The leading cord method of colonofiberscopy.

Although the colonofiberscope has undergone various modifications and improvements, the insertion principle remains unchanged; that is, pushing and rotation and the elasticity of the scope itself are inevitable. It often is difficult to maintain proper balance among these dynamic factors; imbalance prevents deep insertion. Over-elongation of the scope leads to insertion failure, particularly if there are adhesions of the sigmoid colon, overextension of the colon, or transverse colon ptosis. Our "leading cord" method is an excellent aid to colonofiberscopy. It can be inserted from the clamp hole of a conventional fiberscope and hardened to straighten the scope, thereby permitting deep insertion. With this technique the region from the rectum to the descending colon, as well as a ptosed transverse colon, can be straightened. Our clinical experience indicates that the rate of successful insertions in colonofiberscopy will be increased considerably with this complementary device.