Blog
Answers to the questions patients ask.
Symptoms and when to see a doctor
What bleeding, a bowel change or lower tummy pain can mean, and how soon to get checked.
Lower abdominal pain: common causes and the warning signs to act on
Most lower tummy pain is from wind, constipation or a stomach bug, but some causes need urgent care. How the site of the pain and other symptoms help, and when to go to the emergency department.
Change in bowel habit: what counts, and when to see a doctor
Normal bowel habits vary a lot between people. What matters is a change from your own pattern that does not settle, especially with bleeding or weight loss.
Blood on the toilet paper: when to worry and when to book
Bright red blood is most often piles or a small tear, but some patterns need a bowel cancer check. Here is how to tell, and what a colorectal surgeon looks for.
Piles and anal problems
Telling piles, fissures and fistulas apart, with home care and treatment options.
Types of abscess around the anus, and how soon to get care
Where each type of abscess forms, how they feel, what can look similar, and a checklist of how soon to be seen.
Piles in pregnancy and after childbirth: causes, safe relief and when to get help
Piles are common late in pregnancy and in the weeks after birth, and most settle. What causes them, what is safe to try, and which symptoms need a doctor.
Piles or anal fissure? How to tell them apart
Both cause bright red bleeding, but a fissure usually hurts sharply and piles often do not. A side-by-side guide to symptoms, causes and treatment.
Piles versus fistula: telling the difference
Both cause trouble around the anus, but they are different problems with different treatments. A simple comparison of the symptoms.
Colonoscopy and screening
Getting ready for a colonoscopy, and what polyp results mean for your next one.
Low-fibre (low-residue) diet before a colonoscopy: what to eat and avoid
A simple low-fibre diet in the days before your colonoscopy helps the bowel prep work. A practical list of foods and drinks to choose and to skip, with local examples.
Colon polyps: types, removal, and what the result means for your next colonoscopy
Most polyps are harmless, but the type, size and number found decide when you need your next colonoscopy. Here is how to read the result.
Colonoscopy bowel prep made easier: tips people actually use
The prep is the part most patients dread. A few practical steps make it easier and give a clearer result.
Bowel cancer
How colon and rectal cancer are diagnosed and treated, and what research says about risk.
Can H. pylori raise your bowel cancer risk?
H. pylori is a stomach infection mainly known for causing ulcers and stomach cancer. Recent studies link it with bowel cancer too. What the research does and does not show.
Colon cancer and rectal cancer: how diagnosis and treatment differ
They are often grouped as bowel cancer, but the rectum sits in the pelvis close to the anus, and that changes the scans, the order of treatment and the surgery.
Costs and insurance
Ministry of Health fee benchmarks, MediSave and how insurance pre-authorisation works.
How much does a gastroscopy cost in Singapore?
The Ministry of Health publishes fee benchmarks for the doctor, anaesthetist and hospital for a gastroscopy, plus actual bill sizes. Here is what each covers.
How much does a colonoscopy cost in Singapore?
The Ministry of Health publishes reference benchmarks for the surgeon's fee, the anaesthetist and the hospital. Here is what each covers and what moves the total.
How much does piles surgery cost in Singapore?
Most piles do not need an operation. For those that do, the Ministry of Health publishes reference benchmarks for the surgeon, anaesthetist and hospital.
MediSave and insurance for colorectal surgery in Singapore
How pre-authorisation works when your surgeon is not on your insurer's panel, and how MediSave and MediShield Life fit in.