Upper endoscopy

Overview

Endoscopy

Endoscopy

Endoscopy

An endoscopy procedure involves inserting a long, flexible tube ( endoscope ) down your throat and into your esophagus. A bantam television camera on the end of the endoscope lets your doctor examine your esophagus, stomach and the beginning of your small intestine ( duodenum ) .
An upper endoscopy is a routine used to visually examine your upper digestive system with a bantam camera on the end of a long, flexible tube. A specialist in diseases of the digestive system ( gastroenterologist ) uses an endoscopy to diagnose and, sometimes, cover conditions that affect the esophagus, stomach and beginning of the minor intestine ( duodenum ).

The checkup condition for an upper berth endoscopy is esophagogastroduodenoscopy. You may have an upper endoscopy done in your doctor ‘s office, an outpatient surgery center or a hospital .

Why it’s done

Gastrointestinal tract

Gastrointestinal tract

Gastrointestinal tract

Your digestive tract stretches from your mouth to your anus. It includes the organs necessity to digest food, steep nutrients and serve waste .
An upper endoscopy is used to diagnose and, sometimes, treat conditions that affect the upper separate of your digestive arrangement, including the esophagus, stomach and begin of the little intestine ( duodenum ) .
Your doctor may recommend an endoscopy procedure to :

  • Investigate symptoms. An endoscopy may help your doctor determine what’s causing digestive signs and symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing and gastrointestinal bleeding.
  • Diagnose. Your doctor may use an endoscopy to collect tissue samples (biopsy) to test for diseases and conditions, such as anemia, bleeding, inflammation, diarrhea or cancers of the digestive system.
  • Treat. Your doctor can pass special tools through the endoscope to treat problems in your digestive system, such as burning a bleeding vessel to stop bleeding, widening a narrow esophagus, clipping off a polyp or removing a foreign object.

An endoscopy is sometimes combined with other procedures, such as an sonography. An ultrasound probe may be attached to the endoscope to create speciate images of the wall of your esophagus or stomach. An endoscopic ultrasound may besides help your sophisticate make images of hard-to-reach organs, such as your pancreas. Newer endoscopes use high-definition video to provide clearer images .
many endoscopes allow your doctor to use technology called specialize band imaging, which uses special light to help better detect precancerous conditions, such as Barrett ‘s esophagus .

Risks

An endoscopy is a very condom routine. rare complications include :

  • Bleeding. Your risk of bleeding complications after an endoscopy is increased if the procedure involves removing a piece of tissue for testing (biopsy) or treating a digestive system problem. In rare cases, such bleeding may require a blood transfusion.
  • Infection. Most endoscopies consist of an examination and biopsy, and risk of infection is low. The risk of infection increases when additional procedures are performed as part of your endoscopy. Most infections are minor and can be treated with antibiotics. Your doctor may give you preventive antibiotics before your procedure if you are at higher risk of infection.
  • Tearing of the gastrointestinal tract. A tear in your esophagus or another part of your upper digestive tract may require hospitalization, and sometimes surgery to repair it. The risk of this complication is very low — it occurs in an estimated 1 of every 2,500 to 11,000 diagnostic upper endoscopies. The risk increases if additional procedures, such as dilation to widen your esophagus, are performed.

You can reduce your risk of complications by cautiously following your doctor of the church ‘s instructions for preparing for an endoscopy, such as fast and stopping certain medications .

Signs and symptoms that could indicate a complication

Signs and symptoms to watch for after your endoscopy admit :

  • Fever
  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Bloody, black or very dark colored stool
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Severe or persistent abdominal pain
  • Vomiting, especially if your vomit is bloody or looks like coffee grounds

Call your doctor immediately or go to an emergency room if you experience any of these signs or symptoms.

How you prepare

Your doctor will give you specific instructions to prepare for your endoscopy. In some cases your sophisticate may ask that you :

  • Fast before the endoscopy. You will need to stop drinking and eating four to eight hours before your endoscopy to ensure your stomach is empty for the procedure.
  • Stop taking certain medications. You will need to stop taking certain blood-thinning medications in the days before your endoscopy. Blood thinners may increase your risk of bleeding if certain procedures are performed during the endoscopy. If you have chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure, your doctor will give you specific instructions regarding your medications.

Tell your doctor about all the medications and supplements you ‘re taking before your endoscopy .

Plan ahead for your recovery

Most people undergoing an upper berth endoscopy will receive a ataractic to relax them and make them more comfortable during the procedure. plan ahead for your convalescence while the sedative wears off. You may feel mentally alert, but your memory, reaction times and opinion may be mar. Find person to drive you dwelling. You may besides need to take the day off from work. Do n’t make any significant personal or fiscal decisions for 24 hours .

What you can expect

During an endoscopy

During an upper endoscopy procedure, you ‘ll be asked to lie down on a mesa on your back or on your side. As the procedure gets afoot :

  • Monitors often will be attached to your body. This will allow your health care team to monitor your breathing, blood pressure and heart rate.
  • You may receive a sedative medication. This medication, given through a vein in your forearm, helps you relax during the endoscopy.
  • Your doctor may spray an anesthetic in your mouth. This medication will numb your throat in preparation for insertion of the long, flexible tube (endoscope). You may be asked to wear a plastic mouth guard to hold your mouth open.
  • Then the endoscope is inserted in your mouth. Your doctor may ask you to swallow as the scope passes down your throat. You may feel some pressure in your throat, but you shouldn’t feel pain.

You ca n’t talk after the endoscope passes toss off your throat, though you can make noises. The endoscope does n’t interfere with your breathe .
As your doctor passes the endoscope down your esophagus :

  • A tiny camera at the tip transmits images to a video monitor in the exam room. Your doctor watches this monitor to look for abnormalities in your upper digestive tract. If abnormalities are found in your digestive tract, your doctor may record images for later examination.
  • Gentle air pressure may be fed into your esophagus to inflate your digestive tract. This allows the endoscope to move freely. And it allows your doctor to more easily examine the folds of your digestive tract. You may feel pressure or fullness from the added air.
  • Your doctor will pass special surgical tools through the endoscope to collect a tissue sample or remove a polyp. Your doctor watches the video monitor to guide the tools.

When your doctor has finished the examination, the endoscope is slowly retracted through your mouth. An endoscopy typically takes 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your situation .

After the endoscopy

You ‘ll be taken to a convalescence area to sit or lie restfully after your endoscopy. You may stay for an hour or therefore. This allows your health care team to monitor you as the ataractic begins to wear off .
once you ‘re at home, you may experience some gently uncomfortable signs and symptoms after endoscopy, such as :

  • Bloating and gas
  • Cramping
  • Sore throat

These signs and symptoms will improve with meter. If you ‘re implicated or quite uncomfortable, call your doctor of the church .
Take it easily for the rest of the day after your endoscopy. After receiving a sedative, you may feel alarm, but your reaction times are affect and judgment is delayed.

Results

When you receive the results of your endoscopy will depend on your position. If, for case, your doctor performed the endoscopy to look for an ulcer, you may learn the findings right after your procedure. If he or she collected a tissue sample ( biopsy ), you may need to wait a few days to get results from the testing lab. Ask your doctor of the church when you can expect the results of your endoscopy .

Clinical trials

explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or cope conditions .

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