Why is the bowel prep so important?

The goal of a colonoscopy is for your doctor to get a perfectly clear view of the inside of your colon to screen for polyps and other abnormalities. The bowel prep’s job is to completely clean out your colon. If the prep is incomplete, the doctor’s view can be obscured, potentially hiding small polyps. This might mean the procedure has to be repeated, which no one wants! A thorough prep is the key to a successful colonoscopy.