as if something is loading or waiting, give it a minute or so. If it doesn’t move forward, there may be a network issue. If so, exit the application and return to the initial email or text you received and click the “register” button again.

I started my questionnaire and switched windows and left it for a little while. Now I can’t get back in.

The system has an automatic timeout for security purposes. Go back to the original email or text, click “register” and it will bring you back to the last place you entered information. The system saves information you completed and signed but does not save incomplete documents.