Abstract:

Aim: Factors such as the endoscopist’s experience, bowel preparation and past abdominal surgery all affect caecal intubation time (CIT) in colonoscopy procedures. The present study investigated the effects of body mass index (BMI) and fat mass on CIT. Method: The data of 110 patients who underwent colonoscopy and CIT measurement that was performed by a single endoscopist as part of colorectal cancer screening in our clinic between February 2020 and March 2020 were prospectively reviewed. The demographic data of the patients were recorded, along with any history of abdominal surgery, use of additional manoeuvers, BMI, fat mass measurements and CITs. The fat mass and BMI values were measured using a Tanita body-fat analyser device. The results were compared using statistical methods. Results: CIT was found to be lower in females than in males (p<0.001). In addition, it was longer in patients with a history of abdominal surgery and in those who required additional manoeuvers during the colonoscopy (p=0.027) (p<0.001). No statistically significant relationship was found between BMI and CIT (p=0.199). In an evaluation of all the patients, a significant relationship was found between fat mass and CIT (p=0.034). Conclusion: CIT decreases with increasing total body fat mass, regardless of the BMI. Our findings suggest that fat mass has a greater influence than BMI on CIT for a colonoscopy.

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