Am I Medically-Suitable for a Procedure at the Pezim Clinic?

The Pezim Clinic is accredited as a Non-Hospital Medical/Surgical Facility by the College of Physicians & Surgeons of British Columbia. As part of meeting the criteria for accreditation and maintaining the highest possible safety standards, the Clinic Medical Director very carefully considers each patient’s suitability for a procedure in an out-of-hospital setting. In some cases, additional information may be required before a decision can be made. For example, a patient may have to undergo a cardiology consultation or a stress test or obtain a letter of clearance from a specialist physician before the Medical Director will feel comfortable enough to book your procedure at the Pezim Clinic. The following health issues, if present, would identity a patient who would be better off being managed in a hospital setting:

Age greater than 75
A history of heart attack, angina, unexplained chest pain, coronary artery stents, angioplasty, arrhythmia, poorly-controlled high blood pressure, significant EKG abnormalities, and congestive heart failure
Patients who are taking blood thinners (Coumadin/Warfarin) may require special planning and are usually not suitable for out-of-hospital colonoscopy
Aortic aneurysm, peripheral vascular disease or disease of the carotid arteries
Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, smoking, or significant lung surgery
Allergies to Morphine, Demerol, Fentanyl, or Codeine could be a problem. A history of anaphylactic reaction to any substance will usually disqualify a patient from an out-of-hospital procedure
Insulin-dependant diabetes unless particularly well-controlled. Most diabetics that require only oral medications are suitable for an out-of-hospital procedure unless they have other medical issues
A history of stroke, TIA or RIND
Obesity or short neck
Significant weight loss, frailty, anemia
Epilepsy unless well-controlled
Psychiatric problems of significance
Inability to manage bowel preparation
Dementia
An infectious disease including HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B carrier status, untreated intestinal parasites or pathological bacteria strains