What is a Digestive Endoscopy? Digestive endoscopy is an outpatient procedure used to examine the inside of the esophagus, stomach and part of the duodenum. Endoscopy facilitates the diagnosis of digestive symptoms such as heartburn, vomiting, nausea, difficulty swallowing, bleeding or abdominal pain. It allows the diagnosis, or in other cases the prevention, of gastritis, ulcers or tumors. It can be performed with or without sedation according to the patient’s choice.
The gastroenterologist inserts an endoscope (a tube with a small camera attached) through the mouth to explore the throat, esophagus, stomach and small intestine. Endoscopy is painless, but you may experience nausea during the exam. The patient can decide whether or not to undergo the exam under sedation.
This examination lasts approximately 15 minutes and allows for a thorough and systematic examination of the parts. In some cases, a biopsy may be required at the doctor's discretion.
If the examination is performed under sedation, the patient will be taken to a recovery room afterwards until the effects wear off. The patient will be discharged and the results will be given to him/her at the previously agreed time.
Endoscopy is recommended to evaluate symptoms or conditions related to the upper digestive tract, such as:
- Abdominal pain or chronic discomfort.
- Persistent heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux.
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).
- Unexplained nausea or vomiting .
- Gastrointestinal bleeding .
- Peptic ulcers : To diagnose and assess the severity of ulcers in the stomach or duodenum.
- Unexplained anemia : To detect the cause of internal bleeding.
- Control and monitoring of pre-existing conditions such as Barrett's esophagus or gastric cancer.