"Telephone calls to Cannock Chase Endoscopy Department"

I telephoned the Endoscopy Department for my husband to enquire whether he had to stop or change his Warfarin prior to his colonoscopy. I spoke to a nurse who wasn’t sure as she didn’t know much about INR and Warfarin, so she went to get another nurse. The second nurse said that he did not need to stop his Warfarin and if biopsies were required, as long as his INR was in range they would be done!

My husband had his INR checked at the local medical centre and the anticoagulant nurse said biopsies would not be taken if the INR was over 2.0 and to phone the hospital and check.

I phoned the Endoscopy Department and spoke to a nurse and explained what the anticoagulant nurse said. She checked his paperwork and said as his range was between 2.0-3.0 he wouldn’t have to stop the Warfarin, as long as he stayed in range.I then asked if there were any polyps would they be removed and she said that they would not be removed and he would have to come back and repeat the test. I said it was a waste of time for the hospital and my husband. She said he was high risk and could not stop the Warfarin 

When my husband went for his colonoscopy I explained to the nurse about  not stopping the Warfarin and he said they have a wall chart for all nurses to check. He did say after looking at my husbands records he would have stopped the Warfarin

I was very confused as he had his Warfarin stopped for a small operation on his foot a few months ago.

Fortunately he didn’t have any polyps,but if he had he wouldn’t have been happy to repeat the test.

I have to say all staff at Cannock Chase were very polite.