All you Need to Know About Endoscopy

Posted by Dr. Vikas Singla on March 16th, 2018

Some of the most common ailments, yet not very easy to diagnose are the diseases related to the gastrointestinal tract. The only effective process to examine gastrointestinal health is through endoscopy.

Typically, an endoscopy is a procedure that involves the examination of the upper digestive system using an endoscope. This is a routine procedure, which is performed as an outpatient procedure, though the patients is required to rest in the hospital for at least 30 minutes, to recover after the procedure is completed. As the procedure requires an endoscope to be passed internally, the procedure can only be performed by a professionally trained and experienced endoscopist or gastroenterologist.

Why is endoscopy performed?

Endoscopy is considered to be more accurate than an X-ray to detect abnormal growths on the walls of the esophagus and for examining the upper digestive system. The procedure is most commonly done after persistent cases of abdominal or chest pain, nausea, heartburn, bleeding from the mouth, or swallowing disorders.

When conducted under professional guidance, the process itself can serve as treatment, in cases when there are harmless or benign growths that can be removed during the endoscopy itself. It is hence, recommended that the process be performed by a renowned and experienced specialist, such as an endoscopist in Gangaram Hospital.

What does the procedure involve?

The procedure is conducted by the endoscopist using an endoscope, which is a long, thin, and flexible tube, about ½-inch in diameter. The endoscope has a camera at one end that allows the endoscopist to capture images of any abnormalities for further diagnosis. The procedure can be used to remove polyps as well as to collect tissue sample for biopsies. It can also be used to detect and remove any foreign bodies in the upper digestive tract as well as treat bleeding in the upper digestive system.

Preparing for the endoscopy

As the endoscopist in Gangaram Hospital will insert the endoscope internally through your mouth, some basic precautions have to be exercised to make the process less painful and more effective. The process can only be performed on an empty stomach. The patient cannot eat anything 8 hours prior to the endoscopy, but can drink clear liquids until 4 hours prior to the procedure. Patients, who are pregnant or have heart or lung related ailments will require special care. So, this information needs to be conveyed to the endoscopist. People who consume blood-thinning medications as well as diabetic patients need to discuss their medication dosages with their physicians, as the medications may need to be stopped or the dosage altered, prior to endoscopy.

After the procedure

As endoscopy is conducted under sedation, the patient will need to be accompanied by an adult to travel to and from the hospital after the procedure. There can be dizziness and drowsiness even after the full recovery time of 30 minutes. Hence, patients should not drive or operate machinery for at least 8 hours post procedure.

After the endoscopy is conducted, the results are available almost immediately. However, if a tissue sample has been taken during the process for a biopsy, the lab result may take some time. In other cases, such as abnormal growths, bleeding from an ulcer, or a foreign body in the esophagus, the treatment is done along with the endoscopy procedure and after care medications will be prescribed by the gastroenterologist.

If you have gastrointestinal disorder, consult the specialists in Gangaram Hospital and find out if you need an endoscopy.