Endoscopy is a non-surgical procedure to examine the digestive track. The screening is performed with a special cylindrical thin tube called endoscope which is inserted through mouth or anus into the body. The endoscope is attached to light and camera and as it is inserted into the body, it relays the visual of the problem organ on the television screen. The process is minimally invasive and is overall safe. It helps the doctor to get a clear view of the digestive track which further assures proper diagnosis and treatment of an issue.
There are different types of Redding endoscopy, depending on the particular organ or the area examined. In a broad sense, endoscopy is divided into two parts- upper endoscopy and lower endoscopy. The first one deals with problems in esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Lower endoscopy examines the large intestine, including colon and rectum. The endoscope is entered through the mouth in case of upper endoscopy while it’s mostly inserted through the anus during lower endoscopy.
The post below offers a brief overview of the major types of endoscopic procedures-
EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy)
EGD is a major part of upper endoscopy and is done under sedation. The screening is performed to assess problems in esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. The different issues diagnosed with EGD are persistent and acute abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea and troubles in swallowing. It’s one of the best tests to detect ulcers, tumors, and inflammation in upper GI. EGD is also used to perform biopsies to evaluate the presence of malignant cancerous tissues.
Enteroscopy
Enteroscopy is performed to examine small intestine or bowel. A gastroenterologist will mostly use the traditional cylindrical endoscope to diagnose the causes of serious intestinal bleeding. The procedure will also help to find out lesions in the intestine. Added to the long tube endoscope, doctors might also use the contemporary capsule endoscope or double-ballooned endoscope for enteroscopy.
ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)
ERCP is performed to diagnose & treat issues regarding pancreas, liver and sometimes the gallbladder. The process is more complicated compared to another endoscopy in redding procedures and uses a higher degree of sedation. In this case, the endoscope would be inserted through the mouth to reach up to the duodenum. ERCP helps to diagnose a wide range of problems such as jaundice, biliary colic, cholangitis, pancreatitis, bile duct obstruction and many.
Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy is used to examine the colon and rectum area to look for precancerous polyps. It’s one of the best screening tests to assess the risks of colorectal cancer in patients. Based on the test, doctors might remove the polyps to rule out the chances of colorectal cancer. Besides, colonoscopy is also used to diagnose colorectal bleeding, fistulas, strictures, fissures and Crohn’s Disease.
Sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy enables a physician to examine rectum lining and a part of large intestine or colon. It is done by inserting an endoscope through the anus, gradually passing it to the rectum and lower colon. More precisely, sigmoidoscopy examines the lower third portion of the colon. Unlike many other endoscopic procedures, this one is usually performed without sedation.
